Thomas Weldon Atherstone

Thomas Anderson or Thomas Weldon Atherston (died 16 July 1910) was a music hall star and victim of an unsolved murder. His body was found in an empty London apartment on 16 July 1910.

Career

Atherston was a classically trained actor who became prominent in music halls during the early 1880s and 1890s, although by the turn of the century his presence in vaudeville had been considerably reduced with the exception of occasional performances, such as 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 the music hall and turned to teaching. He and Earle began arguing regarding his accusations of Earle carrying on an affair as well as his resentment towards her success as a professional schoolteacher. Earle threw him out and sent him to live with his two sons Frederick and William.

Murder

However, Earle then began a relationship with the 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 have seen a man jumping over a back wall fleeing the scene, police believed Atherston had been spying on the two when he encountered a burglar who shot him and fled the scene. However, the murder remains unsolved.

Further reading

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