Alice de Janzé, née Silverthorne (28 September 1899 – 30 September 1941),[1] also known as Alice de Trafford, was an American heiress who spent years in Kenya, as a member of the Happy Valley set of colonials. She was connected with numerous scandals, including her attempted murder of her lover in 1927, as well as the 1941 murder of Josslyn Hay, the Earl of Erroll in Kenya. Her tempestuous life was marked by promiscuity, drug abuse and several suicide attempts. She died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1941.
| Alice de Janzé | |
|---|---|
 Alice de Janzé at age 17, photographed for Chicago Daily News |
|
| Born | 28 September 1899 Buffalo, New York, USA |
| Died | 30 September 1941 (aged 42) Gilgil, Kenya |
| Occupation | Heiress |
Contents |
Alice was born in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, the only child of wealthy felt manufacturer William Edward Silverthorne (of Scottish descent) (3 February 1867 – 30 January 1941)[2] and his equally wealthy wife, Julia Belle Chapin (14 August 1871 – 2 June 1907)[2], an heiress to the Armours, the family that owned one of the most well-known meatpacking companies of the time, Armour and Company (Julia was niece to magnate Philip D. Armour). The couple were married in Chicago on 8 June 1892,[3] the city where Alice spent most of childhood and adolescence, living with her parents in the affluent Gold Coast district.[4] Alice herself became the favorite niece of her wealthy magnate uncle, J. Ogden Armour.[5] Because of the great wealth of her family, Alice was given the nickname "Silver Spoon" (a pun on her surname, Silverthorne) by her childhood friends.[5]
Alice's mother died of tuberculosis when Alice was only eight, leaving her a large estate. Alice herself was consumptive from birth.[6] Contrary to her own wishes, her father re-married as quickly as 1908.[5] From his second wife, Louise Mattocks, he had five children, many of which died at a young age. Alice's half-siblings included William Jr. (1912-1976), Victoria Louise (died in infancy in 1914), Patricia (1915-?), Lawrence (1918-1923) and an unnamed girl who died in infancy in 1910.[7] Her father later divorced Mattocks and married two more times.[2]
Alice was introduced to wild social life starting in her early adolescence. She was one of the most prominent socialites of Chicago during the late 1910s and early 1920s, frequenting the most fashionable nightclubs of the time, with the encouragement of her father. Her father also took her on several journeys around Europe and encouraged his daughter's image as a notable debutante.
After her mother's death, she was raised by a German governess in large houses in New York, her father being frequently absent by reason of his professional obligations. William Silverthorne was also alcoholic, further adding to his problematic relationship with Alice. When she was still an adolescent, her father was accused of attempting to molest her. In the ensuing trial, her father lost custody, and an uncle of Alice assumed the role of legal guardian.[5][4] Nevertheless, even after Alice came to live with her uncle, she went vacationing with her father in the French Riviera.[4]
When she was 21 years old, she travelled to Paris. There, she briefly worked as director of the model department of Jean Patou's dressmaking establishment[8] until she met Comte Frédéric Jacques de Janzé (ca 1896 – 24 December 1933), a well-known French racing driver of the time (a participant in 24 Hours of Le Mans races) and heir to an old aristocratic family of Brittany. Frédéric also used to frequent literary circles, having formed a close friendship with such luminaries as Marcel Proust, Maurice Barrès and Anna de Noailles.
Notably enough, unlike many other American heiresses of the period, Alice had not permitted her father or any other relative to help her pursue an eligible husband and chose to pursue her romance with Comte de Janze on her own free will.[5] After enjoying a romance of only three weeks,[9] the couple married on 21 September 1921 in Chicago.[10] Following the ceremony, her aunt, Mrs. J. Odgen Armour, turned over the Armour estate on Long Island to the couple, where they spent two weeks before permanently settling in Paris, in the Champs Elysees quarter[9][11] It was also reported the couple would spend their winter honeymoon in Morocco.[12] Their marriage produced two daughters, Nolwén Louise Alice de Janzé (20 June 1922 – 7 March 1989) and Paola Marie Jeanne de Janzé (1 June 1924 – 24 December 2006). Alice was a neglectful mother; the children were primarily brought up by governesses and by Frédéric's sister, in their family chateau in Normandy.
In 1925, Frédéric, noticing that Alice had become restless, decided to distract her by arranging for them to spend some time in the so-called Happy Valley in Kenya, a community of British colonials living in Wanjohi Valley, near the Aberdare Mountains.[13] This enclave had become notorious among socialites in England for being a paradise for all those seeking a hedonistic lifestyle, including drugs, alcohol and sexual promiscuity. Frédéric de Janzé documented his time in Happy Valley and all the eccentric personalities he met there in his book, Vertical Land, which was published in 1928.[14] In the book, Frédéric provides several non-eponymous references to members of the Happy Valley set, including a psychological portrait of his wife that alludes to her suicidal tendencies:
| “ | Wide eyes so calm, short slick hair, full red lips, a body to desire. The powerful hands clutch and wave along the mandolin and the crooning somnolent melody breaks; her throat trembles and her gleaming shoulders droop. That weird soul of mixtures is at the door! her cruelty and lascivious thoughts clutch the thick lips on close white teeth. She holds us with her song, and her body sways towards ours. No man will touch her exclusive soul, shadowy with memories, unstable, suicidal.[15] | ” |
The de Janzés lived for some months next door to the home of two core members of the Happy Valley set; Josslyn Victor Hay, Earl of Erroll aka Lord Erroll, and his wife, Idina Sackville. According to author Errol Trzebinski, Frédéric and Alice had already met Erroll and Idina while in Montparnasse, some time earlier, though this meeting was generally unknown to the public.[16]
Even among the scandalous residents of Happy Valley, Alice caused a sensation with her wild behavior, sarcastic sense of humour, and her beauty. She soon came to be known by the nickname "the wicked madonna".[17] She would often speak passionately about animal rights, or play ukulele. Alice soon began an affair with the notorious philanderer Erroll, openly sharing him with Idina. Gradually, the two women became close friends, waiting together for Erroll to return to their arms from his other occasional flings.[18]
Alice and Frédéric returned to Happy Valley in 1926. While Frédéric was distracted with lion hunting, Alice started another love affair, this time with British nobleman Raymond Vincent de Trafford (28 January 1900 – 14 May 1971), son of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 3rd Baronet. Frédéric soon became aware of his wife's infidelity, though he did not become preoccupied by it, as the de Janzés had already acclimated to the libertarian atmosphere that prevailed in the community. However, Alice's infatuation with de Trafford was so great that the couple attempted to elope at some point, though they promptly returned. Frédéric then returned to Paris with Alice, in an attempt to save his marriage; he was unsuccessful. Alice soon returned to Kenya and de Trafford; her marriage with Frédéric was effectively over.
On March 25, 1927, while in Paris, de Trafford informed Alice that he was ending the relationship: his family (which held strict Catholic views) had threatened to disinherit him if he were to marry her. Later that afternoon, the couple visited a gunshop together, where Alice surreptitously bought a small pistol.
A few hours later, in the Gare du Nord, as de Trafford was bidding farewell to her in his train compartment before he left for London by an express boat train, she pulled the revolver from her purse and shot him in the chest, then shot herself in the stomach.
De Trafford was gravely injured, and spent several days in a hospital in critical condition. Alice's own wound was initially overlooked by doctors amidst the confusion, before she was also given proper care. Despite rumors of her also being gravely injured, her wound was quite superficial. Notably, one journalist reported that "she had shot herself very gently".[5] Both de Trafford and de Janzé initially declined to offer any explanations to investigators. De Janzé was quoted as telling a police official who was permitted to see her for a few moments at the hospital: "I decline to give the reason for my act; it is my secret."[19] She also claimed to feel regret about shooting de Trafford, who was said to be on the brink of death.[20] De Janzé's condition quickly improved and she was first able to talk with relatives on March 30.[21][22] She officially confessed to the shootings in a signed statement on April 2.[23]
Some confusion was caused when five British newspapers, The Western Mail, The Manchester Guardian, The Liverpool Daily Courier, The Liverpool Evening Express and The Sheffield Daily Telegraph, illustrated their reports of the shooting incident with pictures not of Alice de Janzé but of Frederic's sister-in-law, Vicomtesse Phillis Meeta de Janzé. Phillis de Janzé promptly sued for libel and received a settlement.[24]
The incident made headlines all over the world.[25][26] The Fort Covington Sun reported the following on April 14, 1927:[27]
| “ | America, France and England were all threatened in the tragedy in the Gare du Nord, Paris, when Countess de Janze, estranged wife of Frenchman, shot Raymond V. de Trafford, scion of a prominent British family, and then put a bullet through her own body. The countess was Alice Silverthorne of Chicago, cousin [sic] of J. Ogden Armour and well-known in American social circles. Her relations with De Trafford recently led her husband to file suit for divorce. For several days after the shooting it was believed both the countess and De Trafford would die, but latest reports are that they are out of danger. | ” |
Her Chicago relatives were evidently dumbfounded at the news. Mrs. George Silverthorne, de Janzé's aunt, told a reporter: "It cannot be Alice. She and her husband were so happy together, and such a thing would be impossible. There must be some mistake".[9]
On April 5 Alice de Janzé was officially charged with attempted murder.[28] On April 8, she made an official declaration in which she stated she originally only planned suicide when she bought the revolver but eventually also fired at de Trafford out of anguish at parting from him.[29] De Trafford returned to London on April 9 by a special airplane. He also told French authorities he did not wish to take any action against Alice, although he would hold himself at their disposition to return to Paris if his testimony was needed.[30] Meanwhile, de Janzé was imprisoned in Saint Lazare, a women-only prison in Paris.[31][32] Her cell had hosted several notorious female criminals in the past, including Mata Hari, Marguerite Steinheil and Henriette Caillaux. On May, she was temporarily freed by the police pending her recovery.[33] When she eventually described what happened in the train station, she wrote the following:
| “ | ... The whistle of London Express blew, and I realized that he was going away from Paris - and from me forever - I suddenly changed my mind and resolved to take him away with me into the Great Beyond. Slowly - very slowly - I loosened my grip around his neck, placed the revolver between our two bodies, and, as the train started, fired twice - into his chest and my own body.[34] | ” |
Following the trial, Alice reportedly demanded from Comte de Janze to set aside the divorce procedures and re-marry her. The Count was understandably shocked by her demand, although Alice eventually changed her mind.[5]In the wake of the shooting scandal, Alice and Frédéric de Janzé were divorced by the Paris Tribunal on 15 June 1927.[35] Frédéric received custody of their two children, although the judge made no mention of the Gare du Nord episode.[36] The divorce would be followed by an annulment by the Vatican on 6 August 1928.[37] Frédéric died on 24 December 1933, in Baltimore, of septicaemia.[38])
The Paris Tribunal tried Alice de Janzé on December 23, 1927.[39] When de Trafford testified, he sought to convince the court that his own wounding was an accident that he himself caused:[40]
| “ | As we were about to part – she was kissing me -- I told her that I loved her, and again whispered to her not to take my decision as irrevocable. I even told her that we would meet again. As she was leaving me she attempted suicide. But a movement on my part caused the weapon to be deflected. I am sure that she did not intentionally fire at me. The accident was due to my imprudence.[34] | ” |
Public opinion was apparently sympathetic towards her; she was widely seen as the tragic victim of a true crime of passion and the judge may have been influenced by the public's view. During the trial, it was revealed she had attempted suicide a total of four times throughout her life. Eventually, de Janzé received a suspended sentence of six months in prison and a fine of 100 francs (approximately 4 dollars) by the Paris Correctional Court.[41] Under the First Offenders Act, she was immediately released.[42] Finally, in April 1929 she received a full presidential pardon from President of France Gaston Doumergue.[43] Evidently, the request for the pardon was made in order to avoid any commercial implications the conviction might cause for dealing with property she owned.[44]
Following the public ordeal, Raymond de Trafford advised Alice that it might not be a good idea to return to London for a while. [5] Therefore, in early 1928, Alice de Janzé returned to Kenya, but was ordered by Government House to leave the country as an undesirable alien, in light of her public scandal.[45] However, several months after returning to Paris and growing indignant of the rumors concerning her forced leave from Kenya, Alice publicly refuted that she was ousted from the country.[46] stating that she Eventually, though, Alice was able to return permanently to Kenya, thanks to the intervention of both Comte de Janze and de Trafford, who convinced the Kenya government that it could be fatal for her and for the others, if she could not have what she wanted.[5]
Around this time, Alice caused a new sensation when it was revealed she had resumed her love affair with the man she had almost killed, Raymond de Trafford. A rumor that the couple would soon have a quiet wedding in Paris was first circulated in September of 1927[47] and later in January 1928;[48] Alice's lawyer denied any such plans, and no wedding took place.[49] The rumor surfaced again in April 1930.[50] Ultimately, the couple did wed on February 22, 1932 in Neuilly-sur-Seine and spoke of buying a house in London.
Around the same time, Alice tried to manage a gown shop in Paris, but soon lost both interest and money in the venture. [5]Her marriage also collapsed rapidly, as she and Raymond split up only three weeks after the wedding, following a public fight in a café; they never saw or spoke to each other again. Later that year, in November, Alice officially sought a divorce, charging Raymond with cruelty and desertion.[51][52] However, Alice had to chase him for almost two years before Raymond decided to sign the divorce papers and the divorce procedures finally began on September 1934.[52] The divorce was not finalized until 1937 in London. Alice won an uncontested suit, as the divorce was granted decree nisi on her on the grounds of adultery.[53] Alice commented about her second husband: "An idler, who associates with disreputable women".[13]
Following the divorce, Alice considered permanently returning to Chicago, but friends advised her against that, pointing out how the shooting scandal had made her a "marked woman" in her native land.[5] As such, Alice returned to the world of Happy Valley, where she settled on a permanent basis to a farmhouse located on the banks of River Wanjohi.[54] Alice spent the following years taking care of her animals (including lions, panthers and antelopes) and reading. She had also become heavily addicted to drugs by now, particularly morphine. She was almost feared by certain members of the community due to her rapid changes of mood and the aforementioned shooting incident.
After having permanently settled in Kenya, Alice only rarely visited her children in France. Years later, Nolwén would state that she did not feel bitterness or hostility for her mother during their brief meetings together but would actually be fascinated by this virtually unknown woman who brought with her an air of mystique, owing to her permanent stay in Africa.[55]
On 24 January 1941, Lord Erroll was found shot to death in his car, at an intersection outside Nairobi. Police interrogated all of Erroll's closest acquaintances, including Alice de Janzé. Although she had an alibi - she had evidently spent an intimate night with Dickie Pembroke, another Happy Valley resident - she was immediately regarded as a suspect because of her drug habits, her romantic attachment to Errol, and her previous attempt to kill a paramour.[56][57]
On the morning after Erroll's body was discovered, de Janzé went to the morgue with a friend to see his body. According to eyewitnesses, Alice stunned the others in attendance by leaving a tree branch on Erroll's body, wiping her fingers, wet with vaginal secretions, over Hay's lips and whispering the words: "Now you are mine forever."[58] This behavior confirmed for many the suspicions that de Janzé was involved in Erroll's death. It was even rumored that Alice herself had admitted to the killing.[59]
Eventually, police charged Sir Henry John "Jock" Delves Broughton with Erroll's murder; Erroll had been openly having an affair with Delves Broughton's young wife, Diana. De Janzé paid regular visits to Delves Broughton in prison. Eventually, Delves Broughton was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Years later, White Mischief author James Fox claimed that Jock Delves Broughton was probably the murderer: that he had confessed the murder to a 15-year old girl, Juanita Carberry, whose parents were friends with Erroll, though the girl did not admit the story until decades later.
In August 1941, after being diagnosed with uterine cancer, de Janzé underwent a hysterectomy. Shortly afterwards, she attempted suicide by taking an overdose of Pentobarbital but was rescued by a friend, who called on a doctor to perform gastric lavage. On 30 September 1941 she finally succeeded in ending her life; she was found dead, killed by a self-inflicted gunshot (the weapon used was a pearl handled revolver) in her farmhouse in Gilgil, Kenya, two days after turning 42.[60] She left three suicide notes, one addressed to the police, one to her daughters and one to Dickie Pembroke. The content of the letters was never publicly disclosed, fueling rumors of containing possible revelations. Reportedly, a government official, summoned to examine her possessions, was dumbfounded when he came across the letters. After a long, secret meeting among officials, it was decided that the content of her papers and letters would not be made public.[5] It became known, however, that she had her friends to throw a cocktail party on her grave.
On January 21, 1942, her death was officially ruled a suicide following a Nairobi inquest.[61] The coroner also concluded there was no sign of insanity. However, he further fueled the conspiracy theories regarding Alice's found letters, stating that the content of the letters were such as to merit their being destroyed, because they constituted damaging revelations of a social and political nature. As such, the letters were destroyed.[5] Coincidentally, Delves Broughton also committed suicide on 5 December 1942.
After her death, de Janzé's home ultimately became a local school, the so-called "Happy Valley School".[54]
The events surrounding the murder of Lord Erroll were the basis of James Fox's non-fiction book White Mischief (1983). The book investigates the murder of Lord Erroll and presents a large gallery of characters, mainly members of the Happy Valley set, including de Janzé. The book was later made into a 1987 film also entitled White Mischief directed by Michael Radford, starring British actress Sarah Miles as de Janzé.
In 1988, while at the Cannes Film Festival, Miles said that de Janzé was a difficult character for her to "pin down" as an actress. Upon arrival in Kenya for the filming of White Mischief, Miles said she searched out people who knew Alice, but was unable to learn anything substantial, due to those acquaintances' confused perceptions of de Janzé; some were even uncertain of her true nationality.[62] The film adaptation itself focuses on de Janzé's eccentric traits; her character has arguably the most famous line of the movie: "Oh God, not another fucking beautiful day").
The internationally notorious railway station shooting also inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel Tender Is the Night (1934). At some point in the book, a character, Maria Wallis, who is an acquaintance of the Divers (the protagonists in the novel) is talking to a man who is about to depart from Paris by train. While on the platform, Maria takes a distance from the man, pulls a revolver from her purse and shoots him. The train stops and, minutes later, the man is carried away on a stretcher whereas the woman is taken away by gendarmes. The sequence was allegedly inspired by the 1927 incident, with Maria modelled after Alice.[63]
Alice has also appeared as a character in fiction:
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