LADY DIANA’S FALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3645, 22 January 1924, Page 10

LADY DIANA’S FALL.

IMPRISONMENT FOR THEFT. A FAVOURITE OF FORTUNE. LIFE WRECKED WITH DRUGS. It is impossible to ponder upon the beautiful Lady Diana Hamilton sitting in the loneliness and misery of a cell at Holloway 'Prison, where she is serving a sentence of six months’ imprisonment in the second division for theft, without having some sympathy and pity for this young woman of fortune whom Fate has now marked down as a common felon, says a London paper. The story of her life is a wonderful mosaic of wealth and happiness, youth and beauty, deep friendships and passionate loves, followed by the dark, grim shadow of bitter disappointments and depression, the realisation of hopeless failure and then desperation, drugs, drink, gambling, and, finally, conviction for theft. Lady Diana Hamilton is the wife of a wealthy baronet, Sir Charles Edward Archibald Watkin Hamilton, of Iping Jxouse, Midhurst, and Paisley Cottage, Selsey. Sir Charles was born in 1876, and when he was 21 years old he first married a grand-daughter of Field-marshall H.R.11. the late Dulce of Cambridge. His wife’s full name was Olga Mary Adelaide Fitz-George, and she was the daughter of Rear-admiral Sir Adolphus Augustus Frederick Fitz-George, K.C.V.0., of Eaton square. A year after the marriage their only child was born. He was George Edward Archibald Augustus Fitz-George, who afterwards became a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards and was killed in action in 1918. Sir Charles Hamilton’s first marriage was not a happy one, and in 1902 his wife obtained a divorce from him. In 1906, when he was 30 years of age, Sir Charles Plamilton married the lady now known as Lady Diana Hamilton. She was then only 17 years old. Her full name is Algor'tn Marjory Blanche, and she was the only daughter of George Child, a member of the famous Child banking firm, a very wealthy man who lived at Widford, Herts. Lady Diana —to give her the name by which she called herself —was a really beautiful girl, with a sweet, plump face, a lovely complexion, which needed no artificial aids, dark, expressive eyes, and a wealth of dark brown hair which fell in natural curls over her shoulders. As a child she was greatly favoured hv fortune. Not only was she beautiful, but her parents were rich, and they showered all their love and affection on their only daughter, giving her a liberal education and' bestowing upon her all the blessings that would fit her for that life of happiness and usefulness thev had at heart. DECIDES TO LEAVE HUSBAND. After her marriage to Sir Charles Hamilton they spent their honeymoon on the Continent, and on their return went to live at Iping House, Midhurst, Sir Charles’s seat in Sussex. For some time they led an ideal _ existence, spending most of their time in the country and taking part in all the sports and pastimes their wealth and leisure enabled them to share with their friends. A year after their marriage they travelled abroad, visiting Malta, India, and the Continent. But at length clouds began to gather. Lady Diana’s wayward spirit manifested itself. She yearned for fresh adventures, and for some reason which is not known she resolved to leave her husband. In December, 1908, she left him, never to return. From this time dates the beginning of the tragedy of her life. Tile lure of excitement and novelty to be found in the many West End resorts led to her downfall. She lived in various mansions in Piccadilly. Park street, Cleveland square, and other fashionable quarters of London, and also in Brighton. Always vivacious and apparently without a care in the world, she gathered around her many people who were attracted by her extraordinary personality, and among these were society decadents with plenty of money but with no sense of decency or self-control. She herself spent thousands of pounds lavished upon her bv admirers. She joined gambling clubs, and was looked upon as an exceedingly clever chemin-de-fer player, and yet she lost heavily. A few months ago, in Paris, she lost £2OOO at one sitting at the roulette table. Tliis free and easy life, however, had its inevitable sequel. She lost large sums of money at the card tables, and in her desperation had recourse to money lenders. And yet somehow

she managed for a long lime to maintain an outward show of high spirits. “THE LAST REFUGE.” When these flagged she took to drugs—* the last refuge of all. She was a conspicuous and constant visitor to night clubs, where at one time men and women could obtain the deadliest drugs, particularly cocaine, merely by making their wants known. She became a victim of the drug habit, and some time ago she was in such a state that she had to be removed to a nursing homo in the West End, where she arrived, in an advanced state of cocaine poisoning. In July last she appeared at Marlborough Street Police Court in connection with a. motor escapade with a man named Louis Contamin. She was then declared to be drunk. As the result of this ease a Mrs Dupigny, who had met her in her girlhood days at Midhirst, took compassion on her, and visited her at ail hotel in Paddington. She prevailed upon Lady Diana to stay with her at Pennant Cottage, Lexliam Gardens, Earl’s Court. Lady Diana went there, and the upshot was her appearance at Old Bailey on a charge of stealing jewellery belonging to Mrs Dupigny and another friend, Miss Freda Mossop. Mrs Dupigny stated that after Lady Ilumilton had been at the cottage some time she bagan to stay out at night. Later the jewellery was missed. The defence was that the jewellery was given to Lady Hamilton by Mrs Dupigny. In cross-examination Mrs Dupigny said she was living apart from her husband, and that the cottage was taken in the name of Miss Mossop, because she was afraid of her husband finding her. Lady Hamilton gave evidence, and said that the jew’fellery was a present to her from Mrs Dupigny, against whom she made certain charges. She denied that she took drugs or went to the cottage the worse for drum. The iury found her guilty, and expressed the opinion that there were no grounds for the allegations made by Lady Hamilton, against Mrs Dupigny. Sentence of six months’ imprisonment in the second divisio4 was passed.