New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-26
HE DIED TO END HIS SHAME.
SUICIDE OF A WELLKNOWN MASON.

AND THEY AFFECTED MS MIND.

| AND THEY AFFECTED HIS MIND.
short, slight, sparely built, soldierly looking
old man, neatly dressed in black and carrying sill
mounted umbrella In his hand entered the Office
Of the Astor House on Saturday, just before noon
| and asked for a Room. The clerk recognized him
| AS K II. Trested a well-knOwn Free Mason and
| dealer in fancy goods of Jersey City, who had
! slept In the hotel many times in the last ten
years. 1t happened that the hotel was full, and
the clerk unable to find room for him. Mr.
| Trested then asked for q sheet Of note paper and
an envelope, and, standing at the desk wrote
letter which he addressed and put in his pocket
| Then he walked across Broadway to the Inter
national Hotel No. 10 Park Row, and there the
clerk, w. II Quick assigned him to Room % on
the third floor. The hall boy Henry Knief, no.
tced that the new guest was deathly pale, ana
shook like q leaf when he entered the room. The
door closed behind the boy, and the old man,
who had registered as H. r. Trestcd, Philadelphia,
was not again seen heard of until noon yestcr-
day Then the chanbermaid, Maggie Lucy,
found that the door of No. 20 was locked and that
the man inside was unable or unwilling to an
swer her knock With her broom she pushed
open the transom and instantly the hall filled
with a sckening odor. The girl ran TO the Office
and called the two haboys-Knef and another
lad named Otte. Getting a stepadder the two
boys climbed 10 the top of the transOm and
pecpcd into the room What they saw there sent
them screaming with fright down the stairs TO the
Office ard into the street.
Policeman John j. Lynch was the sidewalk
outside The hotel and ran upstairs 10 room 90.
With one blow Of his club he broke the lock and
went into the room. Mr.. Trestcd lay the bel
half dressed with the back of his head resting on
the pillow. His waistcoat open. his cyes were
closed and lie appeared - be- sleeping. Mr..
Trcsted's left hand hung down by his side. His
right hand resting across his breast, rrasped the
handle of If 1.-caljbre rcNplvcr. one barrel
Of which had been discharged. \ tiny bullet hole
in the RIGHT temple told how he had died
The aspect Of the room showed the method and
deberation with which the man had accom-
plished his purpose. His coat hung on peg AT
the foot Of the bed. Ills hat and umbrella were
side by side table. On entering the room
lie had washed his fac" and hands, then he lay
down on the bed, previously. however, gathering
up the bed clothing and piling them in heap
across the foot rail. The appearance Of the bo'!y
showed that he had fired the shot sometime be-
tween three ami four o'clock on Saturday after
noon or about two hours after be had entered the
room. Among the uinkcts and papers found
on the body Was ths letter:
sept. "a, l802.--ro the rul lie and my friends:
L
girl, Oh being prompted by woman called her
mOther-l THINK for biackmail have been very
careful during my Ike u AIN now siNty-ivc years
Oldl 10 command the respect OF everybody, dni
this charge ha, upset my brain. | do not know
at times what am doing. My heart is broken
shall go before the Great Judge, who will, |
know. receive me n one who has done, aS
as possible. right. The charges made against
lie aic fllsc. *. Al. IESlfsJ.
This was the letter which Mr.. Trcsted had
written at the Astor House Office, and it enbodes
q peculiarly distressing story. lie came to this
country from England more than fifty years ago,
and for a long time was well known in Harlem
as a dealer in fancy TOYS and novelties. For the
last nineteen years, however, he had lived in Jer-
sey City, carrying on business at No j67 Ber-
gcn-ave, his home being at No. "a Highland-ave
He was married and had seven children, the eldest
Of four sons, l. H. Trestcl, jr being manager for
big business house in lower Broadway. Few
men in the Masonic craft were more widely known
or better lIlci than Mr. Trestcl.
Al half-past o'clock on Tuesday night while
Mr. frosted was in the store attending to Df'
lummcl a customer, little girl named Louie
Adler, who lived in Eroomc-st. aNout h"li
block away. entered the place, ana, accor'lus
to the story told hy the dead mans sons Wh'
reached the hoi" late Yesterday afternoon walked
past Mr. Tr..trd into the ice cream saloon III ulc
rear. Dr. llummel went odt and Mr. lre','u
walked into ia" ice cream saL on ana asked th'
lttIr rirl what sh" WAS doing there. win NJ
rrplying she WALKED ont of the store and went
f. her home I've hours later she returned, TINS
time accompanied by her father and st"pnpth'r,
and i'm their presence she accused Mr.. lre'tel
of crimiIal assault Nr. Ir>t"i d"ai"i the ac-
cisation and the Adlcrs went away, saying
that hc would hear more about it. II WIS NOT
until THURSDAY, however, than the girls father
applied for Il warrant at the t9ulth Precinct
Court. AMI on this warrant Mr. Frosted was
arrcs'od and lochcl mp all night. ON Friday
morning Justice Davis, after hearing thc com
plaint held him for examination on saturday
morning i'm bail of $500. MI through Ne,ncs-
day. Thursday and Fr!ay Mr. 1rcstci had been
practically insnn" with humiliation and distress
" lhcr, i, one WAY ogt of this ruin and disgrace
and that way IN take" he had said. Early on
S,tur,lnv morning his wife met him leaving the
house To her he said that he would return IN
moment and that was the last she saw OF hlia
An through Saturday and part of yesterday his
sans secured Jersey City and Newark in search OF
him. until telegram from the lnicrhatlohai
Hotel told them Of his fate The business cards
found on the body had given the clew TO MS
identity .
The police Of Jersey City say that had IN"
suicide not killed himself he would have b'cn
arrested on other charges, as several little girls
were prepared TO appear in court 10 make com
plants ieainst Trcstcd. His lawyer, James ii.
Erwin said that he thought his client had been
ngaup for some time.