❤ ❤ ❤ misswilma: google questions. 10-06-2018 version i, 10-06-2018 –How did Olive Thomas die?–

Olive Thomas / Cause of death: Poison. [Google Search]

On September 10, 1920, Thomas died of acute nephritis in Paris five days after consuming mercury bichloride. Although her death was ruled accidental, news of her hospitalization due to the poison and Thomas' subsequent death were the subject of media speculation. [Wikipedia]

The accidental death of a beauty icon On the night of the 5 September 1920, Olive Thomas and her husband Jack Pickford returned to their hotel room after a night of entertainment. The holiday was a way to recreate the old spark in the marriage. In fact, they called it a "second honeymoon". The marriage had been failing for quite a few years. The problems in the relationship stem from them both having a demanding career, and not spending enough alone-time together. The chosen location was in Montparnasse, an area in Paris famous for its bistros (Wikipedia, w. d).

By the time the couple got home, it was 3 a.m. in the morning. Pickford had either passed out or was in another room. Thomas had, although heavily intoxicated and tired, walked into the bathroom. It is not known what she was looking for; aspirin, cold medicine, just water, it is not known. What is known is what happened instead; she swallowed mercury bichloride liquid solution into her body (…What Someone Wrote Down, 2015).

The mercury kicked in fast, and when Thomas realised what she had done, she started to scream. "Oh my God!" she screamed. (Wikipedia, w. d). Pickford woke up from his slumber and ran for his wife. He tried to save her, forcing "water, egg whites, milk and butter down her throat" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2010). After, he carried her to bed and called for an ambulance. The ambulance took her to Paris' American Hospital. The doctors tried their best to save her life, but it was no use. She died five days later on 10 September 1920, with her husband by her side. She was twenty-five, just short of her twenty-six birthday (…What Someone Wrote Down, 2015) (Wikipedia, w. d).

The scandal, theories, and funeral Both during and after her sudden death, rumours began to spread, primarily by the press, on the circumstances. There were rumours of how Thomas tried to commit suicide because of a fight about Pickford's alleged infidelities. It was known that Pickford was an infamous womaniser, possibly contracting syphilis while his streaks (…What Someone Wrote Down, 2015).

!1 The syphilis was another theory. Because of Pickford diagnosis, he was prescribed mercury bichloride, a compound used to treat diseases before antibiotics were invented. It is no longer used because of its high levels of mercury (Mary Miley's Roaring Twenties, 2009).

Some went with the answer that Pickford murdered his wife to get her life-insurance money. Another was alleging Thomas' addiction to drugs and involved in "champagne and cocaine orgies" (Wikipedia, w. d).

On the 13 September 1920, the police initiated an autopsy. Her cause of death was acute nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). Her death was ruled accidental (…What Someone Wrote Down, 2015).

Olive Thomas' funeral was held on 29 September at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York. Her body had been brought over to the United States days before by her husband. According to Pickford's sister, Mary Pickford's autobiography, Sunshine and Shadows, it was a hard thing to do, to the point that he thought of taking his own life. He did not follow through, as it would not be fair to his mother and sisters (Wikipedia, w. d).

When the funeral was held, fifteen thousand mourners tired to jam themselves into the church, and according to The New York Times, a police escort was needed. Women are said to have fainted and several men had their hats crushed because of the thick crowd around them (Wikipedia, w. d).

Thomas is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery located in the Bronx. Jack Pickford died on 3 January 1933 of progressive multiple neuritis, possibly caused by his alcoholism (Wikipedia, w. d.).

New Amsterdam Theatre: haunted by Olive Thomas' ghost Rumour has it that her ghost haunts the New Amsterdam Theatre, a theatre she worked at during the mid-1910s, most notably playing in the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1997, a security guard resigned after seeing a woman in lingerie wandering the stage clutching a green bottle. It is also a tradition for cast members to touch Olive Thomas' portrait before they go home every night (…What Someone Wrote Down, 2015).

!2 R E F E R E N C E S.

"How did Olive Thomas die? - Google Search", Google Search.

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

Pickford, Mary. 1955. Sunshine and Shadows. Doubleday.

VIDEO

Disney On Broadway. "The Ghost of Olive Thomas - YouTube", YouTube. (Published: 25-10-2011; Retrieved: 07-06-2018)

WEB ARTICLES

"Olive Thomas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia", Wikipedia. (english) (Retrieved: 07-06-2018)

Pits, Marylynne. "Olive Thomas, the original 'Flapper' and a Mon Valley native, still fascinates | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Published: 26-09-2010; Retrieved: 07-06-2018)

WEBSITES

Benson, Bronwyn Mroz. "The End of Olive Thomas | …What Someone Wrote Down", … What Someone Wrote Down. (Published: 27-07-2015; Retrieved: 07-06-2018)

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