The Jersey City news., 1891-09-10
TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
Startling Sensation at a
Popular Summer
Hotel.
MARRIED A WEALTHY WOMAN.
There Was General Unhappiness
and His Wife Took Her
Little Son and
Went Home.
MARRIED A WEALTHY WOMAN.


SUMMIT, Sept. 10, 1S91.-The Highland
House, one of the swell hostelries at this
popular summer resort, is the scene OF
genuine sensation in the suicide of Will
liam P. Rockwell, one of the guests and a
welLknown New York business man.
Mr.. Rockwell, his wife and their bright
little three-year. boy came here early
in June to spend the summer Mrs. Rock
wells charming manners won for her
many friends, and tho young couple were
general favorites at the hotel.
Recently, however, certain little occur
ences have demonstrated that beneath
the cheerful external demeanor of Mr..
and Mrs. Rockwell there lurked at least
discomfort if not dissension.
No one is able to learn lust what were
the causes of the couples unhappiness,
but whatever they were they eliminated
Tuesday morning last In Mrs. RocKwell's
taking her little boy and leaving the
hotel.
1t has since been learned that she went
to the home OF her father, Charles H.
Swan. who is Treasurer of the North
River Bridge Company. and lives at No.
SO Brevort place, Brooklyn.
Very soon after his wife's departure
her husband was seen to enter the tele-
begging her to return;
AS the day wore on and Mr.. Rockwell
received no reply from his wife, he was
observed to grow very desDon ent, and
in conversation with a friend he re-
marked -
This comes of marrying rich mans
daughter"
Immediately after lunch Mr. Rockwell
entered his room and was never again
seen alive.
The hotel proprietor missed. him from
the corridors, and beco ming worried over
mis- non-appearance went to his guests
room at four o'clock yesterday and
knocked on the door.
He received NO reply, and on trying the
door found that it was locked and that
the kew was on the inside.
Now thoroughly alarmed, the proprie
tor secured stepladder and peered over
the transom, and was Mortified to see Mr..
Rockwell stretched out upon the bed, ap-
parently unconscious.
The door was speedily burst open, and
the proprietor then found that his guest
was dead.
1t was evidently case of deliberate
suicide. Mr.. Rockwell was fully dressed,
and had placed u newspaper on the foot Of
the bed so that his boots would not soil
the white spread.
A small rubber tube about four feet
long was tightly wound three times
around his neck. He mad died OF strangu-
lation. The expression on his face was
one of calm determination and the fea-
lures were not in the least distorted.
Mr.. Swan, Mrs. Kockwellis father, was
at once notified, and came on last light
and arranged for the care of the body.
He said that Mr.. Rockwell was thirty
two years old, and while he was consid-
epably affected over his son-in-law's s tragic
death he intimated that it was not as un-
expected as it might have been.
This, Mr.. Swain explained, was because
of the numerous threats Rockwell had
made to kill not only himself, but also his
wife and child.
1t was because of such threat, Mr.
Swan declared that Mrs. Rockwell had
left him Tuesday.
Mr.. Swan returned from Summit this
morning, but conlu not be found at his
residence in Brooklyn. Mrs. Rockwell,
his daughter, was there, and also her
mother, Mrs. Swan, but neither would
see reporter.
Up to the time they left for the country
in June Mr.. and Mrs. Rockwell had oc-
cupied elegant apartments at the Clinton,
at 427 Nostrand avenue. Brooklyn. Moth
ing had been heard of them there since
their removal, nor was anything known
of their alleged infelcities
Mr.. Rockwell was in the employ of the
silk firm of Dreyfus. Kehu & Co., No.
35 Mercer street, New York. but beyond
this fact nothing new cou i'd be learned at
the firms Office this morning.