The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-31
DROVE
HER TO SUICIDE
Vera Fetch. Who Sought
Death, Wanted to Shine
as Authoress
MOST OF HER WOES
PURELY IMAGINARY
Friends of Young Society Woman
Say She Was Easily Discour-
agcd--Cannot Live Many
Hours.

NEW YORK, Aug. 3i.-Following
her Identification as Vera Fitch. oil
Oakland. Cal, the young woman who
shot herself in the Hotel Aston Oh
Monday night, was reported to-day
to be in so serious condition IN
Flower Hospital that she can hardly
live more than thirty-six hours Whiie
suffering great pain and at times semi
delirious, she continues to deny mel
identity. although her mother mas
positively identified her. To every
statement made to her that she Is now
known and might as well ADMIT Who
she is, she means:
MY people are self-respecting FOLK
and / will not bring them into this.
IL was learned to-day that Vera
Fitch has lived for some time with
her sister, Grace. formerly San
Francisco belle. now the Wife OF Roy
w. Conger, nephew OF the late Ed
win H. Conger. former minister TO
China.
Admits Identity.
At the Conger nome on broadway
Mrs. Conger at first denied that II
was her sister who had shot herself.
but later she admitted 1t. saying
You cannot blame me for trying TO
deceive You. My sister Is young
girl and ] wanted TO protect her"
Friends OF the dying girl say that
most OF her troubles were of an i'm
aginary character. She vas intensely
they say. and was of temperament
easily discouraged. She had written
a number of short stories, but had
had no success In disposing Of them,
and began TO believe that every one
was against her. She had been de-
spondent for some days, members of
the family say. but they had no rea-
son to think that she would try to
kill herself.
Foretold by Pianist,
Mrs. Conger. or Miss Grace Fitch,
as she is to be known on the stage.
where she is to make her debut i'll
vaudeville next week. said to-day that
q palmist warned her month ago
that her sister planned 10 take her
life.
We knew" said Miss Fitch, that
Vera was suffering bitter disappotnt-
ment over her failure To achieve lit
erary success. We saw that she was
getting respondent but we did not
believe that she would do as the
paimist said. Before Vera came East
from Oakland she had been given
every encouragement by Western edi-
tors, pUt these Eastern eultoFS NpGfu
not even give her hearing.
rs she said. the fourth estate,
reared up a buiwark OF ice that broke
her heart How differen these same
editors act, now that she has won no.
toriety by attempting her life Only
this morning l was called to the tele-
phone and offered 5000 for my written
impressions OF the cause OF my sister s
failure 10 find happiness. / replied
to the person who made me the Of
fer that / wouldn't do so for $40. goo
Vera was always of a most studious
nature. and constantly worked. She
did not understand New York, and
could not find any pleasure in the
gayeties the city offered. She was Sc
rious. She did not even understand
me. She could not see how l could
find any pleasure in the lighter things
OF life"
When her sister shot herself in the
Hotel Aston Miss Grace Fitch was at
tending performance at the Victoria
| Theater. Vera Fitch is the youngest
daughter of the late General Henry
Fitch. United States Army. and is q
cousin of the1tate Clyde Fitch, the
playwright. s~f,a