Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-27

w the most admired woman among
the gilded youth of England com
NIT suicide?
Some startling revelations were made
at 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 vouptuous. redipped 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 moro
numerous in her wonderful hair, the lines
deepening in her lovely face, the re.
mainde- of her life doomed before her as
barren desert OF misery. No escape for
the broken. disheartened sorceress APP
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. The
Better Ole"
The inquest revealed that she had quar-
relied violently with her new husband and
parted from him within a week while on
their honeymoon Apparently she was
tortured with insane jealouses, 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 the
Duke OF Richmond and Gordon. an old
time tri=nd OF Mrs Anterior and familiar
with her early history, testified as 10 the
p!t!able state OF mind in which ne found
her. She had met him in Hyde Parl; and
poured the story OF her husbands sup
posed llsdeeS.g into his ears.
Especially wes She Jealous OF her hus-
bands relations with his stepdeugh,er,
Miss Nellie Cornell, daughter OF his de-
ceased second wife, Very young girl, in
whom ne naturally felt a paternal inter-
est But Mrs. Eliot vas equally concerned
about mis- alleged friendship with & circus
wider named kalrine
She made her friends and servants mis-
cradle with her outcres about her wrongs
Night after night she locked herself alone
In her bedroom with deadly eapon.
Sac kept TWO reviewers and a 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
she had dressed herself coqucttishly in a
diaphanous costume Of chiffon edged with
gold
Thus miserably persisted a 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 nrt
with the officers She caused the distn-
gushed war surgeon, Sir Frederick Trevcs.
to speak OF "the plague of women"
She had been divorced by her husband.
Colonel Anterior. for her relations with
young Captain Yarde Butler. the heir to a
pecragc.
She had been named in a dive ,e suit
by the pretty American, Mrs. John Alex
ander Stirling, for alternating her husbands
affections.
She had been offered a prncey sum by
Cairo hotel, the worlds most luxurious
caraVanserai, simply TO stay there and use
her destinations in attracting guests.
After all these and many other adven.
lures. she had found young and talented
husband, related TO a famous, noble family.
and then. the honeymoon scarcely over.
she had taken her own lite. What drama
OF tangled human lives lies herei
Mrs. Anterior belonged by birth to ono
OF the most distinguished families of Eng.
land. She was originally Miss Mabel