The Washington times., 1922-04-20
HEART-BROKEN
FOLL|ES BEAUTY
TAKES MERCURY
Helen Lee Worthing, Once Ac-
claimed Prettiest Girl, Swal-
lows Poison.

NEW YORK, April 20.-The dim
lights and padding feet OF Bellevue
Hospital last night surrounded Helen
Lee Worthing, who two years ago
was declared "the most beautiful
woman in America" instead OF the
blazing spots" and tumultuous ap-
plause of the New Amsterdam roof,
where until a few days ago she was
one of the most alluring members
of the famous Ziegfeld "Follies" line
of loveliness.
Depressed from continuous head.
aches, she had swallowed some tab
lets of bichloride OF mercury in her
apartment at So West SixtNfifth
street.
Her maid, who found her groan.
ing on the floor of the bathroom. in.
sists Miss Worthing took the poison
by mistake for other tablets she
sometimes used to relieve her head.
But friends who have shared Miss
Workings secrets recently shook
their heads last night and expressed
the belief that the beautiful young
woman had deliberately tried to end
her life.
Stage Lure Drew Her.
Two weeks ago, after a quarrel with
Edna Wheaton. another Follies girl,
Miss worthing left the New Amster.
dam and did not return. The lure
of the stage had captivated her,
however, and every day she was
at home she complained OF the lack
OF the theater's torrid attraction.
Doctors said last night her condi.
tion was critical, but that she might
recover. Her father is a wealthy
business man of Brookline, Mass.
The story Of Helen Lee Worthing
is not one to make other girls envy
the possessor OF great beauty. Five
years ago, when less than seventeen,
while living in Kentucky, she was
secretly married to Charles ]. Nc
Donald, a Chicago advertising man,
who had been fascinated by the girls
simple charm and unexcelled face
and figure.
Two years later she was In Boston,
living at 1923 Beacon street, Brook
line. One day a photographer per.
suaded her to send her portrait to
film magazine which was offering a
large prize and a place in the
movies" to the girl who should be
selected by a board of judges as the
most beautiful woman in America. :"
Ten thousand women entered the
contest and the judges, who num-
bered such well known beauty pick
ers as Cecil de Mile, James Mont.
gomery Flagg, Howard Chandler
Christy, Mary Pickfrod, Thomas
Ince and David Wark Griffith,
unanimously picked the portrait of
Miss Worthing. confirming the selec.
ton after having a personal view of
the young woman, then just reaching
nineteen.
The film world attracted her. but
according to her own affidavit in her
suit for a divorce from Mcdonald
the latter objected to her picture
career strongly.
She refused to give II up, for, as
she said frankly, ION his salary he
couldn't buy me the things / had
come to want. Since 1 could earn
the money for them didn't see why
should do without them. I wanted
a car. He offered me a Ford.
Imagine II. when l could buy myself
a limousiner'
So the Mcdonald romance ended,
but not until, as she swore, her hus-
band had "blackened one of my ewes
Back TO the "Follies."
But the movie world did not prove
such permanent lure after all.
Whether II was that the beautiful
face did not register" properly, or
whatever was the reason, last year
found her back from California and
seeking place in the "Follies"
chorus.
With her face and form II wa.
not hard to get, and for some
Broadway reveled in her en-
trancing loveliness, and she was the
toast Of the Rfter-"Follies" cabarets.
Early this year the final decree
divorcing her from Mcdonald was
signed and since then, though she
had declared she would "never,
never again wed a handsome man."
the visits to the New Amsterdam
stage door OF a well-set-up young
man, said to have seen service with
the navy, have been the cause OF
much comment along the Rialto and
among the girls who knew Helen
Worthing.
It was over this mans attentions
that the quarrel with Miss Wheaton
is said to have warmed itself up to
a point where the management had
to interfere vigorously.
Angry at herself and inflamed
against the management, Miss
Worthing did not return to the
theateT, but kept in seclusion at
her apartment, sending out word
she was ILL.,
Dependency over the loneliness
OF her situation and the failure Of
the ''one man" to come forward
when she felt herself in trouble is
believed by her friends to be re-
sponsible for yesterdays act.