The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-28
Continuation of the Tragedy Which Shocked Exclusive
 Washington Society
DISCLAIMS BLAME
 FOR WIPES ACTION
His Wife Eloped With Horace L Wylie in December, 1910-Hich- borns Father Was Famous
 Shipbuilding Admiral

Washington, March 27.-Phil1p S. Hich- born, young lawyer. and son of the late Rear Admiral Hichborn, killed him self tonight in despondency and humila- ton. over the, elopement more than a year ago of his wife. Elenore Hoyt Hich- born, with Horace L. wyiie. prominent Washington attorney He shot himself in the head with am automatic army re- volver and died almost instantly.
 Hichborn went,for dinner to tb> home of his sister. Mrs. Paul S. PeaL, The family was out and shortly atAN> ar rival servants heard aashot lS room. The door was broken in,k Ae was found dead. On a tableSS ,orn had left a note, sealed TOO loner took charge of it and its.< its may be made known if theIos ss consent, A person who claimedo . seen the note declared part of <t was:
 DiscIaih Blame
 q am not to blame for this. I think have lost my mind''
 The remainder, which was brief, was said to be devoted to a mention of his little boy.
 Death by his own hand adds one more chapter to a distressing domestic trag- edy which shocked the most exclusive society of Washington and sent its sor- row and humiliation to the homes of some of the capitals most prominent families.
 The first public intimation that all was not well in the Hichborn family came h, nacpnoh haf Mra Hiphhnrp and Wyle disappeared at the same time. Mrs Hichborn's faDily indignantly de- nied stories of an elopement and said she was a patient in a private hospital, broken down by the death of her father, Henry M. Hoyt former solicitor general of the United States and at the time of his death counsellor for the state depart ment
 Families Denied Stories
 In that winter the couple, travelling ss Mir. and Mrs. Henry Wise. were report ed on the Nile. later In Paris and os4+,i . Riviera Both families stoutiy dSfed persistent stories of their whereapouts and no verifcaton of the facts was had until last January, when Hichborn sued for divorce. That action never came tc trial and ended by his death.
 In April, 1a11 Mrs. Hichborn re- turned to her mother and simultan- eously Wylie returned to his family In Washington. He had deserted a wife and four children; Mrs. Hichborn had left Swear baby boy It Is sup posed this attempt al reconciliation wns the result of 8 meeting of a few week S earlier in Paris between Mrs. Hichborn, hey sister. Mrs. Ferdinand von Stumm, the wife of a former attache Of the German embassy here, and Mrs Hoyf. It really, however. WIS the outcome of an agreement between Mrs. Hich - born and Wylie that each should re- turn home, and if both found a recon ciliation impossible they should accept such a realization as Justification for their elopement It appeared at first that the Wylies had become reconciled but not so with the Hlcnborns. A recon c.liation was not made there.
 Wylie Surrenders Property
 The next stop came last fall when Wylie made over to his wife and chil- dren real estate said to be worth s300 r 900 and personal property worth sl00,- 900. II was thought this was the final action in bringing the family together but if proved to be the step which sep arated them. Wylie resigned from the clubs which had not already dropped him and sailed from 6oston for Eu- rope. Mrs Hichborn remained with her
  ried trip to Washington sailed in No- vember for Europe from Montreal. Soon after the couple were said to have been seen in Wesp linster Cathedral and later in F'ran e. That was the last Washington heard of their movements.
 Young Hichborn remained In Wash ington. except for a br:ef trip to Cal ifornia, from whence he returned a few days ago. He never s--med to rise to his former spirits and F. day or so ago his sister remarked to T mutual friend that she was having d time 10 keep Phil together" He wss known to d host of friends as the best type of a young man.
 The prominence of his family and Mrs Hich born's gave unusual notice to the disaster Rear Admiral Hichborn, for long the chief constructor of the navy, was referred to as the master shipbulder and 10 his genius was given much of the credit for the performance of the American fleet in the war with Spain.
 Mrs Hichborn's father was man Of letters and scholar fitted for the positions he held