Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-13
THE REPORT OF MR.. AsroR's DEATH
Making Efforts to Ascertain Who Originated

There seemed to be considerable mystery
surrounding the report of the death Of Mr.. W.
W. Aston. An advertisement of the death OF
Mr.. Astor was received by several New York
newspapers for publication yesterday. 1t was
sent by Albert Meurer. the sexton of Trinity
Chapel, by authority of C. G. Baldwin. the man.
ager of the Astor estates in that city. Mr..
Baldwin said that he had no reason to believe
that Mr.. Aston was no. dead He had, he said
received cable dispatch Monday afternoon
from the manager Of Mr.. Astors Office in Lon
don announcing 3Ir. Astor's death from pneu-
monia and instructing him to put notices in the
newspapers to that effect. Mr. Baldwin added:
II have no reason to doubt Mr.. Astors death
aud / cannot understand these contradictory
reports. shall cable to London at once to
find out what il all means"
Mr.. Baldwin declined to- give the name of the
person who announced Mr.. Astors death from
London, nor would he make public the contents
of the cable disDateh.
Daniel Lord. ir.. of the firm of Lord. Day 4
Lord. counsel for the Astors. said: I'VE re-
ccived word yesterday Monday afternoon from
10Th street Mr.. Baldwin's Office formally an
nOuncing TO Us Mr.. William Waldorf Aston 8
death. Mr.. AStor'a death is ali unques:i0nable
fact. The contradictory reports are as myrtle
riOIs TO Us they are to every body ei.e. We
Gail give no eN I)iilIlaIlOu WnN tntN are Hucn.
Lawyer Baker of Peabody. Baker x Peabody.
&r. astOr legal all Users. said that cablesraia
from London was received at the 18th street
oHce with word of Mr.. Aston des.th.
II received no direct word from London re-
gardilS .l:r. Aston. but raw the cableSram at the
other Office which stated that be he'd expired
For some days wCrd has been received of his
condition. All of the advices reported him
very low and losing strength.
Il cannot Understand yhy the cablegram an
nounclng Mr.. Astors death should be sent ii i,
is fact tina: he is still alive. | have received
Instructions TO take charge of Mr. Astor's
affairs"
The only notification that reached Proprietor
Allen OF the Aston House was that printed in
ihe newspapers Yesterday morning. He or
dered the flag on the Aston House ~ half mast
out of respect to Mr.. Aston. but as soon as he
learned thu. there any doubt ~ to the au-
thenticity Of the news he ordered the flag TO
the top of the Tole until some reliable inforna-
ton can be obtained. The first news of Mr..
Astors being NJ present in the land of the living
was conveyed to him by reporter.
At 1l:30 o'clock the AstCr Offices were still
closed and the notice that Mr.. Aston was dead
was on the door. Mr.. Baldwin will not open the
door for business until he receives personal as
srrance that his employer is not dead. At
o'clock ii waI said that Mr.. Baldwin had re-
. ceiyed word from Philadelphia that relative
there had been notified by cable that the re-
port Of Mr.. Astors death untrue
Later in the day cable message was received
from Mrs. Aston, ard the death notice was
taken down from the Aston Office.
The following WINS the advertisement inserted
in the newspapers:
ASTOR. At London. July H. 1892, WILLIAM
WALDO AsToR. son o. tie late John Jacob Aston.
in tue forty fifth year / his age.
Notice Of funeral hereaf.ex.
Among Mr. Astor's intimate friends the
opinion prevailed that some one in London has
made a deplorable mistake and that in come
quonce Mr.. Astor will enjoy the unique dis
tinctiOn of being numbered among tine few men
OF note who have read their own obituaries.