Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-23
BY HIS WIFE'S BODY,
And Upon His Bended Knees, Million
aire Masterson Solemn
SWORE NEVER TO DRINK AGAIN.
The Sensational Circumstances Surround
ing Her Death.
NO ZEAL CAUSE FOB THE JEALOUSY
,.,rc,., rrnrenAn TO TIE prsr AroH.

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO TIE DISPATCH.
NEW YORK, May 22.-The body OF Mrs.
Florence r. Masterson, who came to this
citv the other day from her home in New
Mexico after having heard of the shooting
ARRAY in which her husband, Murat Master
son. and Mrs. Alice Hopkinson figured on
May 12, and who died suddenly in the ele-
vator of the Grand Union Hotel Wednes-
day, lay all day at an undertaking sstab.
lshment Up to tonight, Judge Master
son had not decided where he would bury
his wife. He was completely unnerved. He
is continually tramping up and down his
room at the Albion, and moaning and weep
ing audibly.
"I am ruined, utterly ruined" he kept
exclaiming to-day. "That affair over Mrs.
Hopkinson was a frightful blow, consider
ing that my relations with her were per-
iectly proper. But now, to have my vile
die at the time need her most, and in this
horrible way, utterly does me up. What
use is money to man with broken heart,
who has lost everything that makes lie
worth having and has nothing. absolutely
nothing to live for?'
NO MARITAL DIFFICULTY.
Judge Masterson talked this way all day.
He denied emphatically that there had been
any difficulty between him and his wife pre-
vious to bis coming East few months ago,
as had been reported, or that they had been
separated, or that anything but the pleasant.
est relations existed between them. He said
that he had left her at Deming to come East
on business. It was she who proposed that
he bring their 14-year-old son along and
show him New York. Since he had been
ho ha had haor har
Der of times
Mrs. Masterson had come East, not to
make up any past quarrels. but for the
same reason that would take any jealous
wife to her husbands side upon hearing
that he and a woman had been shooting pis-
tolls at each other in q mysterious fiat. Mrs.
Hopkinson. he said, had taken charge
uf certain business matters for him and he
had been paying her $4,000 year salary.
The story of the shooting affray between
them had been printed in all the papers of
the country, and of course had come to Mrs.
Masterson's attention.
In all of these published stories the allie
cation had been made or grounds had been
given for inference, that improper relations
had existed between him and Mrs. Hopkin-
son. This was not true, but Mrs. Masterson
had naturally packed up her things and came
to New York. 1t appeared afterward that
she had been a couple OF days at the Grand
Union Hotel, and had written him letters to
his Office in Wall street, but he did not
know of her presence in the town until she
came to him at his boarding house on We'd
nesday morning looking for him.
AN AsroNIsHED HUSBAND.
The servant entered and announced Mrs.
Masterson. Judge Masterson says he was
more than astonished see her. He had
imagined his wife in New Mexico. OF the
interview between husband and wife
Judge Masterson says little. It was
brief. Finally Mrs. Masterson found
been drinking and few moments later she
left him abruptly without telling him where
she was staying. That was the last time he
saw her alive. She went from his house to
see her nephew, DR.. Adams, and they
walked together to the Grand Union, where,
while she was leaving the elevator on the
second floor, she fell dead in her nephew's
arms.
The next news Judge Mastersou got of
his wife after she left him that morning, was
that she was dead. Coroner Schultz decided
to-day that an autopsy was not necessary, as
Mrs. Masterson had suffered from heart dis
ease. Her husband will probably have her
body removed to New Mexico for
burial. Mrs. Alice Hopkinson, with
whom Judge Masterson exchanged
pistol shots on May II in her
flat, and who says she is his cousin, said to-
day to DISPATCH reporter, in speaking Of
Mrs. Masterson's sudden death: II didn't
know OF it until the Judge called here last
night and informed me. Then we went
around to the hotel together and there
made him swear, on his bended knees by
the side of his wife's corpse, that he would
never touch another drop of liquor"