New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-09
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. STARTLED
PRESIDENT RUNYoN CUTS HIS THROAT.
SEQUEL TO THE SUICIDE or CASHIER mLL-sCs
PENSION OF THE BANK.

Bank examiner
The bright sunlight which streamcd down Church.
ST. at eight o'clock in the morning and caused
dancing shadows to fall on tie wntc tombotones in
the graveyard Of Christ Church, hltc-cd into the
rooms of the bank opposite only through the
jealously suffered windows. The large entrance
door was closed II was about half past when a
carriage drove up and an elderly man OF command
ing appearance whose grey mustac.e and side
whiskers were thickly dashed with white stepped
ont and gave mp the rens to one Of the two ladies
who were with him. 1t was IRE, ideut Runyon
with his W fe and youngest daughter. NJ. Runyon,
whose dark eyes were sunkeu deeply in his head,
and whose whole manner betokeued nervous
prostration. walked into the bank after the door
was opened by stout bald-headcd Andrew Wesner.
the bank messenger
Don't be alarmed If | am not home early" said
the president to his wife as she drove up Nelison-s
" [ may be detained here quite late"
Once INSIDE the bank he went straight 20 the de-
rectors' room where he found Director wi liam c.
Stoddard. They were soon after joined by Direc-
tor, W. f. Howell aud Johnson Lctson. How DO
you feel this morniugi" was Mr.. StOddards first
greeting to the president he noticed his pallor.
" | feel just as bad as a man can feel | feel as
though had rather die than hve,' the an
swer.
shortly after this Mr.. Runyon asked Mr.. Stod.
dard to send for his old friend Captain Van Nckle,
a coal merchant aud highly respected and honored
citizen. messenger sent for Mr. Van
Wcklc and in the meanwhile Mr. stoddard OK
changed a few casual rcma Ks with the president
and n ticed that his answers were given in list
less manner aud that he betrayed singular lack
of interest IN everything mentioned Captain Van
Wickle tall spare kindly looking man with
gray hair aud whskers, entered and engaged IN
confidential chat with Mr. Runyon. during whichhe
seemed to be speaking cheery aud endeavoring To
raise the depressed spirits of his friend. Tie soon
went out aud Mr. RunyOns attention was next
attracted by Bank Examiner shelley, who mad al.
rived to investigate the banks aiairs. a. he shook
hands with Mr. Ruuyan, he observed; MS hlsis ths t.
last bank in New-Jersey | expected this or liB
listener shook his head mournfully and, after y
word or two with Director >toddard, walked out OF
the directors room. The Others dld not notice his
absence aud continued their cOnSeIsdtion about
the banks affairs la the course of these mention
made of and comment passed upon lhe iact
discovered the day after Cashier lil ssnlcde hat
Mr. Runyon had oycrdrawn his account som0
10000 or $4,000
the SUICIDE DfsCovrRFp.
Meanwhile Mr. Runyon had slipped into small
room between the directors room and the bank
room closing the door after HIM and locking IL.
Some fifteen minutes aftcrward Messenger
We,ner went to the door aud found 1t locked. After
| an interval of about ten minutes hc tried tho
| handle again with the same result lie became
alarmed and going into the directors room. where
! he found Directors Howe, Stoddard and Letson,
| hc asked where MIR. Runyon was. Incy replied
| that they did not know. Then why IS that door
| lockedi' he asked 1T has been locked
| for the last half-hour." The directors now
shared We,ner's alarm and told him to 90 to tho
back yard aud look in at the window. He did 10,
| and hastily returning with scared expression,
told them that something wrong. Every ono
present at once jumped TO the same conclusion
aud when at their order Wesner broke open tho
door a single glance enough 10 tell them what
had happened while they had been chatting
together. Mahlon Ruuyon lay before them IN pool
of blood. HIS coat OF, his shirt sleeves were
rolled up. and he was spaItercd with blood lie
gave a single gasp as the door WAS opened, ms
head fell forward and he was dead lie had thrown
MS coat upon the window-sIl. drawn common
pocket-knife from his pocket, opened one Of the
small sharp blades and cut deep cash on each
side of his throat. after seyering the VEINS at his
elbow Joints. Then he had laid the knife down or
the side of the window sill furthe,t from hlm, and
drawing his watch from his pocket with rs bloody
fingers set it near him the sill and watched the
hands measuring of the last minutes Of his ebbna
life There were but thirty of those minutes from
the time he entered the room to the time the dooi
was broken open. The three directors stood
round the door, but none of them en-
tered the room until Dr. d. c. English,
dately sent for entered the bank aud after hasty
examination pronounced the man dead. soon after;
ward Coroner George Clark arrived and ordered
the body TO be taken TO InuefldheI hoScIss slot"
where II still lies.
HOw MRS RCSYoS HEARD THE NEWS.
Meanwhile Mrs. and Miss Runyon had driven
over to Bound Brook paid a visit there and were
returning TO ew-BrunswIch. when a farmer driy-
ing home a ter hearing the startling news advised
them 10 20 home at once. With hearts full OF sad
ap9rehensiOus the two women hurried through tho
dusty lanes until the gambrel-Toofed. vne-clads
old fashioned home IN sight and they saw
standing waiting for them under the broad pilIared
porch, the Rev. II. c. Appegarth. the pastor Of the
First Baptist Church, of which Mahlon RunyOn
was a member lie Is dead simply SAID tho
clergyman to Mrs. Kenyon A. she alighted.
81 DID ne take hIs own lifei' faltered the poor
woman.
Mir Applegarth did not answer and the widow
knew the worst. Later IN the day the clergyman,
Charles RuuyOn, the nephew and +. r. stout, tho
son-ln-law OF the dead man, were gathered on tho
porch while the women OF the tamly
were inside. 10 a TRIBUNE reporter Mr..
Applegarth said that from ms own intimate
and personal knowledge OF the man
he was convinced that he had taken his life in
TIT of temporary insanity brought ON by nervous
strain.
THE INQUEST.
All this time the excitement in the city and es.
pecially in the neighborhood of the bank ln-
tense A jury was impaneled, which after view
lug the body adjourned TO meet az courthouse at
=. m BY about half past four they had gathered
in the Ionic pillared couIt-house, surrounded by
lazily whispering elm trees In the white plastered
courtroom there were but handful of people be-
sides those whose business called them
there The jury sat In cane bot
toned chairs IN easy attitudes while Foreman
X A. B Spadcr careessly flung his feet the
table at which sat Coroner Clark aud District
Attorney Rice, and stroked his long gray beard.
Mr. Rice conducted the inquest, aud during the ex.
animation of each witness walked to the stand and
soemny exhibited the knife sticky with coagu.
lated blood. with with the bank president had
taken hs HE. ", T. Howell Was the first name
rallell. Lis ieatimnnV was mernlN tn the ehrct