Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-05
DOUBLE SUICIDE
ENDS A ROMANCE
Mrs. w. L. Suydam and Fred
erick Noble, Welded Month
Ago, Inhale Gas.
DEATHS SEAL THE MOTIVE
Woman Had Deserted Wealthy Hus-
band to Elope With a Young
Plumber.

yesterday ended the sensational ro-
nance of the former wife of Walter
L. Suydam and Frederick Noble, the
young plumber for the love of whom
Mrs. Suydam ran away from her
wealthy husband and married.
The bodies of Noble and his bride
of a month were found in their New
York apartment. The couple had been
asphyXiated by gas.
The suicide pact, the discovery of
its results by Mrs. John ]. White of
Washington, D. c., the mother of Mrs.
Noble, and other features of the case
were sensational.
Mrs White, who has an apartment
on Lexington avenue. had her daughter
as a visitor Saturday night and sup
posed she would remain over night.
When, however, Mrs. White awoke
Sunday morning she found that her
daughter had left the house
Mrs. White hurried to the daugh-
ter's apartment on West Twelfth
street in her automobile. She became
alarmed when there was no answer to
her repeated knocks and summoned
two policemen, who forced an en-
trance
DOOR IS BARRICADED.
The entrance door had been barricad-
! ed with chairs and tables and the
doors of all the rooms of the large
apartment also were locked and bar.
ricaded When the party forced its
way to the dining room the odor of
gas was first detected and the mother
became hystericaL
Breaking through the next door
which led into the kitchen, the party
found Noble and his wife lying dead on
the floor, their heads almost inside the
oven of the gas range. They were
partly undressed and clasped in each
others arms.
ALL WINDOWS BOLTED.
The woman was clad in silk kimonc
and she lay with Mobiles left arm en-
circling her body, their faces being
close together. Every window in the
apartment was closed and bolted
Mrs. White, who was the first to see
the bodies, shrieked and tainted. She
twas carried to a physicians Office and
resuscitated with difficulty.
The couple left no notes to explain
their act, but the police were convinc
ed that it was a case of double suicide
circumstances left no doubt that sucl
was the case.
SUYDAM is SUMMONED.
A few minutes after the discover.
Mrs. Mobiles former husband, Waite
Lispenard Suydam, was summoned b.
telephone, and arrived quickly in hi
automobile. He was much affected
He was not allowed to view the body
which was later given over to the Gus
tody of the mother.
Employees at the apartment hous
said that Suydam frequently had Wis
tied his divorced wife since her mai
riage to the young plumber. Whe
asked what he thought might hav
been the motive of the suicide pac
: Suydam said:
e Il can't tell you anything. She ism
!, mine now, and l am only here as
: FINDS CHECK FOR sI1O.
Mr.. Suydam picked up in the apar
ment a check for $110, which he sal
Il his former wife had told him she ha
Il drawn on his account. He put tn
e check in his pocket.
l. Suydam was so unnerved by tn
IL tragedy that later when driving hi
e automobile on Fifth avenue he ra
g down Edward Rappold, a mail carrie
e He took the injured man to hospita
e leaving orders that no expense be spa
e ed in treating his injuries. 1t was sal
that the man would recover.
In the absence of explanatory note
d the motive for the suicides will pro
J. ably never be known. The woma
IS was still in the twenties. She was ma
n ried to Suydam about nine years az
and the couple made their home on
magnificent estate at Blue Point, Lon
Island.
a, ELOPEMENT CAUSES STIR.
" Early last fall sensational repor
e, developed regarding her mysteriol
r disappearance. The sensation W;
IN heightened when it turned out that 81
s. had deserted her wealthy husband
is be with Noble, the son of a Brookly
+ plumber. Noble was learning Il
Oh plumbing trade. Suydam institut,
I'd divorce proceedings and obtained d
US cree.
TO The divorced wife afterward marri
y the plumbers son. The wedding to-
m place in Jersey City just month az
a. and the couple established a home
So West Twelfth street, where the s
eide pact terminated the romance y.
tprdaY