Arizona republican., 1917-01-21
YOUNG ARTIST
SH00TSSELF As
DOCTOR LEAVES
Republican A. P. Leased WireJ

tRepublcan A. p. Leased Wrel
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 2O-Miss
Betty De Jong. prominent member of
! the San Francisco art colony and one
of the exhibitors at the Panama Pa
cific International Exposition. toyed
with q loaded revolver in her studio
! here tonight for nearly three hours
while DR.. William S. Porter, prom-
nent phvsicior of Oakland, sat with
! her in an attempt to persuade her
| that suicide was useless.
! AS he rose to leave for his Oakland
home. DIR. Porter told the police, Miss
! De Jong jumped from her chair,
| placed the revolver to her temple and
fired. She is believed to be fatally
wounded.
emergency hospital.
DIR. Porter was taken to the police
alton and questioned regarding his
relations with the artist
According to the police, who re-
sponded when DR.. Porter summoned
an ambulance, DR.. Porter said Miss
I'De Jong had been talking suicide fol
several weeks. She had been paint
ing portrait OF him, DR.. Porter said,
and during the last few appoint
mcnts for sittings, she endeavored to
postpone the engagements, declaring
l that she vas not in the mood for
painting.
DR.. Porter was to have had a sitting
today. he told the police. but could
not keep the appointment. He said
he called at Miss De longs studio
early this afternoon when he came
here from Oakland and explained to
Miss De Jong that he couldn't keep
the appointment She asked him to
call before he returned to his home
he said. which he did at ten minutes
after six o'clock tonight.
when | entered Miss De Jong's
studio this evening" DIR. Porter SAID
"she was sitting in a corner toyins
with q revolver. She talked Of sui
eide ana / tried to persuade her tha,
it was useless.
For three hours he said, he talked
with Miss De Jong. He tried to cheer
her up, he said, but seemed to have
little success. Finally, according to
his story, he decided that he must GO
to his home. As ne arose, and started
for the door of the studio, he said.
Miss De Jong placed the revolver to
her temple and fired.
Just before the doctor arose, ac-
cordirg to his story Miss De Jong
reached for an envelope lying on the
! table in the studio and wrote Moth
7
tanned letter recently received from
her mother, M<pe. II. De Jong of
Paris.
DR.. Porter was afraid to grasp the
gun. he told the police, fearing that
such action would cause the girl to
shoot herself. even if she did not
really intend to-.
Miss De long is about rs years old
ana a native of Paris. She recently
| fitlI ifn "a of
Xavier Martinez. famous California
landscape painter She is prominent
in artist circles here and has taken
q prominent part in all their affairs
DR. Porter IS said to be one of the
e hest known physicians in California
s He is about co years old. and, ac-
, cordirg to the police. was divorced
$ from his wife ABOUT four years ago
{ He declared that his only interest in
Miss De Jong was in having her paint
( his portrait. He is president of the
, Art Association of Alameda county.
\ DR. Porter told the police that he
, understood Miss De Jong had been
married but that she was known here
by her maiden name.
II have known Miss De Jong for
more than a year. DR.. Porter said
when l becarle president of the
Alameda County Art association. Miss
TIE JOllb itnucsStch Nlidl L at lci n pr
ture.
Il had been sitting for about three
months. when | had the time. Recent
ly she had been RESPONDENT. She felt
she was not progressing in her work
and inasmuch as she had no belief in
Il hereafter didn't care whether she
killed herself or not.
She told me tonight that once she
, had turned on the gas with the intent
of ending her life but changed her
, mind IS she felt she could not die
alone. Besides. she explained, she
die not want the janitor to find her
body.
There was nothing between us ex-
cept mutual interest in art. | have
sympathized with her in her efforts
to achieve fame and with her lonely
existence. bat | was not in love with
her nor she with me-
Physicians at the hospital where
Miss De Jong was taken said late to-
night that she was dying and that the
, end NAV come at any time.
Friends Of the artist said Miss De
long had told them she had been I'M
/; ; happily married in France.
Miss De Jorg came to this country
several years ago and before her ar
rival here exhibited in galleries in
/, Boston, Baltimore. Pittsburg and other