Evening star., 1932-09-09

DAN FftAINO1OSO, .
R).-Dorothy Millettee, believed to
be the woman prominently named
in the Paul Bern suicide, dis
appeared Tuesday night from a
river steamer between here and
Sacramento, leaving her luggage in
her cabin, police were told today by
f. j. Olivia, IT., Oakland, ticket agent
for The River Lines.
BY the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, September 9.-The
"other woman" in the life of Paul Bern,
brilliant film studio executive and hus-
band of blonde Jean Harlow of the
screen, was sought today by police In
hope she might throw some light on
his suicide.
Authorities expressed belief the "mys-
terry woman" is in Southern California
and may have figured in events imme-
diately preceding the death Of Bern
last week end, when he shot himself
to death in the Benedict Canyon home
he occupied during his two months OF
marriage to the actress.
Miss D. Millette, identified by the
Los Angeles Examiner as the "other
woman" checked out Of San Fran
cisco hotel Tuesday, the day after
Bern's body was found. She had been
registered at the hotel since May 4.
Mailed to San Francisco.
For years the mystery woman was
Do RorT1 o.
ceived a check regularly from the dl-
rector, the last check, according to OFF,
cials of the film studio where he
worked, being mailed to her in San
Francisco.
Tbis Mrs. Paul Bern," the Miss D.
Millette of New York" who had been
staying in the San Francisco hotel,
and the Dorothy Millette named by
Bern in a will in 1920, the Examiner
identified as one and the same person.
Police were eager to locate her, as
all other attempts to clear the mystery
of Bern's death have failed.
An inquest yesterday failed to reveal
q motive for the suicide, although sew
eral witnesses testified the 42-year-old
film producer was subject to melan-
cholia resulting from physical state
which would tend to prevent happy
marriage.
Brother Is Silent.
The mystery was increased when
Henry Bern, brother, announced last
night certain complications" caused
him to continue his silence. He re-
fused to issue a statement which he
had promised since arriving here by
airplane from New York Wednesday
night.
Certain complications which have
come to my attention make it impos-
eible for me to give out statement, :"
said Bern. please don't ask me what
those complications are. Let's just say
that when they have been Strengthened
out, 1 will tell all"
Prior to Bern's statement last night,
his attorney Ralph Blum, had said:
I'VE will be able to announce some
thing definite concerning Paul Bern's
previous marital status within "a hours.
We are beginning to investigate the re-
ports that Paul Bern had provided for
women said to be his wives"
Verdict of Suicide.
Miss Harlow was quoted by the Ex-
aminer as saying Bern had told her he
was paying $3.50 a month to "an old
friend" but she knew nothing OF the
existence of the other woman.
IF that money went to this woman, /"
she was quoted, Il know nothing
about it."
Confined to bed at her mothers home
as a result of the shock Of her hus-
bands death, the 21-year-old platinum
haired widow was excused from ap-
pearing at the inquest.
Coroner's Jurors found specifically
that Bern died from gunshot wound,
which was self-inflicted with suicidal
intent; motive undetermined"
Private funeral services were to be
held this afternoon at Inglewood Gene
terry. Miss Harlow was to attend with
q few relatives and friends.
Married Ten Years Ago.
George Clarken, Los Angeles inSur-
ance man, said at Colorado Springs
yesterday that Bern was married 10
years ago to a woman now confined in
a New York sanitarium for the mentally
incompetent and that he had placed
a large sum with New York trust
company for her benefit. So far as he
knew, Clarken was quoted as saying,
Bern and the woman were never d.
vorced.
From New York came a report that
Attorney Henry Uttal had said he had
on file in his Office will signed by
Bern August 30, 1920, leaving virtually
all his estate to my wife, Dorothy
MilletJe."
In Les Angeles Attorney Oscar Cum
min said Bern had made a will since
his marriage to Miss Harlow, but the
lawyer refused to discuss it, except to
say that it was drafted and signed
"very recently"
The Los Angeles Examiner said that
from other sources 1t had learned the
new will left Bern's estate to Miss
Harlow.
When Miss Harlow did not appear at
the inquest large throng was disap.
pointed, but listened eagerly as the wit
nesSeS described Bern as a man beloved
in the motion picture world. highly
nervous man, who let trifles worry him,
who appeared completely happy in his
home, but who sometimes spoke so
tnorosely that his colored chauffeur
sought to cheer him and convince him
life wasn't hard, after all.
He was a man. testified the autopsy
surgeon. who might have been suffer-
ing from a nervous complex, which
SPECIAL NOTICES.