The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-06
THE ALEXANDER INvEsTIGA-
TION
4 Probable suicide.

West Troy, who met his death by drowning
some time since, is still progressing, and
the estate has already been proven insol-
vent. The liabilities are estimated at $780,
900 while the assets fall short of that
amount. A large number of mortgages had
been given by Alexander to his creditors as
security which are now proven to be utterly
worthless. Mr. Alexander was money
borrower in every sense of the word and
with his good reputation he had easy work
to get everybody's money He would give
a large rate of interest generally nine per
cent. and sometimes double that and with
the money obtained he would purchase
mortgages and other securities at great sac
rficcs and these securities would be given
with his notes as collateral security for the
money borrowed by him. Every one had
the utmost confidence in him and his note
was supposed to I've good for almost any
was he supposed to be that no one ever
thought of looking UP the record of the
mortgages, taking them for what they rep
resented on the face. If they had taken
the trouble to do so many would not now
be out of pocket thousands of dollars.
a rumor was prevalent on Saturday that
a forgery on the name of Capt. Nehemiah
Finch had been discovered bnt this is not
so. Capt. Finch became his endorser to Il
considerable amount but Alexander had
always promptly met all payments when
they became due. He had however, be
trayed his confidence and filled ont blank
notes, that have Finch's signature. for n
larger amount than agreed upon.
WAS IT A SUICIDE
This question is still in the minds of
many, Notwithstanding the fact that the
Coroner's jury decided that Alexanders
death was the result of accident and not of
design. The following facts from the Troy
Times bearing on the subject, have not he
fore been made public, and they may throw
some additional light upon il: On the
evcntful Friday Mr.. Alexander had some
business of very important nature to at
tend to. and should have been at his Office
all day. He was not there, however. In
the morning ehe went on the ferry boat
took seat in the pilot house and rode sew
eral times back and forth across the river
without any apparent object In the after
noon he again went aboard the boat. sal
down in the pilot house and again rode
back and forth for several trips. At las
/ he got off the boat on the Troy side, wen
to the depot and purchased ticket fol
the Albany cemetery station, on the Rens
seaer and Saratoga road. At this station
he got off the train, went to the cemetery
and stood for some time looking at his owl
lot. Returning, he again took the cars fo
Troy, and when they were going as rapid
" as they can run between that station an(
West Troy, he went out on the platform
and stood on the lower step looking at TIN
wheels of the car, until the conducto
tapped him on the shoulder and shouted il
his car that passengers were not allowed t.
stand on the platform. From Troy he re
turned home to his family, where he re
NAMED until evening, when he started t.
90 out, saying that he had business t.
attend to at the office. His family kney
of his financial embarassments, and a frien,
who was at the house at the time joine
with them in urging him to write a car
stating to the public that he would b
obliged to suspend business for time, bu
that il would only be temporary, and tina
he would be able to resume in few days
He agreed to do this, and started for tn
office, but he did not go near there, and tn
next heard of him he again went on tn
ferryboat about o o'clock, when, accordin
to his promises to his family, he shout
have been home. These are the bar
facts. The theory is that he thought O
committing self-dcstruction not only whe
he went on the ferryboat in the mornin
and afternoon, but also when he stood o
the platform of the train between the cen
ctery and West Troy, but that ON those oC
casion death by his own hand seemed to
horrible TO contemplate and his courag
failed him. After going on the boat at nigl
his determination became stronger ii
sailed across and back until all suspicion,
there was any, had been allayed, and thel
when the boat was in the middle of til
river, and when the pilot could not leay
his post to go with him to the hatchway, {
was his custom, he left the pilot house
The distance from the pilot house to I'll
hatchway is fourteen feet, but Mr.. Ale,
: ander went diagonally from the pilot hous
distance of thrty-six feet to the side {
the boat. The fall upon the deck heard h
passengers in the cabin was probabl
caused by his stumbling over chain tn,
crossed his path from the smoke stack, ;
which time his hat'rolled off into the waite
Then came the fatal plunge, and Andre
Alexander was no more. Such is the Thu
, Dry advanced by many, and the facts pr
scented make it plausible one. AleXand,
rcproaches of the world, but we will d
him the honor to believe that he meant
defraud no one. Even up to the day of h
death all payments were promptly mad
and these bogus mortgages were probabl
given with the expectation that evcrythin
/, would come out right in the end. His an
bition ruined him, as ambition has RUNE
many man before him, and that is Mt he
all that can be said
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