MRS GUY BATES POST

Evening Star, Issue 20468, 26 April 1930, Page 15

MRS GUY BATES POST

DEATH IN CALIFORNIA MURDER AND SUICIDE SUGGESTED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, April 25. (Received. April 26, at 9 a.m.) A report from Laguna Beach (California! states that Mrs Guy Bates Post, the divorced wife of the actor, and a woman friend with whom she had been living, were found shot dead at the latter’s bungalow. The police reconstruct the tragedy as murder and suicide resulting from a quarrel over a luncheon invitation. The authorities to-day expressed the view that Mrs Post (who was fifty-three years, of age ami known on the stage in her youth as Adele Ritchie) shot her friend, Mrs Doris Murray Palmer in the back when tire latter started to go to the garage to drive off to a luncheon engagement fifteen minutes after another friend had arrived with the invitation, which did not include Mi’s Post. After brooding over, the act for two hours—according to the police theory—Mrs Post went to the business section of the town on a shopping tour, striving to regain her calm, but returned to the bungalow some time later and placed the muzzle of the same revolver in her mouth and pulled the trigger. The tragedy, which is one of the most sensational in the history of the theatrical cinema colony here, was discovered when two neighbours went to the bungalow to return a pet dog which had strayed. The police learned of the invitation quarrel from a friend who was present while the women exchanged sharp words over the non-inclusion of Mrs Post, and beard the latter warn Mrs Palmer against making the trip.- The shot which killed the latter entered her back and pierced her heart, while that which killed Mrs Post pierced the brain. The Posts were divorced in Deceiiiber, 1929, Mrs Post alleging .desertion, and the actor not contesting the suit. They had been married since 191 G. There were no children. She had been married once before and divorced after a sensational trial. Following her separation from Mr Post she went to live with Mrs Palmer, and both worked together in the Little Theatre movement. Airs Palmer was the daughter of a wealthy Illinois, resident, and the divorced wife of a leading Minnesota physician. She was thirty-three years old. Mr Post, who has been playing the ‘ Masquerader ’ in various parts of the Englishspeaking world for many years, and win was featured in an Australian and Now Zealand season in 1925, is at present at Honolulu playing the same part. When informed of the tragedy he was profoundly shocked. “Oh! That is terrible, simply terrible,’,’ ho said. The actor continued: “It is all so startling to me. Mrs Post had no enemies that I know of, and 1 cannot conceive cither murder or suicide, in connection with her or Mrs Palmer.” He referred to the reasons of his divorce ns “ negligible,” adding that to him she would always be remembered as a “ lovely and startling woman,” whom he married when she was the toast of New York for her singing and acting. lie stated: “The two women had many things in common. It is simply beyond me how this thing could have happened.”

CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY'. NEW YORK, April 25. (Received April 26, at 11.30 a.m.) The Laguna Beach authorities have decided that Mrs Post’s fear that she was losing he close friendship of Mrs Palmer caused the tragedy. The officials learned that Mrs Palmer was gradually drawing away from Mrs Post, whom the growing coolness greatly angered. Sheriff Jernigan discovered that wh Mrs Palmer failed to rush to the side of Mrs Post, when the latter was taken ill ."Wednesday 'night’s rehearsal, several witnesses heard Mrs Post mutter: “ I could kill that woman.”