The Washington times., 1922-05-28
F|ANCEEF|NDS
i NOTED GOLFER
! DEAD At DOOR
William Warwick Blackhall,
Stabbed in Lovers Quarrel,
Ends His Own Life.
PENNED FAREWELL NOTE
Woman's Slipper and Spanish
Dagger Add Mystery to
Sensational Suicide.

DO
Sensational Suicide.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 27.-
eff"
The most potent word in the
language; the fulcrum on which
Fate raises men and women to
the sky or lowers them into the
slough :, :,
IF William Warwick Blackhall,
president of the Northern Cali
fornia Golfers Association, had
waited only a week he would
have been married now to the
woman he loved and happy
And she, Eleanor Holman,
beautiful, talented, would not be
living under the shadow OF a
scandal
A Dagger and Death.
There would not he any story
then. Of course; but would that nave
mattered? For there are thousands
and thousands of stories every day
waiting for the writing. and happi'
moss is so rare that 1t is worth pre-
serving!
So, if they had waited week,
Eleanor Hollmans decree OF divorce
would have become final. The
woman was willing to wait, but the
man was impetuous. So they
fought. literally fought, over the mar
rage question, and so bitter was the
struggle that the woman was driven
to defend herself with a dagger.
Then the man. wounded, despairing,
went away and penned a note to her,
then came back and killed himself
on her doorstep in a San franciscan
suburb!
Thus ended the romance that was
begun on the links four years ago
when Mrs. Eleanor Holman. we'd
ded TO Frederick w. Holman,
wealthy real estate dealer. met the
dashing young golf wizard. An in
terlocutory decree Of divorce was
granted last May, and would have
been made permanent under the law
bv now. The Hollmans and Black.
hall were prominent socially and
Eleanor was often paired with Will
liam in society matches.
The Last Letter.
When they picked up the body
OF Blackhall from the lawn where he
had fallen from the porch of the
house, with the stains Of poison
burned into his lips. they found this
letter:
"Dear Eleanor:
Il am sorry I used your home for
this, but it is the only place I could
carry it out. You will probably
think back when you receive this.
and in your heart you will know
that you were wrong. l am heartily
sorry it had TO end this way. God
bless you. and you may find my
body in the basement. Good.by!
Good-by!"
Just before he committed suicide
the golfer began the quarrel over
their approaching marriage. He
would not marry him after all, when
she was free, and no words of hers
would reasSure him.
In the heat Of the struggle he
attempted to seize her. Mrs. Holl
man. according 10 the police, seized
an old Spanish dagger and poised it
threateninglY. Regardless of the
danger, Blackhall rushed at her, and
they fought for the weapon. The
dagger point was driven into his
shoulder before he desisted.
Ex.HuSband to Rescue.
Breaking free of him, Mrs. Holl
man reached the telephone and
called up her former husband, beg
Ring him to help her. Richard Holl.
man hurried from his own home in
n motor, arriving in time to quiet
his wife and persuade Blackhall to
cease his wildness.
Then the husband left Soon after
the quarrel was renewed, and the
police say that Mrs. HOLMAN threat.
ened to Kill herself. The golfer
was heard to leave the house soon
after.
Soon after breakfast Mrs. Holl.
man telephoned her husband again,
asking him to notify the police that
the golfer was dead on the lawn
a pane Of glass in the front door
was broken, two other panes were
cracked and drops Of blood led from
the house to the CIump Of shrubbery
on the lawn under Mrs. Hollma 3
window, where tho sclf-slain lover
was found dead Mrs. Holman.
prostratcd, declined TO make any ex.
PLANTATION, but
In an automobile still parked near
the lawn, was found tiny silken
beaded Slipper-and Blackhall had
the use Of that car. Was the jealousy
that preceded the struggle and the
suicide all on one side? II!