The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-01-29

ana talked Win margaret AOE ountS
time. At that time Margaret said
that she was feeling much better
and she talked about the trip that
Mr.. Hrding had promised her to
Europe. She seemed, Mrs. Thayer
said. in a very happy frame Of
mind. This was 1880 o'clock In
the afternoon.
Maid Last to See Her.
Immediately afterward Margaret's
maid served lunch in Miss Hardings
boudoir. The maid was the last
person to see her alive.
Some time later the maid re-
turned to collect the dishes and to
remove the luncheon table. She
found the table outside the door
and on it four notes, one ad.
dressed to Mr.. Harding and the
others to three Washington girl
friends of Miss Margaret's. Both
the doors of Miss Margaret's suite
were locked.
The maid raped, and when she
failed to get response, she tle0
downstairs and called the cook.
They returned to the third floor,
where Miss Margaret had her apart
ment, and together tried to gain
entrance. Finally they decided to
call DIR. Waterman.
DIR. Waterman hurried to the
house, and when he saw the locked
doors and the notes. he Immediately
called Medical Examiner Brickley,
and when the latter arrived. he
forced one Of the doors.
Miss Harding was dead in bed,
bullet hole in her breast and q
small pistol beside her.
Mr.. Harding's Weapon.
The weapon was one that be.
longed to Mr.. Harding. one that
he kept in the house for the WON.
en- folks protection when he was
absent Margaret had asked the
maid for it last Thursday when
Mr.. Harding left for Washington.
"You had better put fathers re.
vulver in my ROOM she told the
maid. This was the usual pro.
cedure when Mr.. Harding went
away and the servant thought
nothing Of It.
II am sure" said Mr.. Harding
as he spoke softly, but with catch
in his voice, that even II my
daughter did commit suicide, It did
not follow any lengthy premedita.
ton. She must have felt, when she
suffered that third hemorrhage,
that what's the use; my health is
gone'"
Miss Margaret's maid telephonod
to the Thayer home in New York
Immediately and found that both
were out. Word was left and Mr..
Harding called the house. The maid
told him In response to his anxious
inquiry, that Margaret was very Ill,
but was sleeping then and that he
had better call DIR. Waterman Inn
mediately. Mr.. Harding did. and
the physician broke the tragic news
to him.
Tongue Of Scandal Starts.
Mr.. Harding and Mr.. and Mrs.
Thayer hurried here and plans were
Immediately made for q quiet
funeral. But even before the sim
pie funeral services held in the
chapel Of the Massachusetts, Crema-
ton Society at Forest Hills yester.
day afternoon, the tongue Of scan.
rad started rumors.
The funeral of Miss Harding
was an exceedingly simple affair.
When the minister had read the
committal service, the caaket was
taken from the room and only Mr..
Harding and Mr.. Thayer followed
II to the crematory chamber.
The round of balls and dances
and other functions had told heavily
on her during the last year. II
had MARRIED her beauty and the in
ternal trouble had started in her
lungs, had made her far differ
ent appearing girl than the beauty
she was two or three years ago
when she was picked as one Of the
two most beautiful girls in the
South.
Looked Woman Of as.
Still more heavily had the hemor.
rhages she suffered ravaged her
beauty. She looked a woman Of
forty-five when she was prepared
for burial and sadly unlike the
beautiful girl that was the most
sought for at dances and balls Of
all the younger set.
The death cast a pail of gloom
over the wide circle of friends, but
deeper than the gloom even 10 the
sympathy for her father. For VIII
liam p. &. Harding is one Of the
best loved and most respected Of
all men And the troubles that he
has boone with not Il single com
plant through all the long years
of them, has made him even ths
more loved by those who knew bir.
hest.