Thomas Weldon Atherston

Thomas Anderson or Thomas Weldon Atherston (d. July 13, 1910) was a vaudeville star and victim of an unsolved murder when his body was found in an empty London apartment in July 13, 1910.

A classicly trained actor, Atherston became prominent in vaudville during the early 1880s and 1890s although by the turn of the century his presence in vaudville had been considerably reduced with the exception of occasional performances such at poetry readings. Although married with four children, he began living with actress Elizabeth Earle at an apartment in London's Battersea district around 1899.

While Atherston's career continued declining over the next decade, Earle soon retired from vaudville and turned to teaching. He and Earle soon began arguing regarding his accusations of Earle carying on an affair as well as his resentment towards her success as a professional schoolteacher. He was soon thrown out by Earle and was sent to live his two sons Frederick and William.

However, Earle began a relationship with his son Frederick despite protests from Atherston. While Frederick was visiting Earle to view a painting she had recently finished, they heard gunshots from next door. Entering the apartment, which connected to Earle's though a garden, the two investigated the darkened apartment to find the body of a man who had been violently shot to death. After calling for the police, it was discovered to be the body of Atherston.

Although an investigation found several witnesses who claimed to hae seen a man jumping over a back wall fleeing the scene, police believed Frederick had been spying on the two when he encountered a burglur who shot him and fled the scene however the murder remained unsolved.

Further reading

*Macnaghten, Sir Melville Leslie. "Days of My Years". London: Edward Arnold, 1914.