Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-14
RYAN DENIES GUILT
IN POISONING WIFE
Declares She Took Tablets
Voluntarily and He At
tempted Suicide
VICTIM IS STILL ALlV E
BY the Associated Press

ny thb fsStthttu ttVSS
Paris, Jan. 14.-Thomas Stewart
Ryan, of the Paris staff Of the Chicago
Tribune, firmly protesting his limo.
cence, is being held In Santa, prison
in connection with the serious Illness
Of his wife, due, II. is alleged, to the
taking of poison tablets while in Mr..
Ryan'S room at hotel here.
Mira Ryan IN a Californian. She is
n yiolinist and IL known professionally
ns Miss Aurdey Creighton. She Is in
the American Hospital, where the
physicians hold out little hope for her
recovery.
No formal complaint has been fled
against Ryan. lie is heing held on n
deposition made by Mrs. Ryan. Coun-
sci for Ryan contends that the deposi-
ton makes no mention Of violence or
c,ompul lsion." but says Mrs. Ryan took
the poison when terrified"
Mr.. Ryan appeared to be mistaken
when he told his version of the affair
TO the examining Magistrate in the
afternoon. He testified that he had
made no threats and did not lock the
door of his room while Mrs. Ryan was
with him there. lie said he had told
Mrs. Ryan jokingly that he had poison
in his hand bag when she said she did
not want to live, but he thought she was
pretending when she took the poison,
When he was aware that she had
swallowed the poison, he said. he de-
spairingly attempted to cut his throat
with pocket knife, but was able TO
summon aid and carry his wife down
stairs. He took her to a hospital imS
medately.
q May Be Suicide Pact
Another version Of the case was re-
vealed by Police Commissioner Frallca
in reporting statements which Mrs.
Ryan had made to him at the hospital.
Her husband, the Commissioner quoted
her ms saying, had told her he knew she
had had an intrigue with a young man
and proposed that they die together.
whereupon Mrs. Ryan took the three
tablets and Ryan cut his wrist and
neck. Mrs. Ryan, however, losing
courage, rushed out of tn, room and de-
manded to be taken to hospital.
A letter from his wife was found in
Ryan's possession. when he was arrest
ed. In this letter, which he had re-
ccivcd while he was in India, she said
she had decided to break with him en-
tirCly. There were also two letters in
pencil, written during their interview
at her hotel, one addressed to her
mother and the other to the man whose
name Ryan brought into the case. In
these letters, the police stated, Mrs.
Ryan said she regretted to die.
The police search of the room in the
hotel revealed nothing beyond an empty
wine bottle two glasses and numerous
cigarette stubs.
Muskogee. Okla, Jan 14.-Thomas
Stewart Ryan. whose wife is reported
dying nt n Paris hospital of poisoning.
is son of Ed G. Ryan Of this city.
who for the last twenty eight years has
been In the Government service. and
a grandson Of Thomas Il. Ryan, formcr
Assistant Secretary Of the Interior.
When last heard Of here. Ryan had
left Chicago in September on an assign
cnt in Indin for the Chicago II ibunc.
His father is in California.
Los Angeles. Calf, Jan. Ii
Rorn and educated IN Los Angeles.
Audrey st. Clair Creighton first left
this city several years ag" a slip of
school g,rl to study the violin IN SAN
Francisco. She then went to New
\ ork TO study and later abroad, but re-
turned 70 Los Angeles to visit her
mother, an English woman, who made
her home here for several years and
was prominent in the social life of the
immunity.
Her runaway marriage to Thomas
Stewart Ryan four years ago caused
considerable stir locally. the young
musician later claiming she was forced
to 20 with Ryan and chauffeur to
I.nvcrne. where the ceremony was per-
formed by the Methodist clergyman,
who later testified In her suit for an
uulment of the marriage. The suit was
fled March "a. 1919, year and ten
months after the marriaG" took place.
At the time Ryan had gone abroad to
fight with the allied forces in the Bal
kans.
According to the story she told the
court, the occasion of the alleged kid
napping had been the first time Ryan
had spoken of marriage. She iatd she
had resisted and had endcavorcd to cS-
cape from the automobile in which
they were riding. but had been Unsuc-
ccssful.
The court agreed with Ryan in deny.
ing the suit for annulmcnt. that there
had been no force, fraud or strategy
employed ns the wife charged.
Two years ago Miss Creighton went
to study in Paris, where she won great
honors at the American Conservatory
OF Music at Fontain"bleau. Mrs.
Creighton accompanied her, giving up
their home here for the time. Mrs.
here Wednesday, was buried here to-
day.
lie was, for n number of years, at
tachcd 10 the staff Of Los Angeles
newspaper, while Mrs. Ryan was
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