9 3 1 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁Women ▁Have ▁Be en ▁Kind . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁Tel legen ’ s ▁popular ity ▁had ▁decl ined ▁and ▁he ▁had ▁trouble ▁se cur ing ▁acting ▁work . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁deeply ▁in ▁deb t ▁and ▁file d ▁for ▁bank rupt cy . ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁time , ▁Tel legen ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁cancer ▁though ▁this ▁information ▁was ▁kept ▁from ▁him . ▁Tel legen ▁soon ▁grew ▁des pond ent . ▁▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁while ▁a ▁guest ▁of ▁Ed na ▁C ud ah y , ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁meat ▁pack ing ▁he ir ▁Jack ▁C ud ah y , ▁at ▁the ▁C ud ah y ▁M ansion ▁at ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁North ▁V ine ▁Street ▁in ▁Hollywood ▁( now ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁V ine - Fran k lin ▁under pass ▁of ▁the ▁Hollywood ▁Fre ew ay ), ▁Tel legen ▁locked ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁bath room , ▁then ▁sh aved ▁and ▁pow der ed ▁his ▁face . ▁While ▁standing ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁a ▁full - length ▁mirror , ▁he ▁st ab bed ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁heart ▁seven ▁times ▁with ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁se wing ▁sc iss ors . ▁Some ▁accounts ▁claim ▁Tel legen ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁newspaper ▁cli ppings ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁suic ide . ▁ ▁When ▁asked ▁to ▁comment ▁on ▁Tel legen ' s ▁death , ▁former ▁wife ▁Ger