Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-05-08
DEATH BY HIS OWN HAND
OF a FOR MFR Hs-
VILLAIN.


Aston, browne Himself irs LOU
isiana-Omce Pav.nasser Oh. the
VRMdernDllt R1@aa0e.
Some is or 8 years ago Judge e. ].
Aston of this city was surprised to re
ceive from a town in England a letter
written and signed bv Mrs. Edward
Aston" The letter stated that the writer
had, in looking over an Asheville paper,
seen the advertisement of E. j. Aston,
and was rejoice6 to again find a trace |
of her husband after weary years of
waiting and ignorance as to his w Nherea- |
bouts. In the letter the writer inclosed |
+, photograph of her SON "'ISd.ty." to |
whom she referred affectionatelv. She
also asked if it was desired that she 'in |
t nc gentleman whom she supposed was
her husband in Asheville
Judge AstonS surprise upon the re-
ceipt of this letter may we'll be I'M aSlned |
He had been. as he has always done;
sending e ,,t erd S. Gapers e all
vertising the city which he has always
sho wn his love for, and at once Surmised
that the writer had seen his advertise
,nent in one of these papers, which
caused her to jump at the conclusion
| that she had discovered her lost hus-
| hand.
Judge Aston imn diately answered
| the letter, sending Mrs. Aston proofs
| that he was not the man she was looking
for 1t was afterwards charged that the
| husband. Ed ward Aston had been an em-
| he ezzler and had lett England in disgrace.
| 1t may, be stated here. also, that moth
| ing has ever been heard of the missing
| man.
| Time wore on and Mrs Aston left her
English home, coming to America With With
grown to mans estate and married.
Judge Aston was called on and gave the
| Young man employment in his office until
| he could find other work.
Beginning of The Emo.
About two years ago young Aston
took a position on the Vanderbilt esta' e
at Biltmore and was given charge
OF the payroll "a most re-
posed implicit confidence in the man
and everything in his care seemed to
work smoothly.
months. perhaps, there were certain dis
coveries in As-on's accounts that led to
an ination of his Office Enough
became kno wn to show that there had
l,een crookedness, and rather than remain
here and face his disgrace he left for parts
unknown-a man of 35 over which hung
had. as was said, made the father "a
wanderer and had been transmitted to
| the son.
few weeks ago a letter came here for
| young Aston's wife, in care of udge AS
ton, for whom, though not related II
the remotest degree, this English family
written in New Orleans by young Aston
in which he informed his wife that he
| was tired OF life and by the time Snt
read the letter he would be beneath the
waters of the Mississippi
The END.
The closing scene in the life of the
young man is told in the folio W ing spec
ial to the Louisville Courier Iourna
from Jesuit's Bend, La, under date
Nav 2:
"Dr. d. R. Fox was sent for yesterday
| morning to hold an inquest on the body
of a white man found float ing in front
I<,fE rNla tat a
miles below New Orleans. He was ap
parently about 35 years old, had darl
brown hair. sand v or reddish 1noustach n
and was five feet and four inches high
He was we'll dressed in suit of heavy
brown and white checkered wooleI
goods, black laced shoes, white shir
with linen bosom, gold collar button
one gold stud in the bosom OF the shirt
mother of pearl linked sleeve button
looms and vest were all of the same ma
terial, and the pantaloons had leathe
straps attached to the bottom of then
such as are worn by bicyclistS.
I'm his pockets were found a " hite sill
pocket handkerchief with colOred borde
a bunch OF keys firmly fastened togethe
by a steel chain and leather strap, wit
a small strap attached which was bu
toned in his pantaloons; knife, rubbs
self-closing tobacco pouch, small silv'
match box, handsome pipe with band
silver around the stem and Re. Asto
Asheville. North Carolina scratched c
the stem; a small black pocket comb,
book. in which many of the entries a
still legible, though Others have been o
liberated by water, and ce11uloid TIA
let. On one leaf of the tablet wr
ten. in good hand, Edward Asto
Asheville. North Carolina and t
reverse side, Should this be picked u
kindly notify Asheville, North Carolin;
! | mo valuables were found on the bo
only two nickels in the pockets. The
were no letters or papers on the bo
except an empty envelope addressed
Mrs Edward Aston (the name und
scored), care of Hon. E. ]. Aston, As
vile, N. c., and an empty railroad ticl
70. envelope for the Illinois railroad.
THE verdict of the coroner's jury w
Death by drowning
The body was buried and the 81
carefully marked, in case friends shor
lG. come to inquire, and all the above m
- toned articles are kept for identificati
There were marks of viOle
found on the body and 1T was evid'
from it's appearance that it had not b
IN the water more than two tn
.ar days"
young stOn's Dual Lite.
u The suicide. it now appears. led a rat
fast life and a dual one, and, 1T is said,
ruin was brought about bS w vhskey
women. His family, consisting of
mother, his wife. most eStImable
man, and three bright children, lived
Chunn's Cove, just east OF Beaumc
While this w AZ his home he u1a Maintained
establishments in HENDERSON county,
tween which place and his rIghttul n,
ar he divided his time.
kCs After the letter giving an IntimatiO
the intended suicide was received by
gland, and the money for the trip
kindly provided by Mr. Nc