The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-15
Fiery Lupe Died Calmly
RY WILLIAM 0. PAYETTE

Hollywood, Dec. 15.-(UP)-Tht tawny body of beautiful Lupe Velei lay today in darkened mortuary stripped by death of the trappings of a tempestuous spitfire that coulc no longer hide the broken heart o1 an unwed expectant mother.
 The 34-year- old Mexican movie actress died of an overdose of sleep. ing tablets few hours after talking over her approaching motherhood with two friends, then telling hel secretary she would proceed witt plans for a series of public appear ances in the east.
 The curtain fell suddenly on the role of the professional hellcat that she had adopted after leaving g convent to make her way in the en- tertainment world. Miss Velez play ed her final scene with death as she had refused to live, quietly. Nc tinSel. No tahtrums. No tears.
 Calmly she wrote two notes tell ing of heart shattered by love for an unborn baby she refused to bear in shame and bitterness toward the man who was it's father Then she sank quietly into deep slum- Der from which she knew she and the baby she loved more than life would not awaken.
 Her body was taken to the Forest Lawn Memorial Park for an autopsy and when doctors had satisfied themselves of her approaching motherhood and suicide. was left there. Attendants said today they were waiting for someone to claim 1t and arrange funeral services,
 Mother Ill
 A sister, Mrs. Josephine Anderson was expected from San Antonio Tex. Her mother was ill at San Luis PotoSi, Mex. Miss Velez's will left an estate valued at between $l0O, 900 and $2o0. .0O0 to her secretary Mrs. Beaulah Kinder, and her fam fly, which included her mother three sisters and brother.
 Miss VeleZ talked of her baby to her last callers, Estelle Taylor former wife of Jack Dempsey, and Mrs Jackie Oakie.
 T could have done away with it. " she said of her child, but couldn't commit murder and still live. l would rather kill myself"
 Forty minutes later, at 4 a. m yesterday, she said goodnight to the two, talked briefly to her secretary, then retired to her bedroom where she put on a pair of robins egg blue silk pajamas.
 She wrote two notes-one to her secretary and one to her sweet heart, Harold Ramond-and tucked them under the nearly-empty sleep ing tablet bottle and slipped into the mammoth Silk-sneeted bed.
 Shortly before she was to see her manager about an appointment with a doctor, her body was found by Miss Kinder.
 Ramona, 27, an Austrian born French actor, said he was as- founded.
 If she was to have child" he said, q cannot understand why she broke our engagement. She had told me we were going to have a child and was very happy. loved her very much and wanted to marry her.
 Disagreement
 We just couldn't agree on the date Saturday she told me she was not going to have a child and asked for her ring back-the one she had given me to measure for a wedding ring"
 The note she left for Ramona said:
 "To Harold:
 May God forgive you and for give me, too. but I prefer to take my life away and my baby's before I bring him with shame or kill him. How could you. Harold, fake such great love for me and our baby when all the time you didn't want us. Love. Lupe."
 Her manager, Bo Roos, said Ra- mond had proposed mock cere- mony.
 We who loved her can be grate- full for one thing-the way she chose to die," Roos said. "She just went to sleep"
 The note the secretary Miss Kinder, said:
 You and you alone know the facts and the reason why am talk ing my own life. Forgive me and don't think bad of me. :"
 The public, long accustomed to Miss Veleg' violent outbursts, little suspected the pious side of her na- ture which led her to suicide rather than shame for an infant. She was reared in a convent and throughout her stormy life found refuge in prayer and hurried trips to the small Mexican town where her mother lived.
 No Match
 Johnny Weissmuller, star of the "Tarzan" movie thrillers, was no match for the volatile Lupe at her tempestuous best. More than once during their marriage he showed up at the studio with a patch on his head after disagreeing with her.
 without fights" she said, "there is no love-"
 Two weeks ago she announced she would marry Ramona.
 Harold knows how to handle me. I've always been used to controlling men, but l try it with Harold and he tells me where to go.n