HAD she been murdered? Certainly the preliminary circumstances suggested that might be the case.

The passenger had been discovered slumped in a first class lavatory on the Oceanic as the White Star liner neared Southampton, her face discoloured.

But who was she?

Detectives were presented with two names, neither of which she had received at birth.

All that could initially be ascertained was that she was 26, lived at West 97 Street, New York, and she had been travelling under the name of Frances Leslie, though she was generally known on board as Anna Wilson.

It transpired that Leslie was her theatrical name and she had been due to take up an engagement at the London Opera House.

Confirmation of her stage identity came from fellow first class passenger Edward Miller who described her as “a theatrical performer”. He had last seen her alive at Plymouth at 2.30am.

“As far as I know she was single.”

Her body was discovered 12 hours later.

An inquest into her death was opened two days later on March 17, 1913, by the town’s coroner H K Pope who restricted the hearing to evidence of identification. Only Miller, who had only known her for a few months, and Francis Darch, representing the Opera House, gave evidence.

He said he had seen Leslie say goodbye to her family at New York but did not know her personally. He was, however, to significantly reveal that she suffered from occasional fits.

At that point, the coroner closed the proceedings until the Oceanic returned to Southampton for a full medical report, not only establish how she had died but to prevent the press from speculating about foul play.

“I do not propose going into any further facts or the case will be discussed in the papers,” he

explained. “Very often that prejudices it and leads to a wrong impression and often to grave injustice.”

However, he did grant permission for Leslie’s body to be released and taken back to America for burial.

The inquest was resumed on April 14 when Pope revealed that her true surname was Schmitz, though she was also known under the two other names.

The first witness, comedian Arthur Deagon, said they had been engaged with three other American entertainers to take part in a revue at the Opera House. He had known her for four years and on the trip she was always “dancing around, good natured and laughing”.

He then described the tragic discovery, how he had accompanied a steward and stewardess to the lavatory which was locked but by looking under the door they could see her body.

“The door was ultimately forced and the doctor, who came at once, said ‘She is dead.’ Her body was still warm.”

The coroner asked him if he knew she suffered from fits.

“Yes,” he replied, “I have seen them in the theatre.”

“What kind of fits?”

“I should say epileptic. Once on Coney Island, alighting from a taxi, she fell so heavily that she cut her face badly and was detained in hospital for three weeks.”

Dr R S French, the liner’s doctor, said Leslie had been dead for about an hour when he examined her body which was then conveyed to her cabin and the coroner’s officer in Southampton was notified through Marconi.

He attended the post-mortem where no abnormality was found.

“From the evidence I have heard I am satisfied the cause of death was suffocation after she had fallen into a confined space while unconscious from a fit.”

In his brief summing-up, the coroner said he had been handed a telegram by the town’s chief constable in the following terms: “Mary Schmitz (the deceased’s mother) states she suspects no foul play.”

Jurors returned a verdict of death by natural causes.