Evening star., 1932-07-06
HEIR TO REYNOLDS
RICHES KILLS SELF
Screams of Recent Bride,
Former Libby Holman,
Bring Aid.
Nv the AsSoc,a.ed presS

BY the Associated Press.
WINSTON SALEM. N. c., July g.
Smith Reynolds. youthful heir to to-
bacco fortune, shot and fatally wounded
himself early today on sleeping porch
adjoining the bed room of his wife, the
former Libby Holman, Broadway torch
singer" in his home here.
Whether the 20-year -old youth. who
took Miss Holman as his second wife a
few months ago. intended to kill him
self or accidentally fired the fatal shot
was in doubt
DR.. W. N. Dalton, county coroner.
after an investigation, said he was con-
vinced the death was due either to sui
eide or accident, but it might be sew
eral days before he would be ready to
render a verdict deciding between the
two possibilities.
Suicide Motive Missing.
He said he learned of no motive for
suicide in his investigation.
Reynolds, youngest son Of the late Il.
j. Reynolds who built fortune from
tobacco, died in a hospital at dawn,
four hours after he was taken there
unconscious from the bullet wound. He
never recovered consciousness.
He and Mrs. Reynolds entertained at
an informal dinner party last night.
All the guests left about midnight With
the exception of A. B. Walker of Wins
ton-Salem, a close friend of Reynolds,
and Miss Blanche Yeager Of New York,
friend of Mrs. Reynolds and her house
guest.
Walker. who had been invited to
spend the night said he was on the
1omar AOor CLOSING windows Uben he
heard the muffied report Of a shot and
then heard Mrs. Reynolds scream. He
found Reynolds on the sleeping porch
unconscious from a bullet wound in
the head. On the floor was an auto
matte pistol.
Mrs. Reynolds CoIiapses.
A subsequent autopsy disclosed the
bullet entered near the right temple
and emerged just back of the left ear.
DR.. Dalton said there were powder
burns on the right side of the face.
Mrs. Reynolds was Frustrated and
was placed under the care of physi-
clan.
Young Reynolds first came into news
paper prominence three years ago, when
he and Anne Cannon, heiress to the
Cannon textile millions, were married
at 2 am, in York, S. G. The young
couple was accompanied to the South
Carolina Gretns Green by her father
and his chauffeur.
Flew Wife to Reno.
Marital troubles soon developed and
shortly afterward Reynolds settled
81 900 900 on his wife and infant daugh-
ter. A few months later, Reynolds few
his wife to Reno, where she obtained
a divorce.
REYNOLDS interest in aviation prompt
ed him to make several airplane jaunts,
including one about the Far East with
Jean AsSolant, French flyer. He was
returning from this trip when Miss
Holman went to Hawaii to meet him
and they were married there. Announce
ment OF the marriage was not made,
however. until their return to New York
several weeks later.
Anne Cannon Reynolds, shortly after
her divorce, announced her engagement
to B. Frank Smith, jr., Charlotte hard
ware man. They were married at ABOUT
the same time Miss Holman and
REYNOLDS announced their secret mar
riage.
Miss Holman, six years older than
Reynolds, is the daughter OF Cincin-
natl attorney. She was graduated from
OIllNCISlJy VI OAAAOAAA4hbAB WAA~%S
studied law, and later rose to promi-
nence on the New York stage.
Brother Served Term.
REYNOLDS elder brother, r. ]. Reynolds,
jr., engaged in numerous escapades
which kept his name before the public.
Like Smith, he has been highly inter-
ested in aviation and at one time owned
Roosevelt Field, near New York.
About two years ago, while in Eng
land, r. J. Reynolds, jr., struck and
killed a cyclist with his automobile. He
was arrested, convicted Of reckless driv-
ing and served prison sentence under
the name Of r. Joshua Reynolds. Mem
bers of the Reynolds household said r.
j. Reynolds, jr, is now somewhere IN
Europe.
Besides his brother, Smith Reynolds
is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Charles
Babcock and Mrs. Henry Walker Bag
lev, both of New York. W. N. Reynolds,
racing enthusiast, is an uncle.
Neither Smith nor his elder brother
was ever actively connected with the
MANAGEMENT of the r. j. Reynolds To-
bacco Co. The share OF each In the
fortune left by their father has been
estimated at around $25,0o0,000.
Their annual income was well above
six figures.