New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-04
FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH
MISERABLE END OF A FORMER CONGRESS
MAN.
STEPHEN 7. HOPKINS WALKS OUT IL THE STORM
TO DIE-A wHIsBEY FLASK BESIDE HIM.
THOUGH HE HAD BEEN DISCHARGED AS
CURED FROM \ KELLY INSTITUTE.
iBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEI
| Mays Landing Y. j., March 3-As the IL O'CLOCK
freight train on the West Jersey RairOad crossing
the meadows about mile south OF Pleasantvle this
! morling the engineer a man lying in ditch by
the track The train stopped. and upon invcstlgar
ton the man found 10 be dead. The body was put
into freight and taken 20 pleaSanivtlle, and after
instructions we're received from the county officials
brought to this place and taken charge Of by the
county ply ysician, II. e. James, and handed over to
SmallwOod d son. undertakes. Mark, upon the cloth
ing and letters upon the body furnished undi' 'puabe
evidence that the stephen T. Hopkins, Of No.
! 1O4 East Forty y-fflst. New-Iork City. number oi
valuable papcrs found I'm large morocco pocket
book together with 50 in Noes in one of his pockets
There were found also several letters from different
pesohs In New York CITY, addressed to Hon stephen
! r. Hopkins. the sleWorth Hotel Atlantic 'iiy.' y
receipcd hotel bill showed that Hopkins mad been III
! Atlantic city until March 1. several clippings from
new spapes were found him, together with railroad
passes telegraph franks and other papers. y
card OF admtttncc to All railway postohce'
signed by the superintendent # the Postal Railway
! service WAS among the papers found This card had
| expired Oh December 81, 1859. TIE latest pass
| issued to him by railroad lad expired In jo0o
Many papers and letters dated about two years back
treating OF both public and private affairs were fouhu
on the body carefully placed From the date of an
| excursion ticket from 'NewYork city TO Atlantic
CITY, 1t appears that Hopkins arrived in Atlantic CITY
nbout two weeks ago. Mr.. Hopkins occupied two
rooms and paid the bill on the afternoon Of March l.
| Tie bill $s7.
| Among the letters found on the body were several
from friends OF the dead man IN White Plains, ~ Y ;
one signed ". 5. Lacldey advising HIN in regard u
matters which were not mentioned From the tone
of the letters which full of advice ard hopeful
suggestions II would seem that Hopkins had met with
reverses and was despOndent and low spi ritcd one
letter advises him to return and he would be well
taken OF by friends IN seventy thlrdst Whose
names are not mentioned. one letter Is from Ed"aN
| H. Phelps OF White Plains giving good advice ana
promising aid A letter dated White Plains March l.
was found in the pocketbook, making an appointment
for Hopkins 10 meet some at Tayl0rS hOteI,
jersey Oty, any day this week he might mention
This letter stated that an endclVor would De mn"'
by his friends to settle his troubles. one l''tcr re
cclved from ". :. Lackey advises him 10 return ana
meet the person at Jersey CTS and be governed by
the jersey CITY consultation \ letter fr1ma Washing
ton lawyer consoles him for receiving an appoint
ment and advises him in regard 10 iinnncal diihcues
connscng him to be careful in a money transactions
and not to borrow money on future expeditions
When found by the crew OF tho freight train this
morning It appeared that the body had been IN the
water abont twenty hour, II /, supposed that
Hopkins left Atlantic city after receiving the letter
dated March I. mailing tic jersey CITY appointment.
No valuables were found on The body ca
,enting two gold and pearl cua buttons ana !
god safety pin pinned on IN" inside OF MS
,ai-tco,t to keep tne papers I'm hi prcEe' tn" oh'
was plainly but well dressed dark cra'at ti
plain gold pin fastened in H. His crayat and standing
collar were I'm perfect and In place when the
t.d~ Wa found and Tins leads to the snpposlion OF
! .ulofe IN the pockets OF the trousers, In n small
pnr.o - cents WIS found. III the linen was pElnN
marked -. +. Hopkins 30 watch or chaih WIS
found on the body. when tho body wa ionnd a IT"
feet distant ny Vhis,cy flask filed with water rom
| ,ho ditch How the man to be at this point Is
M, .icrv The return coupon Of a New York ana NJ
lauIc Cr excursion ticket had been purchased ana
th., would Indicate that he had taken NcW orh tram
| and started keep the jersey 'ty appointment
rhcr,. are no external inluric on the b"iN ana II i
thought that ii would l' almost inpo~'lbc ior MN 10
have fallen from the train and not sustained Injuries
e., fine form Of cut, and bruises from the
| fo,cn mound On the other hand, It would
have been almost impossible for any man to make his
way acro., the meadows during the 'errlhl" storm Of
| Yesterday rs the water covered the tracks. When
| found he Law twenty icet from the tracks.
4 dispatch from Plea ,antville tonight said that
| uopldns had been staying al the Hotel Islcswoth
at Atlantic city lor the last ten DAYS and expected
10 remain there ten days longer. lie LEFT The hotel
Wednesday at u O'Clock to ~ Ia dentists rooms
where he having a set Of teeth made Ike was
| not seen alive after he left the Office. lie sent his
, valet out on business on Wednesday ana he dld not
return. 4 postal card WAS received Mt the Hotel
| I,Iesworh mi. morning, stating that the valet had
/ -
account of sickness. Hopkins was accompanied 10y
a porter Of the hotel who went with him a' far a.
| the dentists. When Hopkins entered ihc dentist
Office he told Reith. the dentist, that he only came
in get rid Of the porter Hopkins appeared nervous
and excited Yesterday when he left the hotel. There
were no trains after that time aud he must nave
| walked 10 the place where the body was iouhd
| distance Of five miles from Atlantic city
| 4 memorandum showed where lioPAin, had pur-
chased liquor While in Atlantic city. \ letter was
found among hi, paper, addre-,td to the Hon.
A. j. Parker, Albany, y. " cOn''r1lng the heelcS
bchJide of gold cure treatment: the letter had not
| been mailed. Coroner Breeder. Of Egg li"bor CITY,
wa sent here by the railroad officials viewed the
| body and ,ct eau1iay morning at 10 oenJh rs lhe
aiuc the Inquest would be held Late TO hlsIt trle
| ,qam Wa, received from Coroner fdir. Of Pleasant
vile. demanding that the body be sent there at once
nut no action ha' been tif,n asne ns'!'"'' s' n
! man found aud asking II he had been lu"hUutu d'
i,Ghen r. iopns |Sie ICi rTeF% Tt, ' srgaIy nd F'
| ST. New York" II i, believed here that Nr. hopkins
became de,pondenl and m"lHei o"l III the 'i'lAS
Kingston, \. y, N,rch 3 l,peg.aD-It'le i, known
hero c%4cr ~Icphen % M T. M n, In 'nsI'
~ Interstate Commerce Commissioner o'nmaisrr of
entered political liz and Willie in CTagrc~, bu has
heard or .e,n lltt of him 'nre ihcn; lie says he
always regarded him ~ eccentric ana partial, ui
| balanced mentally. This became more prunouced
after the death Of his wIir Whch @ccnTrri J"It before ]
he went to Congress. Whllc in Wa,hia-~on he hwd
and enter aimed considerably beyond ~, means ANA
/ became sadly d. tpated. 10 wa, understood thrh
| thot he vns engaged Ia marry daughter OF George
Frmci, Train who Mr.. scln0nmaker SAYS, wa pre>"nt
nt thu Congltssnin's house at "a r'c@rh"n winch Hr
| ~choonma'er also attended. ore ocra ion. When
he lcft Washington, Mr. Hopkins was heavily In debt
To "A large pnmbcr Of persons there Tie was removed
as guardian for hls children, IT, WIFI pI,e ne lad
| been appointed by ,le term, of his Niic'~ Will NJ "r
leaving C0ngre :, Mr.. >choonmiter says he reprt-
srnted fn him that he had secured an app'ntm I'M ~
a sd cal agent nj the New York Custom House, bu-
| his was mo- credited by Mr. -chonnmakcr. who slid
Lat he wns then wholly unfit for nny ch pops Vie
po.iti,n lie lii saw Mr. Hopkins In This city last
April when he invited hm & To ms mousc ~ Hn ,, ai'
,atcd and stayed ~ tn Kingston lICel - 'leep OH
| his dclauch lie had money, and Mr. Nch1oninhkrr
ne,c io nav nj. hin at the hotc but In the morning
nfcr IIopklg,'s departure he fonnd the bill lad been
paid by another friend here VIZ Schopnnlaher say
| ne regarded him a. Il mental and physical wreck.
lie never regarded aS man oI stlo"T nina; ana