New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-20
Mrs. RanOuS, a Distln-
guished Translator, Kills
Herself with Gas.
WON LAUREL CROWN
OF FRENCH ACADEMY
God Will Not Be Angry with
Me-" She Wrote in Note to
Or. ROssiter Johnson.

I. was almost morning yesterday
when Mrs. Dora Knowlton Famous, su-
thor. actress and translator, finished
hacking the cracks in her little fourth
soor back room at PAS West l03d Street
with cotton batting Then, IN her
uiyhtooWn. the weary woman Stretched
herself upon her bed, placed me enc
OF gas tube Do her mouth and forgo'
her terror OF going blind, forgot tne
dread Of a third paralytlc strose, TOT
got. even. that she was tired OF ire.
In her youth Mrs. Ranous was asso-
ciated with the old Augustln DAILY STOCK
Company, and appeared with John ore"
and Ada Rehan. Later she married, lev
the stage and became one OF the coun-
trv's foremost translators. She was
crowned by the French Academy for
her rendition into English OF the worss
OF its members. Her husband, william
Y. Famous. editor and publisher, -
dead Her only child, married daugh-
ter. Alice. is dead The woman was
threatened with blindness, and there
was no one 20 care for her. She reared
a return 90 paralysis, and there vas no
one 10 comfort her.
In her shabby furnished room she
set very deliberately about leaving the
world which held nothing more Tor het-
She had been dead for an hour or more
when her landlady shifted suspiciously
in the hallway below, climbed me
stairs. tried the locked door and then
summoned the police. go,
Patrolman Pryor. OF the West lootn
Street station. broke down the door ana
entered the room. Mrs. Ranous lay on
her narrow bed, her nightgOwn ar
ranged carefully about her feet. her
thin hands folded upon her breast.
On the table lay letter 20 Dr. Kos
sitter johnson. her Co.leborator IN sey..
eral works. Private and Confidential
was written on the envelope. This was
taken 70 the police station and Dr.
Johnson was summoned from nls nom.
at West Ninety-ffth Street Enclosed
we're a $50 and 50 bill Tor burial OK
penses. The letter read:
u am so weary Of my broken life.
with prospects Of worse 20 come, J can
not bear il any longer. long Tor
peace and rest ! will try 20 md Do
with my own dear Alice Her photo
graph Is I'm my suitcase. Put u on my
breast when | am laid away.
God will not be angry with me when
have confessed u all 70 him. lie
knows how much 7 can bear, and that
| can bear no more. Ny eyes are fail,
ing me. The blacklist misery is ahea1
of me. There Is no one 10 take care Of
my eyes and my health.
please do not reproach me, but nave
kind word for your friend Dora.
Or. Johnson was deeply affected. lie
recalled that Mr.. Ranous's mother and
grandmother had both died from
she has been ill.," he SAID. "snd
fear Of the possible stroke unsettled
her reason
Mrs. Ranous went 20 the lodging
only this week, when she was dis
charged from s.. Luke's Hospital. Yes
terday morning the body was carried
down from the room, high IN the rear
Of the building, and taken to the
morgue. Later Il was removed By sam
uel ID. Chubb Of Bensonhurst, !. L.
husband OF the woman's Gown dear
Alice"
Mrs. Famous was born a. Ashfeid,
Mass. ffty-two year, ago. Her best
known books were Literature Of Italy.
i'm collaboration with Or. Johnson;
"The Immortals." which won her rec
IGNITION from the French Academy and
"The Diary OF a DAILY Debutante."