New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-22
CHARLES F. BLAKEs DEATH,

SUICIDE NOT SUPPORTED BY MOTIVE
SKETCH OF Mr.. BLAKE's LIFE AND HIS LAST
EVENING.
The body of Charles T. Blake, the we'll
known patent lawyer of No. 8 West Thirty
fifth-sr., was found in the North River. at the
| foot OF West FOrtieth-st., yesterday forenoon.
de had been drowned in the night.
The manner of his death is q
mystery which the police apparently
have been unable to solve. Mr.. Blake
was not robbed and his body bore no marks
Of violence. He was happy in his domestic
life and successful in business, and the motive
for suicide is lacking. The theory of an ae.
cident is declared even moro untenabie by
the police, who, however, will give D0'infor-
milton II they have any. Mr.. Blake was Q
brOther-in-law of the Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix.
A MYSTERY NOT YET EXPLAINED.
The attention Of Captain William Smith, of tho
slOop Guide. which lies moOred at the foot of West
Fortieth-st., attracted yesterday forenoon, as
he stood upon the deck of his vessel by black OBJ
ject floating with the drift-ice on the tide. As ID
carried past the soop close under the shore, he
saw that it was the body of dead man. By Cap
tain Smiths orders measures were taken at once to
drag it ashore, and work was sent to the Thirty
When the dead mans clothes were searched letters
and telegram were found, from which his name APP
peared to be Charles z. Blake and his office at No.
16 Murray-st Inquiries were made at once at the
house of the well-known patent lawyer OF Chat
name, No. 8 West Thirty-ffth-st., and itswa
learned thai Mr. Blake mad not been seen since mid
night. Before noon the body was identified by
friends of the family as that of Mr.. Blake.
The police, having obtained statement from Mr.
Bakes family as to his movements Sunday night,
and having listened to their urgent requests that the
matter should be suppressed, became suddenly iD-
different and afflicted with entire loss of memory
as to the knowledge impaired to thern They fatty
refused to give any information about the matter
when pressed. alleging as an excuse the famiys re-
luctance TO have it published. The fact that Mr..
Blake's watch and the ornaments worn by him bad
been found, with roll of bank notes untouched in
his pocket together with the absence of any marks
of violence upon the body, satisfied Captain Wash
burn that no murder had been committed and he
declined to pursue the subject further leaving fur
ther investigation as TO the manner and time of
death to the Coroner. The single fact was stated
by the police that Mr.. Blake had been at friends
house Sunday night, and had gone away at midnight
When found his watch was noticed to have stopped
at Ids a. M, indicating possibly within few min
utes the time of his getting into the water. His
clothes were hardly soied, and there were no indi-
cations of a struggle in the attitude of the body.
There seemed certainly to be no room for sus-
picion of violence, but the mystery Of the matter
was not in the least dispeed by this circumstance.
It was deepened, in fact when it was learned that
the friends house at which Mr.. Blake spent Sunday
evening was IN West Thirty-seventh-st., near
Fifth-ave., and that when he left the house to re-
turn to his own home he was seen to go toward
IL l,io oltO hof
Mr.. Blake who was q strictly sobI man. was in
full possession of his senses. How within an hour
and half he happened to get into the North River,
fully mile distant, to meet his death there, it was
not easy to tell His body might have drifted to tho
foot of Forteth.st. from any other point
on the river; but this did not seem probable, as
there was evidence that it had been lying on tho
bottom and had been brought to the surface by the
commotion caused by sidewheel steamer that had
passed the spot shortly before Captain Smith saw ID
floating on the tide. The nei0hborhoOd for several
blocks up from the river not OF the kind which
q man like Mr.. Blake would choose if bent upon an
extended walk But some of his friends, YhO had
heard that he was in the habit OF taking long
stros for the benefit of his health, thought he bad
gone for a walk and had fallen in the river by ac-
cident. 1t was claimed by Others and by some
members of the family, that he had taken large
fected his head but the same persons
admitted that Oh the day before, Saturday, be had
been for hours together occupied with the papers in
an important lawsuit, involving nice points with
which none but very clear-mnded man might
deal An apparent motive for suicide was lacking
vet the conclusion seemed irresistible to the police
that Mr.. Blake had taken his own life. This was
the conclusion OF Captain Washbdrn.
There is no evidence whatever that it was any,
thing else than suicide" he said. :" Let the CorO-
ner tind it out"
The family. when a reporter called at the house.
refused to make any statement whatever. or to
author ze any, Wherever a friend of the dead man
was encountered his anxious efforts were
directed toward impressing the inquirer with
the idea that it was an accdentG
nurelv IN accident" But as to the manner of tho
accident all were equally silent Z" He must have
fallen 6yerboard,' ventured one; but he failed TO
furnish apy explanation of how Mr. Blake had put
himself in a position to fall overheard from any
thing. -
Coroner Ellinger took charge of the case. In the
afternoon he called on Mr.. Blake's law partner
Edward G. Thompson. Mr.. Thompson told the Cor
oner that the cause OF Mr.. Blakes death was pro~
found mystery to him, but he secuted the idea on
suicide in the absence of any motive lie declared
that his partner had no trouble IN his iamily' IN
social life, or in business matters. He lived happily
with his wife, moved in the best society. aud en-
loved law practice which was free from any eu-
borrassment Mr.. Blake was at the Office
Saturday, as usual. and attended TO bis
legal business as on any other day. When
he went away there was no indication thaf
ANYTHING troubled him. 1t was the custom fof lhe
families of the two partners to exchange visits sun
lavs. One Sunday, Mr.. Thompson's family would
no 70 Mr. Bakes house and dine. and the visit would
bo returued by Mr.. Blake's family the following,
sunday. Mr.. Blake called at Mr.. Thompson house,
No. 1s West Thirty-seveuth-st., alone about D. m.
sunday. The host and caller talked together on