Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-17
PRESTON KING.
Facts In Regard to the SuIeIde-His
Recent Illness and Last Days i'm New
York

We extract the folio wing from the New
York Herald of the 18th inst.
Some ten days previous to the l4th inst.
Mr.. King, it is stated, had not been in a
proper mental condition to attend to his
usual business atthe Custom House having
shown u%ndoubted symptoms of alteration
of mind. To prevent any serious trouble
he was placed in charge of Mr.. Bridges, a
gentleman who had a particular interest
in his welfare, being connected with his
family by marriage with the daughter of
a near relative. A portion of last week
was spent at Ogdensburg, where Mr.. King
usually resided. Immediately upon Mr..
Kings arrival he telegraphed to a friend
whom he had left in New York to come
and meet him at Ogdehsburg. While
stopping at this place Mr.. Kings friends
on more than one occasion noticed the sim
gularity Of his conduct, and it is stated
that one night he paced to and fro in his
apartment for several hours, alternately
locking and unlocking his door. After
his return to the Astor House he was still
so deranged that it was deemed imprudent
to leave him alone, and Mr.. Bridges was
constantly in his company. Hopes were
still entertained that his illness would
prove to be temporary, and that in a few
days he would be favored with better
health. These hopes were not we'll
founded.
On Su nday last Mr.. Kings conduct was
unusually strange. He was excited, and
his language and actions were most eccen-
trio. During Il conversation which ensued
with Mr.. Weed, who visited him frequent
ly, Mr.. King proposed, apparently in ear
nest good faith, that they should adjourn
from room No. II, where they were sit
ting, to the roof of the Aston House and
take a sail through the air. His wish was
not gratiied, and he was finally quieted,
and subsequently retired to rest, still, how
ever, under rigid surveillance. 1t was de-
cided that one of bis relatives should sleep
in the apartment h. occupied, for the ex-
press purpose of taking care of the invalid,
and thither Mr.. Bridges accordingly acz
companfed him
HE LEAVES THE AsToR HOUSE.
While Mr.. Bridges was still asleep
on Monday morning towards three o'clock
Mr.. King rose, dressed himself and left.
the house, subsequently returning and re-
entering his room. AT about half-past
seven o'clock he donned a heavy travelling
Overcoat, his hat and gloves, and again
quilted the apartment without attracting
the notice of the inmates. Instead of
passing directly to the Broadway entrance
to the Astor House he made his exit at
the Vesey street ladies' private staircase,
lingering at the top of the stairs for some
minutes, as though hesitating as to the
course he should pursue. The servant
who was on duty in the hallway that
morning noticed these movements, but
thought that Mr.. King was merely en-
~deavOring to recollect whether or not he
had fastened his door, a matter concerning
which he was very particular. From the
moment of his disappearance at the side
door of the Astor House on Monday
morning nothing has been seen of the
Collector in that vicinity. Whether he
took a carriage, as he remarked he intend
ed to do, or whether he walked or rode in
a car to the Hoboken ferry slip, are facts
still shrouded in impenetrable mystery,
one gentleman, however, stating that he
saw him emerge from a Hudson River
Railroad car. When Mr.. Weed knocked
at the door of Mr.. Kings room its occu-
pant had departed, nor could the inquirer
CLEAN any information as to his wherea-
bouts. p
THE EXCITEMENT AT THE AsTOR HOUSE.
The sudden and u~naccountable disap-
pearance of Mr.. King was productive of
intense excitement. Though at first the
events which preceded his departure were
not known to the public, the incidents of
his illness soon became familiar to all, and.
as IA consequence, the efforts of the select
few who attempted to keep the com
munity in temporary ignorance of
the facts of the case proved en-
tirely unavailing. But while the absence
of the Collector furnished subjects of con
versation to the business men throughout
the city, his friends took immediate meas
ures to ascertain the whereabouts of the
missing man. Chief John Young, of the
detective force, was. notified of the disap-
pearahce of Mr.. King, and dispatches
were sent to st. Lawrence county, to
Washington and to other localities in
which the absent one had resided at differ
ent times. Meantime tho rumors ware
constantly becoming more numerous and
less well authenticated. One report ran
to the effect that Mr.. King had been seen
during the day in West street, without
hat or overcoat, another set forth that he
had telegraphed to his private secretary
from his house at Og~densburg; a third
that his body had been discovered in the
river at Hoboken, and that the Coroner
was just then engaged in holding an in
quest upon the same.
STATEMENT OF THE FERRYMAsTER.
Mr.. B. g. Campbell, ferrymaster, who
was on duty in the Christopher street fer
~ house on Monday morning, declares
that at a few minutes past nine o'clock a
man, whom he describes as being stout,
thick set, with smooth face and gray hair,
genteelly dressed in a suit of black or very
dark blue clothes, and who he Judges
would weigh between two hundred and .
fifty and two hundred and seventy-ive /
pounds, JUMPED from a Hudson River
horse-car and came into the ferry
house. The man paid his fare, asked a
few common place questions, and then
went on t 9 ferry boat Paterson, which
a few minutes later. He states
further, that two small children who were
board the boat saw the same man.
when about two hundred yards from the
New York side, walk towards the stern of
the boat, take off his hat and set it down
the deck, and then, while closing his
nUstrils with his fingers, jump from the
of the boat and sink Immediately.
The boys gave the alarm, and the boat
was backed up as quickly as possible; but {
10 traces of the man could be.found. The s
lat was taken by one of the boat hands to :
he superintendent of the ferry company. !
md by him shown to Mr.. Kings friends, {
Who recognized it at once. !
PREVIOUS INSANITY OF MR.. KING. :
In this connection it may be proper to 8
that in the year 1883, during the
patriot wal" as it was called, insanity '
vas produced in Mr.. Kings mind BY
alse and malicious charges made BY his !
enemies, who tried to make him q
esponsible for the lives of the seventeen 9
-oung men who were hung, and the one =
hundred and fifty sent to Van Dieman's r
1and-an Americans. The facts were a
Anagreement was entered into by =
jolonel subsequently GENERALLY W. 7. :
Worth, then commanding the frontier at
)gdeffsbufg, and the British commander,
Young, by which the pickets =
within a certain distance of the windmill, i
n the Canada side, of which the 4
Americans had possession, should be .
withdrawn for a certain time to allow q
boat to be sent over and bring away the 4
arty of young men who had invaded the a
'anadian territory. In pursuance of 5