The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-21
DAzED BY
TRAGIC ACT
Of FILIPINO
Wife-in-teens Cries Out Grief as
She Learns Husband of a
Day is Dead.

In hysteria over the news, first
given her by The Times, that her
young Filipino husband of ten days
had killed himself but few hours
before she had started marriage
annulment proceedings in the Dis
trict Supreme Court yesterday,
pretty seventeen-year-old Mrs. Mo-
desto Panopio flung herself across
her bed in an M street rooming
house yesterday afternoon and
sobbed:
'Pm sorry, Pm sorry, I'm
5orryw
Made Good Death Threat.
Thus did the young girl-until her
marriage in Philadelphia a few days
ago, Miss Grace Murphy-receive the
news that the twenty-year old for.
eigner who had forced himself upon
her against her will, and from whom
she had already sought to free herself,
had made good the threat that he
would end his life unles she would
reciprocate his love.
the man she had wed in the face
of his cowardiy threat to kill himself,
belief that she might have been the
means of saving him from firing a
bullet into his love-crazed brain at
Philadelphia Friday afternoon, SEEM
ed to be the child-bride's first
thought.
In pitiful effort to soothe the
girl, the young man to whom she is
l.. a.x~1 H.
blurred incidents of the past ten
days stood by her bedside and sought
to quiet her.
Trapped Into Marriage.
Ten days ago she had made a trip
TO Philadelphia with Modesto, upon
his promise that there was a good
position awaiting her there. She had
recently been released from Gov
ernment department, and the opening
seemed a Godsend.
But once in Philadelphia she renl-
fzed she had become entrapped by
Modesto's scheming. He threatened
his life unless she married him, and
fearful that he might seek her life,
she consented to the ceremony.
Then came an elaborate dinner, the
wedding gift of Filipino friends Of
Modesto, and finally the return to
Washington the following afternoon.
Mrs. Panopio had sought an early re-
turn to her mother and sister here, but
Modesto had refused to buy a ticket
to the Capital.
Upon reaching the station here she
took from her bag the engraved mar
riase certificate and, tearing 1t into
shreds, flung the scraps into the face
of Panopio.
She left him saying that she
would never have anything further
10 do with him because of his deceit
in philadelphia.
Returning to her mother and sister.
then rooming at 1910 Massachusetts,
avenue, the girl sought to throw her
husband off her trail by taking up
rooms at another address. Even there
abe constantly feared the return of
Panopio.
Mrs. Murphy each night had care
fully watched for the Filipino, each
roorner coming home late being
greeted with call. lis that you,
Modesto7" upon mounting the stairs
in the rooming house. Each time,
when the girls mother recognized
the face of a roomer in the dim light
of the hallway, she would immedi-
stely retire to her room.
That Mrs. Psnopio had endeavored
10 cast off the attentions OF Pa
nopio early In their acquaintance
was volunteered by one who had
watched the comings and goings of
the pretty Murphy girl for several
weeks before she punctured the love
bubble OF the impulsive woocr.
Tried To Shake Him OFF.
There had been several spsts
between Grace and the man to |
whom she Is engaged over her going |
about with Panopio," the Times re-
porter was told. "She had lately re-
fused his attentions, declining offers |
TO attend movies with him. But he
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