Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-15
MILITANT MAIDS
"VALOR" REWARDED
BY DEATH AS SUICIDE
Strange Story of Laura
Gray's Career Revealed in
Letter Accompanying Pre-
sentation of Medal.

A really gifted and brilliant young
woman. whose life might we'll have been
diverted into the highest channels, has
under tho saddest of all circumstances
gone over to join the great majority. Her
suicide by an overdose of drug to
which che became addicted after Joining
the militant suffrage forces, took place in
a flat in Jermyn street, London, last June.
Joan Lavender Guthrie, or, as she called
herself Laura Gray" frequently led the
militant suffragettes on wild expeditions.
Until her 2lst birthday, couple OF
years ago, she lived with her widowed
mother under the most comfortable cir
cunstances in Kensington Highly edu-
Gated and of brilliant abilities, she de-
veloped leaning for socialistc literature,
and became a militant suffragette. BUT
until the following letter and Its accom-
panying medal for "valor" was sent her,
the young girls life was fairly normal.
The medal was from the W. 5. p. L. to
militants, and the letter reads
Dear Soldier in the Women's Army:
No mere words can possibly express
the feelings of the committee towards
you and the other comrades who nave
so nobly and with utter disregard OF
Sell SuTeTeQ the pain VI tAAt 'leAoSt
strike, and the horrors of forcible
feeding in prison. at the prompting
of duty and loyalty to the cause you
passionately love, and which is the
dearest in life TO us all. l send you
therefore. in all honor. and on oehait
T the committee of the w. B. +. U"
he medal for valor in action. and my
Lrsonal wish that you have not suf-
laed too seriously in health as the
d,ilt of your heroic fight for pr1n-
81. Yours, with all greetings.
\ MABEL TUKE.
\When the Coroner, lngleby Oddie
summed UP, his voice trembled with emo
tion, and there was scarcely a dry eye
in the room. He nervously fingered the
above letter and then said;
Can anything be more calculated TO
upset the mind of young girl such as
receiving this document and this traVesty
OF medal? After this she began to exas-
gerate her own Importance The weak
mind probably gave way. She leaves her
home her sister, her mother, FOR gar
ret in order to earn her own living ana
probably devote herself to the cause. she |
is next On the stage as pantomlne sltl'
and when a young girl. brought up as she |
was. starts to live the free and nde- !
dependent existence We hear so much |
about in England, men of the world know
the danger she runs. danger OF whlch !
this girl unfortunately did not escape
men frequenting night clubs and taking
money from them There is no more
about the suffragtst movement. The girl
seems to have been absolutely degraded.
and from then her whole history is one or
drink. drugs immortality and death from
her own hand"
The Coroner read aloud a letter written
Z uy the. unfortunate Miss Guthrie, to her
mother, in which she says:
my Dear Little Mother-Whatever
wretchedness have had has come to me
through my own doing, and during this
last year, In particular. l have met some
very dear souls. both men and women.
II you ever come across them and they
speak to you of me give them a welcome
for my sake even though l may have
met them in bad and immoral ways.
Please don't imagine for a moment that
what | have done was suggested by our
last conversat!o | have been taking
drugs for the last six months practically
every night / only lied 10 you about it.
because I knew you would worry II l
told you the truth. or course, the kindly
Coroner will call it temporary insanity
But, as a matter OF fact, | think this is
about the sancst thing I have yet done.
I am simply very, very tired OF things
IN general. I cannot see that the world
will progress any the worse for my being
out OF it, It seems cowardly. l know, but
should only 90 on causing you more un-
happiness. dear soul. for there are certain
ways of life which il Is absolutely impos-
slbie to give up. In fact, one does not
want 10. You are so pure and good that
II is hard TO write this TO you, but feel
Il TO be the absolute truth. 1 believe
there must be a further sphere for people
like you, where unhappiness and disap-
pointment are smoOthed away No one
in this world could have had a better or
more sympathetic mother than ]. G. l."