The New York herald., 1921-07-07
AMERICAN DUCHESS
AND SON TAKEPOISON
NPARISSU|CIDEPACT in
Nine. de Guise-Hite and
George Harbough Prom
inent in Social Life.
BOTH ARE NEAR DEATH
Plunging in American
Stocks and Other Reverses
Said to Be Behind Act.
MOTHER TWICE DIVORCED
Note Asks First Husband in
California Be Told and Little
Dog Kindly Treated.
MOTHER TWICE DIVORCED

Special Gable to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1891. bv THE New YonK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau
Paris, July 9.
A peculiarly tragic attempt to exc
cute a suicide pact startled the Ameri-
can colony in Paris tonight Nine.
de Guise-H Hite, an American, twice
divorcee and self-styled Duchess,
who had been prominent ir. social life
in the American colony here and re-
Gently had made it known to her
friends that she was plunging desper-
ately in American stock markets drank
veronal in her apartment in the Hotel
de France ct Choiseul in the Rue st,
Honore.
At the same time in a fourth rate
son, George Harbough. "a years old.
whose father, Nine. de Guise- Hite's
first husband, Is a Cleveland million
aire. twice cut his veins and then, 1t
was believed. after a telephone call to
his mother in which he learned she
had already taken the poison, also
took the ve-onal draft. Both are near
death in the American hospital at
Neuilly.
Evidence OF suicide pact is said to
be in the hands Of the police. and friends
Of Nine. de Guse confirmed reports
sho mad made open threats of suicide
because of financial reverses. Her great
love for her son, these friends said.
probably caused her to persuade him to
Join in the suicide attempt. Her own
marital misfortunes. her lack of funds
and the inability OF the son to obtain
employment, although 1t was once
thought he would be placed in the Nor
gan. Harjes & Co bank, were the mo-
tiv.s leading to this double tragedy
Father in California.
George f. Harbough. the father OF
the dying young man, was a Clevela nd
millionaire, according to friends. when
he and Nine. de Guise were divorced.
He has since remarked and is now living
in Elcajon. Cal. 1t was his declaration
to lend no further pecuniary aid to his
former wife or the son that led to Nine.
de Guise's act. according to the reports
reaching the police. Last fall in New
York Harbough paid the expenses of an
operation upon his son, out he was
understood 10 have insisted that his sons
refusal to follow him when his mother
was granted a divorce meant their total
separation.
Nine de Guise's second husband was
lie Guise-Hite of Berkeley street Lon
don, and claimant to the title Of Duke,
although this has not been substan-
tiated. The de Guise title Is traceable
under the French law for several GEN.
turtles.
Drs Edmond Gros and Converse have
been working since noon trying to save
the lives Of Nine. de Guise and her son,
but It IL believed both will die. The
friends who found Mime. de Guise lying
in agony on the floor In her apartment,
also found a note which caused them
to hasten to hall bedroom on the ffth
floor Of n little hostelry In Rue Stroch,
where the son, George Harbough. was
found unconscious on his bed.
Mother and son mingled freely In the
social life of the American colony. de-
spite the difference in their surround
ings Information obtained by THE
NEW YORK HERALD Bureau correspon-
dent was that the police this evening
are communicating with the United
States following the discovery OF a note
on Mime. de Guise's dressing table,
which read:
After my death. In case my beloved
son, George, Is dead, too. telegraph to
G.. f. Harbough. Elcaton. Cal. Please
put my little dog In kind hands"
Long Contemplated Death.
According to her friends. Nine. de
Guise had been contemplating suicide for
several weeks, but apparently made up
her mind last evening. Although she
was always richly dressed, and lived
well. Il IL known that she had resorted
recently TO asking financial help from
wealthy members of the American COL
ony. while her son accompanied her to
fashionable balls at the Hotel Ritz and
other gathering places of rich Ameri-
cans where they charmed many by their
good spirits.
The divorce OF Mime. de Guise-Hite
from her second husband dates back
to the early days OF the war. Since
then she has been representing herself
as entitled to be called duchess. She
frequently visited Paris. but she took
up a permanent residence at the Hotel
de France ct Choiseul four months ago.
Her son. George. arrived in France
In Aprll,N lntenulnS 10 Idke position
In the Morgan, Harjes a Co. bank,
but at the last moment the plan fell
through and young Harbough. almost
penniless but with many friends, grew
more despondent daily. a cablegram
from New York. which arrived this
afternoon. showed that his mother's
speculations in the United States had
been improbable. The message informed
her that certain stocks were absolutely
worthless"
The details OF the suicidal attempts
were told to THE NEW YORK HERALD
correspondent tonight by Leo TelStonius,
a we'll known American pianist, and the
Countess Opinansk who. fearing a
tragedy following repeated threats Of
suicide. visited both hotels at 10 o'clock
this ilorning and discovered the two
victims unconscious.
II have known Nine. de Guise a long
time" said Tektonius. But for weeks
we have feared she would end her life.
1t was undoubtedly financial difficulties,