Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-09-28
By One Who Knew Her.

Q1Q tue Dcdulllui IVA .. <AehoA eoAsS
NJ the most admired woman among
w the gilded youth Of England, com.
NIT suicide?
Some startling revelations we're made
ct the inquest concerning the noted char
mer's latest vagaries in love. but those
who are familiar with her amazing career
will recognize her end as only the logical
sequel of the life she had led.
This voluptuous, red-lipped enchantress
had exhausted every sensual JOY of life.
She had enjoyed everything and there re-
manned nothing. With middle age ap-
preaching, the gray hairs growing more
numerous in her wonderful hair, the lines
deepening in her lovely face, the re-
mainder of her life doomed before her as
q barren desert of misery No escape for
the broken. disheartened sorceress ap-
peared possible except the grave.
To those who respect the ancient laws
of religion and morality the whole, tragic
story will appear perfectly summed up In
the inspired words Of Saint Paul:
"The Wages Of Sin Is Death"
Mrs Atherton's right name at the time
of her death was Mrs. Arthur Eliot, al
though most people persist in calling her
by the name under which she was noted
for some twenty years. For the last three
months she had been the bride of Captain
Arthur Eliot clever playwright, joint
author with Captain Bruce Bairnsfather
OF that remarkably amusing comedy, Tho
Better Ole"
The inquest revealed that she had quar-.
relied violently with her new husband and
parted from him within week while on
their honeymoon. Apparently she was
tortured with insane jealousies, suspect
ing her husband of affairs with one woman
after another. She had lost her confidence
in her own once irresistible attractions.
The Earl of March, son and heir of tho
Duke of Richmond and Gordon, an old
time friend of Mrs. Atherton and familiar
with her early history, testified as to the
pitiable state of mind in which he found
her. She had met him in Hyde Park and
poured the story of her husbands sup.
posed misdeeds into his ears.
Especially was she jealous Of her hus.
bands relations with his stepdaughter.
Miss Nellie Cornell, daughter of his de.
ceased second wife, a very young girl, in
whom he naturally felt a paternal inter-
est But Mrs. Eliot was equally concerned
about his alleged friendship with a circus
rider named Katrine.
She made her friends and servants mis-
cradle with her outcres about her wrongs.
Night after night she locked herself alone
IN her bedroom Win ueduiy Woapoh'
She kept two revolvers and shotgun in
her house.
Her husbands brother, who called on
her, testified that her fears had changed
her so that she was barely recognizable.
The end came in her luxurious apart
ment at AZ Curzon street London. The
heartbroken beauty placed the shotgun
against her once lovely head and blew her
brains out For this supreme occasion
diaphanous costume of chiffon edged with
gold.
Thus miserably persisted woman who
for over twenty years had kept the
highest social world Of England in state
of turmoil, disrupting the homes of dukes
and earls, and even, it is said, disturbing
the serenity of the royal family
She had helped to wreck the married life
of the young Duke of Westminster. She
had been leading figure among those
women who went to South Africa to nurse
the wounded soldiers and stayed to flirt
with the officers. She caused the distin
guished war surgeon, Sir Frederick Treves
to speak of "the plague of women"
She had been divorced by her husband
Colonel Atherton, for her relations with
young Captain Yarde Butler. the heir to Q
peerage.
She had been named in divorce sui
by the pretty american, Mrs. John Alex
ander Stirling, for alternating her husbands
affections.
She had been offered princely sum BY
Cairo hotel, the worlds most luxurioui
caravanserai, simply to stay there and us,
her destinations in attracting guests.
After all these and many other adven
lures, she had found young and talented
husband, related to famous, noble family
and then, the honeymoon scarcely over
she had taken her own life. What q dram,
Of tangled human lives lies here!
Mrs. Atherton belonged by birth to on,
AZ Of the most distinguished families Of Ems
land. Shs was originally Miss labs