OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21463, 10 April 1933, Page 9

OBITUARY

MRS. EDGAR WALLACE (Received April 9, 6.35 p.m.) LONDON, April S The death has occurred of Mrs. Edgar Wallace, widow of the famous novelist. The late Mrs. Wallace was the novelist's second wife. Formerly she was Miss Ethel Violet King, his private secretary. She played an important part in deciding in the first instance whether her late husband's plays or books should be submitted to the publisher and to the public. She was an expert stenographer, and after their marriage until the birth of her little girl she maintained her position as his private secretary. She was a very widely read woman and Mr. Wallace used to say she was tho first and last judge of every story he wrote. On her advice he scrapped a novel of 100,000 words. After her husband took over the direction of the Apollo Theatre, London, where his play "The Man Who Changed His Nam.e" was produced, Mrs. Wallace became its general manager—a position that was unique for a woman in the theatrical world. Among other interests, Mrs. Wallace was both an owner and breeder of racehorses.