SAD DRAMA OF A CONCERT HALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 299, 21 January 1911, Page 9

SAD DRAMA OF A CONCERT HALL.

SINGER'S FIANCEE WHIZED WITH A FATAL ILLNESS. After the Queen's Hall concert on December 2 (says a Home paper), at which Miss Marjorie Tempest, a« well-known New Zealand singer, made a great success, a tragic bereavement overtook her. Mr. Alexander Falconer, to whom she was to be married, had been at the Queen's Hall with her. Immediately afterwards she was taken suddenly ill and died in a taxi-cab. Mr. Falconer had been managing partner in India of the firm of Yule and Co., merchants and jute manufacturers, and had amassed a fortune so considerable that he decided to relinquish his work in India, and had returned to England with the purpose of buying an estate and spending the rest of his life at Home. He met Miss Tempest sonic years ago while she was touring in India, and won her affection. Two years ago they became engaged', and th« marriage was to have taken place within a month. Mr. Falconer, who was staying at an hotel in the Strand, accompanied Miss Tempest from her home in South Kensington to the Queen's Hall, from whence he was to have taken her after the concert. While she was singing he was taken ill with what appeared to be a la in ting lit. He was taken to a divan to rest, and finally, after refusing medical attendance, decided to go into the fresh air, which he thought might benefit him. He became worse, however, and, declining to allow Miss Tempest to be informed of his condition, entered a taxi-cab and asked to be driven to the house of his own medical man, Sir Hfuvelock Charles, in Manchester-square. While on his way his symptoms became so alarming that the cab was stopped at the house of Dr. Wiltshire, of Wellock-street, where he was kept under observation for half an hour, and eventually, accompanied by Dr. Wiltshire, proceeded to Sir Havelock Charles' house in Manchestersquare for a consultation. He was urgently advised to go at once to a nursing home. This, however, he would not hear of. He had, ho said, promised to meet Miss Tempest at the Queen's Hall, and nothing would induce him to break his engagement. He was assisted into a cab, and while it was on its way to Langham-place, died suddenly. Almost at the very same moment Miss j Tempest missed him from the audience, and enquired where ihe had gone. She was informed, and knowing that he had been in poor health, rang up Sir Havelock Charles' house. She was told only that he was ill; and it was not until Mr. Falconer's remains had been removed to the mortuary that she was told what had actually happened. Miss Tempest was completely prostrated by the shock of the tragic occurrence.