The New York herald., 1921-10-09
WALLETS OLD LETTER
GIVESN new VIEW OF
LORDBYRONSDEATH
Poets Last Message to His
Wife Thrown Into Fresh
Haze of Controversy.
RAMBLES AS LIFE ENDS
Fletcher's Account Sent to
Mrs. Leigh in 1924 Has
Signs of Authenticity.
RAMBLES AS LIFE ENDS

Special Cable to THE NEW YoaK HERALD.
Copyright, 1891, bu THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
London. Oct. X.
What was Lord Byron's last mes
sage to his wife? That is the tantaliz-
ing, tragic query aroused by the re-
cent opening to the public of q new
end apparently authentic account of
sthe poets death in Missolonghi. Greece.
contained in letter from his faith
1ul valet Fletcher to Mrs Augusta
Leigh, Lord Byron's half sister.
The letter recently was published
privately at Nottingham and a copy
OF 1t has now reached the British Mu-
eeum and the public. Despite the as
eertion of Voltaire that the poet car
ried his venity with him into the next
world Fletcher reveals a death trag-
edy of pathetic futility.
In describing the last scene Fletcher
wrote: HE became delirlous again and
then turned to me saying: You Will go
TO my wife and say But he could not
get any further"
The supreme agony was at hand. ana
Che poet seemed to make an almost
superhuman effort to collect his waning
knlnQ ana pHy6lCdl lOTCCo ubu D>oo.'
talking swiftly for few moments un-
I'll consciousness left him for few mo-
naents, the valet falling to understand
y single word.
TIE dying man then repeated his IN
utructions, adding: IT hope you nave
understood me. Fletcher"
Upon the servant admitting that he
F had not understood the letter continues
my lord in great agitation then SAID
IF yo. have not understood me II Is now
too late In faltering' low voice ne
repeated: L am truly sorry, Fletcher,
| that you have not understood, but Will
try again to make you understand
This was a chance which never came
/ FOR as Fletcher wrote, my lord soon
breathed his last Without sigh or Q
Pgroan."
Fletcher was a famous valet and the
s.stout woman, of "Childe Harold." The
ietter is dated April 20, 1924. Although
n whole library of books have been writ
ten dealing with the, poets last tragic
days at Missolonghi ana recounting how
no cursed the Italian doctors who pieo
him prpf,isely and swore at Trelawney
and Leigh Hunt II they revealed the
mystery Of his misshaped foot none pre-
sent the poets end with the bald exact
ness and obvious good faith of Fletcher
Fletcher was unlettered and simple
and his only desire was to convey the
truth. His letter shows that the last
hours were as dark and clouded as any
Greek tragedan might wish. He says
that Byron had his first convulsive ri
FEBRUARY 10. and although II lasted only
is minutes It was a warning and the
poet began voluntary starvation diet
ain the ...riy days of April" Fletcher
writes. .'he was seized with another fit
snd slow fever, after which he asked
for a Bible, which my lord studied.
"Cn Apri 10 his lordship lad violent
ppins in his bones" But he did not omit
his daily" ride. I'm the course of which
he got a wetting and returned with q
l,ieh fever. The valet urged him to send
FOR a doctor. who lived eighty miles
away but Byron replied 9! shall De
dead or better before the doctor comes
Later. however he agreed to this. tell
ing Fletcher to spare no expense, as
! should like to know what is the matter
with me- . !.
The valet then tells how four italian
pi,ysicians came and bled him, taking
eight ounces of blood. of which Fletcher
observes: II saw his blood had gone
into such state OF inflammation tina,
thore was not more than in ounce o.
real blood IN the eight ounces.
A~er an interval Of deliriuin came Apri
rs, when my lord began to make sure o.
his speedy dissolution"
Fletcher originally was a farm hand
He served Ryron twenty years After the
poet's death he returned to England
ard opened. a. shop near Berkeley
enuare. bu. went into bankruptcy anc
,,tired on an annual allowance OF f7t
cl.anted to him by Mrs. Leigh. He was
buried near his master at Hucknall Tor
lard, near Newstead Abbey