Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-03-28
WAS A society TRAGEDY
THE ELOpNHNT OF Ills WIFE
TWO YEARS AGO CREATED
\ SOCIAL SCANDAL.
lie never COT over IT
Gricving Over His Unfortunate DO
nestle Troubles Finally Lead
10 His Rash Act.

WASHINGTON, March 27.-Phu-
| lip 5, Hickborn. a young lawyer, and
son of the late Rear Admiral Hick-
born, killed himself tonight in des-
pondency and humiliation over the
elopment more than year ago Of his
wife, Elenore Hoyt llickborn with
Horace l.. Wylie, a prominent Wash
ington attorney. He shot himself in
the head with an automatic army re-
volver ana died almost instantly.
Hiciborn went for dinner to the
home of his sister Mrs, Paul S. Pear
sail, The family was out, and shortly
after his arrival servants heard a
shot in his room. The door was
broken in and he was found dead. on
a table Hickborn had left note,
sealed. The coroner took charge Of
1t and its contents may be made
known If the families consent.
A person who claimed to have seen
the note said part Of its text was:
Was Not to Blame.
II am not to blame, l think have
lost my mind The remainder, which
was brief was said to devote to a
mention Of his little boy.
Death by his own hand added to a
distressing tragedy which shocked the
most exclusive society Of Washington
ana its sorrow and humiliation to the
homes of some of the capitals most
prominent families.
The first public intimation that all
was not well in the Hickborn family
came in December, 1910 when Mrs.
HIickborn and Wylie disappeared at
the same time Mrs. HiCkborn S fam
lily Indignantly denied stories of an
elopment and said she was Il patient
in a private hospital broken down by
the death of her father, Henry NJ.
Hoyt. former solicitor general of the
United States and at the time of his
death counsellor for the state depart
ment.
In that winter the couple travelled
as Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Wise and was
reported on the Nile, later in Paris
and on the Rivera. Both families
stoutly denied persistent stories of
their whereabouts and no verifica-
ton of the facts was had until last
January, when Hickborn sued for di-
vorce. That action never came to
trial and ended by his death.
Reconciliation Failed.
In April, 1911, Mrs Hickborn re-
turned to her mother and simulta-
neously Wylie returned to his family
in Washington. He had deserted
wife and four children; Mrs. Hickboru
had left a three year old baby boy.
1t is supposed this attempt at recon-
cillation was the result Of a meeting
of a few weeks earlier in Paris be-
tween Mrs. Hickborn, her sister, Mrs
Ferdinand Won Stumm, the wife of a
former attache of the German em-
bassy here. and Mrs. Hoyt. 1t really,
however was the outcome Of an
agreement between Mrs. Hickborn
and Wylie that each should return
home, and il both found a reconcilia-
ton impossible they would accept
such realization as justification for
their elopement. II appeared at first
that the Wyles had become reconcil-
ed but not so with the Hickborns The
next step came last fall when Wylie
turned over to his wife end children
real estate said TO be worth 100000
and personal property worth 500. 900.
IT was thought this was the final az
tion in bringing the family together,
but it proved to be the step which
separated them.
Wylie resigned from tho clubs
which had not already dropped him
and sailed from Boston. for Europe.
Mrs. Hiokborn remained " IN her
mother near Boston and after a hur-
ried trip to Washington. sailed IN No
vember for Europe from Montreal
soon after the couple were said to
have been seen Ia West Minister Ca
thedral and later i'm France. That
was the last Washington heard Of
their movements.
Young Hickborn remained In Wash Z
ington. except for brief trip TO Cali I
fornia. from which he returned few
days ago. lie never seemed to rise to !
his former spirits and a day or so {
ago his sister remarked to a mutual !
friend that she was having a time 10 I
keep Phil together" He was known !
to host of friends as the best type
of young man.
The prominence Of his family and I