TWO WOMEN SHOT DEAD

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1930, Page 9

TWO WOMEN SHOT DEAD

ONE MRS. GUY BATES POST

MURDER-SUICIDE theory

THEATRICAL SENSATION

By Telegraph—Tress Assn.—Copyright.

New York, April 25.

A report from Laguna Beach,' California, states that Mrs. Guy Bales Post, the divorced wife of the actor, and a woman friend with whom she has been living, were found shot dead at the latter’s bungalow.

The police reconstructed' the tragedy as a murder and suicide, resulting from a quarrel over a luncheon invitation. The authorities to-day expressed the view that Mrs. Post, who was 53 years of age and known on the stage in htr youth as Adele Ritchie, shot her friend, Mrs. Boris Murray-Palmer, in the back when the latter started to go to the garage to drive off to a luncheon engagement 15 minutes after another friend had arrived with an invitation which did not include Mrs. Post.-

After blooding over the act for two ' hours, according to the police theory, Mrs. Post y ent to the business section on a shopping tour, striving to regain: her calm, bat returned to the bungalow some iime later and placed the nuzzle of the same revolver in her mouth and pulled the trigger. The tiagedy, which is or.c of the most sensational in the history •;>! the ikcat? rical and crneriia 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 and quarrel from a friend who was present while the women exchanged sharp words over the 'non-in-clusion of Mrs. Post, and heard the latter warn Mrs. Palmer against making . the trip. HISTORY OF MRS. POST. The shot, killing the latter, entered her back and pierced the heart, while that killing Mrs. Post pierced the brain. The Posts were divorced in December, 1929, Mrs. Post alleging desertion, and the actor not contesting the suit. They had been married in 1916, and there were no children. She had been married once before and divorced after a sensational trial. Following her separation' from Post she 'went do live with Mrs. Palmer, and both worked together in the Little Theatre movement. Mrs. Palmer was the daughter of a wealthy Illinois resident and the divorced wife of a leading Minnesota physician. She was 33 years old. Post, who had been playing in “The Masquerader” in various parts of the English-speaking world for many years, and was featured in the Australian and New Zealand season in 1925, is at present at Honolulu playing the same part as a guest and etar of the local company. When informed of the tragedy he was profoundly shocked. “Oh, that is terrible, simply horrible,” he said. He continued: “It is all so startling to me. Mrs. Post had no enemies that I know of, and I cannot conceive either murder or suicide in connection with her or Mrs. Palmer.”

He referred to the reasons for his divorce as “negligible,” adding that to him she would always be remembered B.s “a lovely, startling woman,” whom he had married when she was the toast of New York for her singing and acting. He stated: “The two women had things in common. It is simply beyond me how this could have happened.” The Laguna Beach authorities have decided that Mrs. Pest’s fear that she was losing the close friendship of Mrs. Palmer caused the tragedy. Officials learned that Mrs. Palmer was gradually drawing away from Mrs. Post, whom her growing coldness greatly ABgcrcd. X Sheriff Jernigan discovered that when Mrs. Palmer failed to rush to the aide of Mrs. Post when the latter became ill at Wednesday night’s rehearsal several witnesses heard Mrs. Post mutter: “I could kill that woman.”