South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-06
Despondent Over
Failure, A ctreSS
Attempts Suicide
Miss ''Donny" Harrison. 20
Year-0ld Detroit Girl,
Drinks Poison.

NEW YORK. Sept. 5.-CBy l. y.
S.)-Convinced that her life was "a
failure" Miss "Donny'' Harrison. 20
years old and described IN newsra-
per clippings found IN her room as
a wen-known actress OF Detroit
Mich. attempted suicide by drink
ing veronaI and bromidia IN her
luXuriously furnished apartment at
SOS Madison Avenue today She
was found unconscious and taken TO
Bellevue hospital where her condi-
tion is critical.
The girl had been IN New YORK
only about ten days. II was learned
Her parents live at ga Charlotte
av., Detroit. She spent her vaca-
ton with them this summer and &C.
cording to a copy OF a newspaper
Of that city. found on a table near
her bed was robbed Of $4,000 worth
of jewelry while at a theater matinee
in that city with her mother on the
afternoon OF August Is. Apparent
~. she had come on TO this city
shortly after the robbery.
Before taking the drugs. Miss
Harrison wrote two letters, one TO
her mother at the Detroit address
and. the other 10 Arthur RosAnbaum
OF AZ West 4Ist St, this city. In
them she asked that her body be
cremated and the ashes, along with
her Jewelry and other personal be-
lOngings be sent to her mother.
This is the last night Of my life. g"
she wrote in the letter addressed TO
her mother. I am taking bromidia.
4 am taking all Of it this time q"
The police interpreted. this 10 mean
that she might have made previous
attempt at suicide.
Il love you as much as it is pos
sible for a weakling like myself 10
love-" read another excerpt from
this missive. Tell Fred have
passed away. Love TO Fred. baby
and papa"
Life a FaIlre.
In her letter to Rosenbaum, the
actress wrote that she had come to
the conclusion that her life was "a
failure" and that she had grown to
be a "hindrance." She also express
ed fears in this letter of being driven
TO drugs
The clothing OF the bed in which
Miss Harrison lay was afire when
Policeman Rector, Of the East 67th
ST. station broke in but she escaped
injury from the flames. Whether
the fire started from a final" Gig
arctic which the girl had lighted
while waiting for the drugs TO take
effect or whether she deliberately
set it afre in order to insure her
death, the police were unable to de-
terUnine. II is believed, however,
that the blaze started from a Gig
arctic. II was put out with little
difficulty.
The girls dying statement was
found scrubbed on sheet Of paper
on the floor near the bed. II was a
story Of despair, a record Of the des-
parate fight she had made for a
chance on the New York stage, a
fight rebuffed at every hand with the
chilling announcement mo open
ings."
After setting forth that this Is
the last thing I will ever write, ="
the pathetic narrative ran:
Il left my home town to attain
something a million other girls hope
to attain-a brilliant career on the
stage. landed in New York with
$40 my parents had given me,
thinking that was. OH more than
sufficient to hold me TIL I obtained
work, also a large light red suit
case. That was all 1 had 20 my
name
Il was absolutely a stranger.
knowing little more than nothing
about the city and its workings. All
] had to guide me was a little strip
Of paper bearing the address Of an
alleged respecta BILE boarding house.
After two days in the big city I came
10 realize that theatrical emrloy-
ment was not so easy TO get, espec-
tally 10 a new COmer-a hick you
may say. I also came 20 realize. oh.
fully too, you can bet, that $50 in
.--o-a-o-.-~---~~@~~~-~
Continued on PGEe TWO