The Washington times., 1935-02-21
FATHER HOLDS
j. s. CONSULAR
POSITION
Jane, Elizabeth Du BoiS Leave
Notes to Parent; Pilot Fails
To See Bizarre Action
(continued from Page -


the. afternoon.
The evening brought better
spirits and the sisters went to a
theater. They returned late at
night and went to bed immedi-
Rtely.
Early this morning they were
up and about. They paid their
hotel account by check, bid an
affab4e farewell to the staff and
took a taxi to the London termi'
nal of Hillman Airways.
They had made arrangements
in advance to book an entire
plane. giving fictitious names for
supposed companions.
These bookings had been made
yesterday. When they reached
the airport, they told officials
their companions had disappointed
them and insisted upon paying
for all the seats in the plane.
At 10 a. m. they started, osten-
Sibly going to Paris.
Twenty minutes later they were
dead.
The bodies of the girls hurtled
to earth in view of scores of watch
ers on the ground, landing with
a terrific impact in the soft soil
of cabbage field. They were
found short while later, horribly
mangled, their fur coats and luXu-
Iious clothing torn, but arms still
tightly locked together.
Liquor Bottle Found
An official statement by the
owners of the plane said an empty
whisky bottle was found under
one of the seats occupied by the
sisters.
The sisters were the only chill
6ren of Coert Du Bois, a native
Of Hudson, N. Y, World War
hero and distinguished member
Of the American diplomatic corps.
9heir mother was Margaret Men
dell of Boston. Both Mr.. and
Mr.. Du Bois are believed to be
in Naples.
Jane was 20 and her sister %.
,Reth we're fairly frequent visitors
to London, spen ending several
months in the British capital
last summer.
John White, resident of Up
minister, who saw the girls drop
from the plane as he was driv-
iSNoP o1NHNr local NsNo| 1aIc1NnG
to the cabbage field. He found
the bodies had penetrated almost
a foot in the soft, moist earth.
Their luxurious clothing and fur
coats were badly mangled, and no
shoes were on the girls feet.
Inspection Of the plane imme-
diately after Pilot Kirton returned
to the Stapleford air field at
Abridge disclosed one shoe be-
meath a chair. The others were
believed to have been torn off dur
ing the girls hurtling plunge to
death.
Locked in Embrace
In the plane police also found
a number of letters. One was ad-
dressed to Mr.. Du Bois and one to
the girls mother. Other letters
in the sisters handbags, which
they left behind them, were writ
ten to their favorite servants.
Joseph Collins of Upminster,
one of the scores who saw the
bodies fall, told how the two re-
manned locked arm in arm from
the moment they left the plane
until they hit the earth. He said:
"The bodies fell like two
pieces of paper fluttering to
earth. 1 could plainly see them
clasped arm in arm as though
In a final embrace.
Zone body struck the earth
head first and was buried
nearly a foot. 1t was terribly
mutilated. The other girls
body was not so badly mangled,
but we found her neck was
broken
SAW BODIES FALL
Elizabeth wore a brown fur
coat and an attractive jumper
suit with a blouse of green mix
ture and gray woolen skirt.
Jane wore a fawn jumper and
skirt beneath her expensive coat.
George Overden, a carpenter,
said the girls bodies narrowly
missed scaffolding surrounding
q newly-built house. He said:
II thought I heard a cry and
then a thump as the bodies hit
the ground"
When Kirton's plane returned
to Abridge, police and officials
Of the Air Ministry launched a
thorough investigation.
Scotland Yard officials were
called in and the case was
taken out of the hands Of the
local authorities. The plane,
which showed no signs OF exter-
nal damage, was sealed and
placed under guard.
Harry Bennett, general man
ager of Hillmans', who rushed to
Abridge to investigate the tragedy,
told how the girls happened to be
alone in the plane. He said:
"They telephOned yesterday
and booked a plane to Paris,
giving the names Of H. G.
Hawkes. Green, E. Martin, Cap
tain Hardy and ]. Marvin in
addition to their own.
"The girls came to London
from Paris not long ago. My
Paris agent has since told me
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