New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-24
A NOTEWORTHY CONVERSATION.

the mysterious deatn Oh Cnarles 4. Diake, cuhoay.
night given yesterday by A. c. Hobbs. of Bridge
port Conn. Mr. Hobbs is the superintendent
of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company's Works
at that place. The corporation of which he 10 the
manager was q client of Mr.. Blake In some very
important patent litigation, which has been pending
during the last FIVE or six years.
Mr.. Hobbs came to this city yesterday to attend
the funeral of Mr.. Blake and also to acquaint his
famil and friends with suggestive conversation
which he held with Mr.. Blake Thursday evening"
February 10, at Boston. where they met by agree
ment on professional business connected with the
litigation referred to. The place appointed by Mr.
Blake for their meeting and consultation was MS
rooms in the Parker House in that city, and the
time half-past O'Clock in the evening. The reason
for the assignment of that hour that Mr.. Blake
expected to be engaged on other professional busi-
ness during the afternoon and evening Mr.. Hobbs
was at MIR. Blakes rooms at the hour named but
Mr. Blake did not arrive until nearly half-past 10.
when he excused himself for the delay in CONVEX
sation which Mr.. Hobbs relates as follows:
"He told me,n said Mr.. Hobbs, ' that he bad con-
cluded his business before O'clock and finding
that he had considerable time on his hands before
our appointment, had started of on one OF his long
evening walks, and had gone'much further than no
intended before he turned backward. This was tho
cause of his being so late. He had walked up Co,
before. he said he had taken walk OF more than
four miles out into Roxbury. By previous conver-
sations with him in the autumn and winter, was
aware that he was pursuing course OF active phy-
sical training under the advice of DR.. A. A. Smith.
of No SIS Madison-ave., of which severe walking
WAS a main feature. He had told me that he was
accustomed to take long walks every evening" gen.
erallv soon after dinner or if it not possible
earIy in the evening at whatever time II should Do
possible before going to bed his professional occu-
nations of course preventing him from doing 80 IN
the day time." =
"'You would be surprised he sald," continued
Mr.. Hobbs, "tO know to what new strange aad in-
terestinp places some of these walks have led me.
Where do Won suppose 1 walked few nights ago in
New-YorkY It was to a place where there was
magnificent sight not far from the neghborhood OK
the best settled part of the city, and yet it is sight
which do not believe one man in q thousand OF
the dveers in that part of the city has ever WIT
messed"
cit would be useless for me to guess" replied;
there are so many such sights possible in and
about New-York."
"'I mean the Hudson River by night said Mr.
Blake After taking walk far mp FIfth-aye. the
other night as | was returning TO my home in
Thirty -ffth-st., turned of into one of the side
streets which lead down to the Hudson River and
walked out to the end of the pier at the foot of it,
There was fresh aud exhilarating breeze blowing
INTO the city from the river as i made my way
along Looking out from the end of the pier, there
was Hoboken on the other shore. the ferryboats
were plying to and fro, whistles were sounding.
There was myriad Of lights dotIng the water, and
down below my feet the Ice was crashing noisily
along 1t was one of the most interesting splen-
did sights ever saw. stood there half an hour
gazing at it,"
q" He said much more in the same vein, of which
do not undertake to recall precisely the words" said
Mr. Hobbs; but the substance of it was that he
was so attracted by the spectacle he had described
that he meant to go often to witness it. Then he
again asked me, Have you never seen iti' and
answered: Yes. have; it is not new to me- and
he replied i neverdd before. | can scarcely exag-
gerate how novel and beautiful was to me-"
This conversation Mr. Hobbs believes, affords the
true Interpretation OF the mannerand circumstances
of Mr. Blake's death. He had not taken his pre-
scTibed walk after dinner Sunday evening, ana
doubtless did take it after he left the house at whlcn
be had been visiting between IL and IL O'CLOCK.
Probably be walked to the river side under the IN
Auence of the attraction OF the spectacle. as de-
scribed by Mr. Hobbs aud there misstep may easl-
| Iy have caused his fall into the water
CONCLUSIONS OF THE POLICE AND THE CORONER.
The mystery would probably never besolved If the
solution were lett entirely to tine police From talks
with several members of the fOrce and Others yes
teriay the impression was obtained that they had
done everything in the matter that they proposed
to do and that the casualty would remain charse-
terzed simply as an accident. Superinten lent WALL
ng said that he had not yet heard from the orders
issued to ascertain whether the West side
| patrolmen had noticed man answering
to Mr. Blake's description Sunday night
| He added that he did not expect to obtain any III
formation from that quarter, for II any was IN the
possession of officers they would prp1ao tao nave
| Captain WashDurn, OF the west tnirIH-sey
Street Police. asked what the ppcs were u1tng 3ha
| there was no occasion for them 10 90 anything
fnrther as there violence or robbery, ana IL
| inS He secuted the theory of suicide II there
| had been "a suicidal intention In the mlnd OF
Snys r cone of from the river 'front.' where tue water
| was deeper The fsll must have occurred oetween
Ihrty-nnth and ior , haS =;
| nnder tho pier Patro men who had been qucstloheo
| had no recollection of seeing man answering Mf.
Blake's description Sunday night. nor was snas az
oil remarkabe considering the number OF Dutcnets
| in the ueighb0rhood of the abattolrs there aiter
midnight. As to the decision OF coroner E,nssr ssr
| NOT 70 have an autopsy performed, Captain WASH,
| bnrn said the objections of the family were wen
taken. He added that when his own father CON- CON-
mited suicide at the age OF S ,hs wiSoW any man
| who attempted to "cnt him up" ,,,. ex.d n dav
| Coroner Elnger said that ne hau NV ~. - haid
for the inquest probably would not hs Ce wos nslc
before next week Besides being psssSS Sot mioht he
be OrOniht about through superintendent walng
The Coroner said that he would ad pGs bsan aps
Shn nh,S haJ tbon Tht that would have thrown any
light on the CASE There were no marks pnsrsn. pSsy,nk.
10 Nloo"eS., sncide and he accordingly
rSasoH HssoH.d ifE That death was caused by ; &C;
cdsnt while Mr. Blake laborug under men,s, ean
ohspntiop. There werc many changes Ill tne Douy'
aoosn1 Inv asphyxia which seened 10 polnt 70 oer-
tam diseases. For instance, elot might have eeea
discovered in the brain similar to that causeo ~
A. In The papers found In MIR Blske's possessicns
ns A. ~ wsra ga documents and private letters. Inc
tt,rs l;d n ot contain any information OF VAIN" Az