HOTEL DRAMA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 4 (Supplement)

HOTEL DRAMA.

PARIS SENSATION.

SHOT ENDS AMAZING CAREER.

REMARKABLE REVELATIONS,

Despite tlie extraordinary steps taken by the authorities in Paris to keep back the facts about the tragic fate of Miss Dorotny Wright, a beautiful young English girl, who shot herself under dramatic circumstances in a famous Paris hotel, the lull story has at last been revealed. All rang with amazing stories of the piutul tragedy of Miss Wright, who had, been known as $< Xhe Beautiful Butterfly in viio Gold-Studded Car." ller body, with oniy a breath of life left in it, was found in the bedroom of a suite in one of the luxuiy hotels of the French capital—a suite ominously numbered 13. By her own confession—written in a friend's scrap-book—this girl of dazzling, radiant beauty had ''no ambition in lite but to be a butterfly warming my wings at the lire of love." Though many names are whispered as that of "the man in the affair," and some people even talk ol a grave political crisis with world-wide effects it' the truth wore known, there is little doubt in well-informed quarters about his real identitj'. He is the son of a great industrial magnate, and himse.t the head of many companies operating throughout the globe. Excited By Drugs. He lias stated that to the best of his knowledge the girl was not a drug-taker, although she smoked heavily and drank frequently. But the postmortem and inquiries made by the police have shown that he was mistaken. On the night L--'-fore her death Miss Wright bought in a night resort a supply of cocaine and other drugs, Part of this supply was in her handbag, and the cigarettes she smoked ! so l'reelv were drugged. Signs of tile! recent use of hashish were discovered at the examination, and the doctors have little doubt that she was under the influence of this drug at the time of tne tragedy. . , ~ On the day before Miss Wright s death her principal male friend arrived from Tours by air with four companions. During the afternoon he met Miss Wright, with whom he had been 011 terms of intimate friendship for seven months. In the evening Miss Wright spent some time alone in a cabaret and afterwards visited a cinema. Instead of going home to the flat she rented in the I'assy district, she made her way about midnight to the rooms occupied in the Hotel George V. by hcr| friend, and, as she was well known as a frequent visitor, she was allowed to enter J the suite. About four in the morning her friend arrived in the company of another man, to whom he had offered hospitality because of the difficulty at that hour of getting back to the acrpdromc where he was stationed. Both men were surprised to find Miss Wright sitting in an armchair smoking furiously and obviously in a highly-strung state. Her friend explained that it was impossible for her to remain there in view of his obligation to entertain his companion, and advised her to go home by taxi. An. angry scene followed, the excited woman taxing him with the desire to abandon her, and he in his turn reproaching her for making an exhibition of herself in the night resorts of Paris with some of his friends. According to the statement lie made to the police, he then turned towards the bathroom, and as he did so he heard a noise like the closing of a drawer. When he followed the distracted girl into the bedroom she appeared to _ be hiding something behind her back, and he seized her arms, fearing she meant to carry out threats she had made before to take her life. Sensational Dresses. Breaking herself free, she raised a pcailhandled revolver, which- she generally carried, and fired a shot behind her ear. She fell to the tloor moaning, and when a doctor was summoned he ordered her removal to the American Hospital, but she died 011 the way. Though Miss Wright arrived in France only two years ago fiou. Australia, she had become a famous figure in the French capital, as well as at Deauville and on the Riviera. She dressed as though she were the heiress to millions, and iu the night resorts of Paris and ti.e South she was u general toast with young men of the smart set because of her beauty and extreme vivacity. It was said that she never wore the same dress twice, and she changed as often as five times a day, her dress generally causing a sensation wherever she went because of its smartness and sometimes because of its daring.

The luxury car, covered with gold studs, which she used was well known in the west end of Paris, and the gorgeously liveried chauffeur driving it helped to keep up the appearance of great wealth. Last autumn she was frequently seen in the company of .a son of a well-known Indian prince. From him. it was stated, she received a letter only the d.iv before her death. This she did not, take the trouble even 1o open, but when the police examined it it was found to contain an appeal to her to return to her Indian friend.

Miss AYridht's mother, who flew from Brussels to Paris on hearing of the tragedy, states her daughter was always a highlystrung girl and had many times threatened for trivial reasons to take her life.