DOUBLE LOVE TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8340, 29 January 1913, Page 11

DOUBLE LOVE TRAGEDY

HOPELESS PASSION ENDS IN DOUBLE SUICIDE IN PARIS.

TWENTY-FIVE SHILLINGS LEFT.

In one of the most fashionable hotels in the Buo de Bivoli, Paris, a young Englishman, named Willis, and his “friend,’! registered at the hotel as Mrs Allen, committed suicide together on December 7th. They arrived at the hotel together on September 27tb, and registered oa Captain and Mrs Willis. Captain Willis was a tall, dark, goodlooking man of about thirty-five. His companion, who was apparently about thirty years old, was handsome, tall, and fair-haired. The morning after their arrival Captain Willis wont into the manager’s office. “Look here,” he said. “I have rather an awkward thing to tell you. For private reasons, into which 1 do not care to enter, my wife and I are not using tho same' name. My wife chooses to bo_ known as Mrs Allen. I shall bo obliged if you will alter her name to Mrs Allen in your books, and she will receive correspondence in that name.’’

The gentleman used to go to London every week and return to Paris for the week-end. The couple lived very quietly. During Mr Willis’s absence the woman, wfio spoke English with a pronounced German accent, occupied most of her time taking French lessons at the Berlitz School. Although their expenses at the hotel were not heavy, they cut them down recently, and finally look one room only. They appeared to be short of money, and tho woman pawned or sold most of her jewellery and her furs. In the end they had only 25s left. On the Friday morning Mr Willis arrived from London. He brought with him only a small handbag, in which were a shirt and a few collars. In the evening, shortly after dinner, they reoired to their room, and nothing was ■ neard of them until next midday, when they were found dead witii bullets in their heads. The woman had destroyed all the private letters and papers and everything that might lead to her identification. Mr Willis had left on a table a sheet of paper with the addresses of his brother and uncle, with a gold coin and a note asking that telegrams should So sent to the addresses he had written.

Tho unhappy man was married, but had apparently lived apart from his wife for some time. He had a business m London which did not prosper, and some time ago he fell desperately in love with the woman with whom he Has committed suicide. For some time past the deceased man seemed not to have been on good terms with the mem hers of his family, and hio financial position was critical. It is presumed that after making another fruitless effort lo imnrove his financial situation he returned to Paris with the deliberate intention of committing suicide; and it seems probable that the woman also had long agreed to put an end to her life at tho same time as her lover.

Captain George Willis, brother of the dead man, who lives near Glasgow, wont to Paris, and was taken to seo the bodies. He was much moved. “Poor James,” he murmured, “it is dreadful to find you so.” Captain Willis said ho knew the woman only slight ly. She was not his brother’s wife. “I was not altogether surprised,” Captain Willis is reported to have said, “to find my brother dead with this woman, with" whom he was so much in love. Our father had intended us to bo soldiers. 1 am a captain. James was only a business man", but in the circles which he frequented he was called captain so frequently that he adopted the title under which he ei) tered his name at the hotel. I had long oeen aware of his liaison with Lily Allen, who was the cause of his ruin. “James was married to a wife of his own siafion, a charming, wealthy lady. who was a friend of our family. Foi a long time he was happy in his married life, and three children were born lie mot this German lady about a yc-ai ago at the house of mutual friends. ] learned of the attachment, and some lime aft?rwards my sister-in-law informed me of the disappearance of her husband. Report had it that he had left for India. Six months ago he informed me of his return to_ London. He fiad installed his mistress in a house in the suburbs, and was himsolf living at a club. He confessed his passion for the woman anu his faults. Ho had already snuaiiuered a great part of his money. He promised me to return to a regular life, hut that promise he did not keep. Mv brother left England aud completed his ruin on the Continent.’’