New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-13
w. w. ASTOR rs NOT DEAD.
MYSTERY ABOUT TIE CABLE DISPATCHES.
THE DEATH NoTICES-IT WAS HARD
TO GET nENIAIS.
TO GET DENIALS.

THE DEATH NoTICES-IT WAS HARD
TO GET DENIALs.
William Waldorf Astor is alive and will enjoy
the rather remarkable distinction Of having been
able to read his own obituary notices. which werd
published at great length in many newspapers
yesterday. After having "seen himself as others
see him. he cannot fail to be impressed with
the good opinion entertained of him by his fellow
men. Mr.. Astor owes his peculiar situation to
q cable dispatch received by his agents in this
city over the name Of man known to them as
a clerk in his Office in London. The dispatch
said that Mr. Astor had died between 4 and
D. m on Monday. and in the name of Mr. Adams.
the London agent of Mr.. Astor. ordered the inc
sertion of the death notices in the newspapers.
The circumstances under which this message
was received were such that it left doubt in
the minds of Abner Bartlett: the New-York man.
ager Of Mr.. Astors business, or of c. w. Baldwin,
the managing clerk in his office. that Mr.. Astof
was dead. and the notices, accompanied BY
sketches of Mr.. Astor. were published with their
authority. 1t was not until yesterday afternoon
that they were convinced that Mr.. AstOr was not
dead by receiving a message from Mrs Astor
In London saying that her husband was i'm.
piOving.
During the forenoon they felt so certain that
there could have been no mistake made by tho
London agents that, notwithstanding the denials
of the report by press dispatches from London,
death notices were sent 10 New-York afternoon
newspapers Mrs Astor's telegram reached New
York in time for the notices to be withdrawn.
The first information that Mr. Astor's agents
In the city had Of his being i'll at all was OBJ
taincd from the newspapers. Mr.. Astor was
taken sick, it is said, Wednesday last, as the
result Of being caught in the rain while on q
evening last In London that Mr. Astor had died
and the report was telegraphed to New-York,
but was aftcrward denied The New-YorS agents
of the estate say that the first thing any Of
them heard of Mr.. Astor's illness was on that
night, when a newspaper reporter told one Of
them that the Dunlap Cable Company had sent
dispatch saying that re was i'll.
On Monday morning, seeing the accounts Of tho
New-York newspapers of Mr.. Astor's illness, G. w.
Baldwin telegraphed to Mr.. Adams, the manager
Of the London office, asking for information.
Early in the afternoon he received message over
Mr. Adams's name saying that Mr.. Astor was Sc
riously ILL At 30 p. m. another message was
received at the office in Twenty sXthst., and
opened by Mr.. Baldwin. 1t the announces
ment of the death of Mr.. Astor. giving the hour
of his death and the order from Mr.. Adams to
publish the death notices 1t bore the name Of
man VINO nau INtn, ana, so far as Alr BaluWln
Mr.. Bartlett knew, or in fact now know, still
is clerk in Mr. AstOrs London office. What his
name is they refuse at present to say, but, so
far as can be seen, on him rests the blame for
the false report. Either he some unknown per-
Son who forged his name for some purpose which
Mr.. Astor's representatives here unable to un.
derstand, telegraphed the false statement which
caused the whole trouble.
A Tribune reporter called at Mr.. Astors office on
Monday afternoon about five minutes after this
message had been received there. Mr. Baldwin
stood in the Office holding the cable message in
his hand, and in response TO the reporters in.
quiry as TO the health of Mr.. Astor he replied
that he had just been informed OF his death.
He knew nothing beyond what the message said.
All the employees were greatly affected by the news,
but having heard few hours before from Mr..
Adams of Mr.. Astor's serious Illness they had not
the slightest supicion that there could be any
mistake about it,
Mr.. Baldwin, before leaving the office, gave to
The Tribune reporter such information in regard to
Mr.. Astors life as he possessed. In the meantime
the office was closed, the flag placed at halfmast
and about p. m. the following notice was posted
on the door.
Closed on account of the death of Mr. Astor.a
After telling the reporter of Mr.. Astor's death,
Mr.. Baldwin sent for Albert Meurer the sexton
of Trinity Chapel, which Mr.. Astor attended when
in New-York, and told him to send out the death
notices. Mr.. Meurer obeycd, and the following
was received at The Tribune Office from him in
the evening.
ASTORIA London, July llth, 1892, William Waldorf
Notice OF funeral hereafter.
II was published in yesterday mornings paper
together with the statement Of the time Of Mr.!
Astors death; tod by Mr.. Baldwin, on the
authority Of the cab.c message. A sketch Of Mr.,
Astors career was also prepared and published
Yesterday morning reports received from
London saying that Mr. Astor was not dead
Nevertheless, Mr.. Baldwin and the ether agents
persisted in saying, We have not the slightest
reason to doubt that Mr. Astor is dead, nOtwith.
standing the contradictions We have not heard
a word since received orders to publish thd
notices of his DEATH
Mr.. Baldwin early yesterday morning. tee-
graphed TO Mr.. Adams in London for particulars
concerning Mr.. Astors death. Not receiving an
immediate reply, he tclegraphed again. This mes
sage was not answered. and finally, about noon,
he sent y message directly to Lansdowne House,
Mr. Astor's London home.
When Tribune reporter called at the Twenty
siXth-st office at p m the notice Of Mr. Astor's
death was still on tie door and the Office was
clos d. Mr.. Bartlett and Mr.. Baldwin wer both
inside. They said that three messages had been
sent and no reply had been received While they
hoped that their information was false, they had
no reason to believe it SO. A fourth message had
just been prepared, giving statement Of the
contradictory reports, and asking for an eXplana-
ton This had hardly been sent of when mes
sengcr boy brought dispatch from Mrs. William
Waldorf Astor, saying that her husband was bet
ter The notice was at once removed from tho
door.
Inside the Office everybody began to smile, and
congratulations were exchanged. The day had
been one of sadness and anxiety, but it changed