Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-05-12
A SAD SUICIDE.


a OAU DUlOlOE.
NET DEATH m TEE BATH fUB.
Leading Citizen Takes His Ovn
Lifs-Trasio End Of . Rsmark-
able llsn.
Amasa Stone, Clevelaud's leading citi-
zen and one of the most philanthropic
men of this century, committed suicide
yesterday afternoon at his residence on
Euclid avenue. Mr.. Stone had been
suffering for some time from various dis
orders Of the stomach, which produced,
among other things, Indigestion and in
somnia. For the past five or six weeks
he has been confined to his house the
most. of the time, riding out with his
family occasionally in the mornings. He
has not been able to secure over two
hours sleep out of the twenty four during
the last five weeks. Yesterday morning he
suffered more than usual and appeared
very much depressed. He did not arise,
as has been his usual custom, but 70.
NAMED in bed until about noon. He
then spoke to members of his family
about being much worse aud was left
alone in his room about 1 o'clock in the
hope that he might get nap. The family,
not caring to disturb him, did not 60 to
his room until about 4 o'clock. His wife
knocked at his door, but received no re.
sponse. She passed into the room, which
is an elegant chamber on the first floor,
and found it empty. She found the door
of the bath room closed and locked. She
called her husbands name, but no answer
came. She repeated the call several
times, but to no purpose, and concluded
that he had tainted. She gave the alarm
quickly and Edwards, the butler, was the
first to come in the room. He climbed
over the transom into the bath room,
where horrible sight met his gaze.
He found Mr.. Stone in the bath tub,
partially dressed. From the appearance
of his clothing and position in the tub it
is believed he got up out of bed, took his
bath and had patially dressed himself
when he was taken with a sudden attack
Of mental alteration and shot himself
through the heart. By his side on the
| floor lay a small silver mounted Smith &
Wesson revolver, with one of the barrels
empty. Death must have been instantan
eous. There was no noise whatever and
the sound of the shot was not heard.
Mr.. Stone was 86 years of age. He came
| of good old Puritan stock, being a de
scendant of one of the Pilgrim fathers
His father was farmer of Charlestown,
Worcester county. Mass. Amasa wa
born April 81, 1918. He learned the car
penter's trade when he was II years o
age and afterwards was engaged, with his
brother, in the construction of railroad
bridges. He was married at an early ag
to Miss Julia Gleason, a native of Warren
Mass His eldest daughter is married t.
Col. John Hay, who with his wife sailet
from Liverpool yesterday for home, afte
an absence Of over a year. He leave!
another daughter, Mrs. Samuel Matthews
and two brothers, Liberty Stone, of Brook
field. Worcester county, Mass, and A. D
Stone, of New York city, president of tn
Union iron and steel works, of Chicago
His only sister is Mrs. A. T.. Burgess
mother of George Howe, collector of Gus
toms at Cleveland. His only son, Adel
bert, was drowned at Yale college il
1865. Adelbert college, recently com
pleted in Cleveland was founded in mem
ory Of the dead son. Mr. Stone was wortl
about six million dollars, and was mos
charitable man. He built several loca
institutions for the poor, besides founding
Adelbert college. His money was largel
invested in rolling mills, iron works an
other manufacturing concerns. Heis sal
to have lost heavily in the recent Unio
iron and steel company failure in Chicago
and the failure of Brown, Bonnell & Com
pany at Youngstown, ohio. He did no
brood to any great extent over his financia
losses, but they wounded his pride. H
considered himself one of the ables
financiers in the country and his recen
losses rnneryed him
When the Ashtabula bridge was bull
Amasa Stone looked upon it as his pc
scheme. He built the bridge as an ez
pertinent as well as an investment. Afte
tue terrible disaster at Ashtabula, whe
Charley Collins, engineer of the bridge
killed himself for fear of being punishe
during the investigation of the disaster
or some say he was murdered, Amas
Stone feared he would be legally heic
This fear has been a burden to him eve
since aud Of late, as he became old an
childish, he became almost a monomania
on the subject. In 1s45 Stone purchased
with others, the right to build the famou
Howe bridge for New England, and
said to have made improvements on th
structure. lie left the bridge bushes
!, and turned his attention to TailrOadinl
being first railway superintendent an
} finally a. magnate, owning millions {
stocks in different roads.