The New York herald., 1922-09-06
Films Refused One, Other
Blames Dope and the Fact
She Was 'Hick.'
PENS STORY OF FAILURE
Detroit Girl Calls Self Weak
ling, Begs Forgiveness
of Mother.

anu IN tne lllfnS caused TWO WoineHs. vi
barely out of her teens. and the othes
just turned thirty. to attempt suicide by
drinking poison yesterday. The younger
Miss Donnie Harrison of Detroit, who
five days ago rented an apartment at
GAS Madison avenue. was unconscious
when other tenants discovered smoke
rolling through the transom. The girl
appeared to have set fire to the bed with
lighted cigarette. In Bellevue Hospital
her condition last night was said to be
critical. A letter to her mother. Mrs.
Marie Harrison. 624 Charlotte avenue.
Detroit, described the girl as a weak
ling" unable to resist dope" She left
another letter asking that her body be
cremated.
The other victim told authorities at
the Harlem Hospital that she was Vera
Maynard. a widow, living at the Hotel
st. Paul. Sixtieth street and Columbus
avenue. and disappointed film actress.
Two passing men saw the woman drink
something from bottle.
Intended to Sip Poison.
Miss Harrisons letter to her mother
said:
This is the last night of my life /
intend to make 1t so. / have taken
small quantity of bromidia. but have a
four-ounce bottle of veronal to drink now
and then there will be no awakening
this time / intend to take II all at
once--not sip 1t.
II love you, darling. as much as 1t is
possible for a poor weakling like myself
to love. Tell Fred that l passed think
ing of him and loving him and baby and
papa too. You know. darling. / was
always a sort of worry and hindrance
for you at times. For instance, the
night / told Billy threw things. !
guess | was born sort of tired. And n
yeaklng to any vice. There isn't any
way Of being cured Of dope. This is tn ;
easiest way out. | left Arthur (Arthr~
Rosenbaum OF AZ West Forty-sixth
street) a letter as last favor to dead
girl to cremate me and send you the
ashes. Always, dearest of all, l love
you"
Another letter, unaddressed. which
must have been the girls last effort p
hold the pencil, began:
Well. to start with, | am a dope.
Yes, n plain dope fiend. You know
heroin. l am a girl. too, though per-
haps you think ! was long past thaf
To go on with the story--you know be-
tween you and | something Is just max
ing me write this--it Is the last thing
III ever write 1t really was my faulr
in the beginning. | mean about the
dope. Gee--I was young then and sweet
oh, well, you know the kind.
II left my home town to attain some
thing that a million other girls pray to
attain--a brilliant career on the stage.
| landed in New York with $50 my
parents had given me (thinking IL was
more than sufficient 10 hold me until !
obtained work. and large tan (nearly
red) suitcase. That was all had TO my
name. | was absolutely stranger.
knowing little more than nothing about
this city. All | had to guide me was a
scrummy little piece OF paper with the
address Of an alleged respectable board
ing house. After just two days in the
big city / came to realize that employ
ment Is not easy TO get--for nick. ]
also came 10 realize oh. fully. too, you
can betl that $40 in New York lasts
about as long as SNOWFALL in--weil.
YOU know. Furthermore. l experienced
then and there the pang of regret that ]
had ever left the old home town, and
nv first thrill OF fear of what might
happen to me--and did happen to me
when my money gave out.
"Days and DAYS followed. and every
day | went to the different offices. only
\ 10 be met with the same sharp no open
/ ing DAYS ran TO weeks and weeks 70
\ roonths. There | was with no work
/ The landlady demanded her rent.
was down and out and disgusted with
myself. But ! wouldn't send home for
monoy. was too proud and didn't
have a friend in the world who was able
10 help me.
zone night | went home. tired out
terribly tired Quit was raining terri.
blv--with the same reply No. In my
ears. IL was only TO And my suitcase
IN the hall i knew what that meant
No home for even that night No place
10 sleep. Well, walked miles and miles
in that food with no plan--Just aim
essIy. had ono thought. If kept on
walking | might
Here the letter ended abruptly. She
was no longer able TO move her hand
or think. The struggle had apparently
ceased for the "weakling."
Mother Knows of No Motive.
The mother Of the girl. who Is en-
ployed as a saleswoman in the silk de
partment OF department store In De-
troit, when interviewed by a CORE
spondent for THE NEW YORK HERALD,
said: "The only reason ] can possibly
give for this terrible thing Is that Don
ME was temporarily unbalanced frou
illness. am certain there was no man
mixed up In this. know Arthur Rosen-
baum. lie IS n good friend of hers and
o. mine. lie was interested in Donnie
a. an elder brother or father. Sew
eral times he has tried TO helm her find
n pogItion. There were no other men
that I know of. The Fred she referred
To In her note 10 me IL her brother, II.
The Baby is her younger brother. Bob,
l13"
Miss Bunnie Dorel. an actress. Hotel
I,onEacre. visited the hospital and ar
ranged to put Miss Harrison IN n pri-
yate room. They had been children to-
gether. Miss Dorel explained
A neighbor nj the Hotel 81. Paul,
where Mrs. MAYNARD. the other poison
victim lived, said that the disappointed
actress had made a previous attempt to
take her own life.
Mrs. Florence Weiss, &c. committed
suicide IN her home. 4f2 West Forty
firth street. by nhaling gas. She left a
note for her husband accepting the
blame for dlsagreements which had
caused a temporary estrangement.
Mrs Lavinia Wilson. GO. was found
dead in her bed from gas poisoning In
the home of her daughter. Mrs. Mary