Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02
BURIED IN MYSTERY.
Traces of Murder Appear in the
Strange Death of a Briton.
SUICIDE SUSPECTED In THE CASE.
His Dead Body Discovered in the Room OF
Yonkers HOTEL
1T RESEMBLES THE BENWELL AFFAIR
rPrc1AL TELEGRAM TO THE DIspArcr


NEW YORK, November 1.-The mystery
connected with the death of james h. Ed
gar, the English druggist, at the Getty
House, in Yonkers, on Monday, has not
been cleared up.
James H. Edgar, according to Broker T.
H. Sumner, is the real name of man VINO
registered as George Smith on the Getty
House register. Mr.. Sumner says that the
letter which the suicide left for the proprle-
tor of the Getty House is not in MIR. Edgar
handwriting. Mr.. Sumner unhesitatlngiy
pronounces the letter forgery. The letter
read as follows:
To the Proprietor Of the Getty House:
1 ask pardon for causing you or your guests
any trouble. The inhumanity of few persons
has driven me to despair and death.
The entry on the hotel register, George
Smith," which was written by Mr.. Edgar
when he took his room at the hotel, is in his
handwriting. Mr.. Hall, the clerk, saw him
sign it. The handwriting in the letter
differs in some points from that on the
register.
FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED.
Mr.. Sumner is positive that there has
been foul play. When Mr.. Edgar was
found in the room revolver of large cali,
Der lay upon the bureau. 1t was then sup
posed that the man had intended to shoot
himself in case the poison he had taken did
not kill him. All this looks to Mr.. Sumner
as if it was carefully prearranged plan.
Mr.. Sumner SAYS that the dead man and
| his nephews had some difficulty in England
Mr.. Sumner did not tell what the precise
nature OF the difficulty was, but said that II
was of serious nature. Mr. Edgar, the
dead man, took the name of Smith in New
York few months ago. He wanted Sum
ner to go to London and settle some trouble:
there. He offered to pay Sumner $4,000 fol
| his services. Sumner refused to 60.
George H. Edgar and Robert Rowe. the
nephews of the dead man, have not beer
heard of since the former rushed into thu
office OF Mr.. Sumner Thursday and told hin
that "Uncle James" had committed suicide
| in Yonkers.
| NO TRACE OF THE NEPHEWS.
| The two detectives that Inspector Bvrne
! put on the case at the request of the Yon
kers officials have no trace of them. Th'
black satchel that dozen persons saw Edga
take to the hotel with him and that nigh
|
received just one week ago last Saturday il
still missing. No one seems to know what
has become of the rest of the $4,000 thai
Edgar brought to this country.
The whole thing resembles somewhat the
Benwell- Birchall mystery. Edgar was an
old man, and he had wife and SIX children
in England. 1t would not be natural for
man OF his age and possessed Of wealth tt
leave his home and his country unles
through extraordinary inducements.
LETTERS FROM AMERICA.
Edgar intended to 60 back. All the Will,
he was in America he kept up continua
and pleasant correspondence with his wife
Like Benwell, he may have been induced II
come here by swindlers and robbed ant
frally murdered or driven to take his owl
Ii e. The doctors say he died of morphine
| poison, but no autopsy has been made. Th'
body has not even been carefully examined
ior any external wounds there might be.
In all probability there will be an autops,
made tomorrow on Edgar's body. TIL,
officials have awakened to the fact tina
something besides morphine might hav
caused his death.