New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-08
GIRL AV|AT0R'S> SUICIDE
LAID TO LOVE AFFAIR
Miss Agnes Firth MaCduff Visit
ed by "FianCe" After Acct
dent at Hampstead.
FRIENDS OPPOSED FLYING
Real Name Dropped So as Not
to Embarrass Relatives
Said to Have Wished
Death by Aeroplane.
fFrom The Tribune Correspondent.

| IRON Inc Tribune correspondent
Garden City. Long Island, July There
was much regret among the members OF
! the aviation colony here to-day when
news was received from France that Miss
Agnes firth Macduff or Miss Agnes
/ Firth, as she was known here, who
! learned TO fly monoplane on the Hemp
stead Plains aviation field, had committed
suicide That il was the result of love
affair and dependency appears to be the
/ general opinion among the aviators and
others who knew her well during her visit
here.
Miss Macduff was ono of the most at
/ tractive girls that ever appeared OH the
! field. She was a pronounced brunette
with a petite figure and appeared 10 be
| well supplied with money. always being
J extensively gowned. She was we'll edu-
| Gated. but was averse to telling much or
! her history or affairs or those of her fam
/ lily. 1T was learned however, that she
was formerly a resident Of Cambridge,
/ Mass
! II was generally understood that the
name of Firth vas assumed. The young
woman mentioned when first visiting the
! field that she was a college graduate. She
/ was an excellent equestrienne and also
drove an automobile with much skin.
Took Lessons with Monopane.
! She first appeared as one OF the pupils
of the Sloane school OF aviation and took
number OF lessons with monoplane.
( Early In November she was i'm an acct
/ dent and the following day was visited
B : [, f,1.r f.NnH
! came from Boston after learning Of the
mishap. Miss Macduf told a friend the
! following day that she was engaged 10
/ be married and would give up aviation.
While staying at the Garden city Hotel
| she never mentioned the name OF her
+ nanct. and his identity was unknown.
| The day following her accident Miss
Macdun received many kilograms ana
/ letters from relatives and friends in Bos-
/ ton asking that she desist from further
I flights. Later she left here for California
/ and nothing was heard Of her by the
/ aviators here until the announcement OF
| her death to-day.
I Miss MacduG was extremely popular
/ among the colony here and soon had "a
score of friends She was extremely ner-
vous at times I'm her preliminary trips
while at ground work and on one occasion
she confided TO friend that she was un-
| happy and was uncertain az To whether
/ she wished 10 marry
Cambridge. Mass. July 7-Agnes Firth
Macdun. whose suicide is reported from
/ Paris. is believed 20 have been a young
] woman known az Agnes Firth. who occu-
1 pied a small suite I'm an apartment on
/ Massachusetts avenue. this city. for "A
! few weeks about two years ago. Just be-
| fore leaving Cambridge Miss Firth said
she was going abroad 10 study aviation.
| Miss Firth who had dropped the family
name OF Macdun. was twenty-siN years
/ old and native OF Tilton. y. H. For a
/ time she lived on ranch near Denver.
/ coming TO Cambridge in 1896.
/ She was a daring horsewoman, an eX-
| pert automobiles and a follower OF out
door athletic sports Two years ago she
| left Cambridge TO study aviation at
school at Hampstead, Long Island, where
| she first became known as Agnes Firth
| because Of her wish 10 have the name
/ Of her family freed from the notoriety at
! tached to aviation.
! The young woman sailed for France
/ on May | last, and had been taking
course at an aviation school near Paris
4 No reason for the suicide was suggested
/ by her friends here.
| Paris. July THE body OF the young
| American woman who yesterday com
mitted suicide at Villebon, near Meudon.
I FIpsh
/ Macdum, OF Massachusetts avenue, Cam
bridge. Mass Her name and address
were found on a bicycle license issued to
her by the authorities on September u,
1912.
Sailed for France in May.
The young woman took poison on June
10 and fingered until July 4. 1t was
thought at first by the physicians that
| she was going 20 recover. She steadily
refused To disclose the reason for her act
! Some friends in Boston OF the dead
woman telegraphed the desire that she
| should be cremated here, but the French
! law forblds the cremation OF the bodies OF
! persons who have been murdered or have
committed suicide The body will there
| fore probably be buried In Paris
! Investigations OF the police show that
the young woman was particularly cheer
| full on the day on which she took poison
! She walked I'm the woods for "A consider
able length Of time and returned at
O'Clock in the afternoon After she had
swallowed the poison the pain caused her
to cry for help. 1t Is suggested by fell
! low aviation students that the woman
wished for a dramatic death by aero
plane which would appear an accident,
but finally decided that she could not
/ Oh. "A.