Evening journal., 1893-05-19
DUPONT 'STRAGIC DEATH
Rumored in Louisville That
the Millionaire Was Murdered
OONoBALING THE AWFUL FACTS

to the Deceased's Residence-New York |
Papers Full of Stories Regarding the
Mysterious Death of the Handsome
DeIawarean who Was Born and Buried |
in Wilmington.
Delawareans who read in the EVENING |
JOURNAL of the quiet but impressive |
funeral services held in the celebrated |
DUPONT family cemetery yesterday after
noon over the remains of Alfred Victor
DUPONT, the handsome Louisville mil
| lionaire. did not dream that this Della.
warean had met tragic death and that,
through skillful strategy, the details Of
the death were suppressed until the
leading metropolitan papers published
them TO the world this morning.
The New York World, in two column
special from Louisville, says:
ut was announced here on Wednes-
day last that A. V. DUPONT, Kentucky s
wealthiest citizen, had died suddenly at
his magnificent home of heart disease at
noon. That night the body was hustled
of to Wilmington, Del, and that night
il became known that DUPONT did not
die at home It was said that he died in
a resort at No. 740 West York street
Then it became common gossip at the
clubs and on the streets that he had been
murdered by the husband of woman he
had met at the resort. A well known
man is commonly named as the husband,
and the fact that he cannot be located
to-day is cited as lending credence to the
story.
1T was given out that Mr.. DUPONT
was walking down Broadway when he
began to feel cold and went into the
office of DR.. T. l. McDermott, a member
of the Board of Aldermen. Dr. McDer.
mott told him he was in serious condi
tion, summoned a carriage and took him
to Central Park, where he died almost
instantly. At the same time with the
report Of Mr.. DuPont's death came the
news of a mysterious death in a high.
class private resort at No. 740 West
York street The neighbors saw DR.
McDermott enter the house, and later
saw an empty coffin from j G. Kings
undertaking establishment taken in and
subsequently carried out with an occu
pant. Who it was they did not know.
The coroner was summoned, though at
his Office this was later denied.
Inquiries were made of Maggie Payne
who conducted the house She was
) greatly confused She said she had known
the man for years, but it was nobody S
business who he was, though he always
went while at the place under the name
7 of Johnson. She declared that the body
had been sent to Bowling Green, Ky.
) "Dr McDermott was also seen, but he
g claimed to know nothing about the case
except that some man had died there.
4 ! u, 10 al fa1
s Mr. DUPONT in a carriage to Central Park,
l. as previously reported.
"NoW came the investigation from
the undertaker's end of the line. Kings
wagon went TO Mrs Payne's house, aud
procured a body about ~ o'clock and
not many minutes later the wagon drove
. into Central Park carrying a coffin with
~ a dead body In 1t. At Kings all the EN-
e ployes exhibited the most astonishing
;. ignorance, both as to DUPONT aud as tC
n Mr. Johnson. Finally this morning
they produced the death return Of
James g. Johnson This death return
. was accompanied by a transit permit
purPorting to grant the right to remove
!, the body. 1t was as follows:
d Transit Permit.
= LOUISVILLE, Ky, May IS Per
= mission is hereby granted to remove ths
u remains of James q. johnson, aged 4
years, who died at this place on the 1Stl
). day of May, 1898, the cause of death
being ELUSIVE apoplexy, which is non
ID infectious disease, and a transit permit
being asked, for burial at Bowling Green
le in the State of Kentucky
p "'W H. GAIT, NJ D.
"T c. Kings Sons undertakers 1
% l. McDermott, medical attendant
10 Medical investigation developed
DI the fact that both death return anS
transit permit were bogus. In the lis
Of daily deaths returned and burial per
mits reported by Health officer Gait
% none were for any body named johnson
p" though the one for A. V. DUPONT wa
y duly listed. Inquiries we're also made o
the only persons who could have know
,r of the shipment of Johnsons body t
Bowling Green They willingly CAV
n statements clearly showing that Mr.
3" Johnson was an altogether mythica
parsonage. The records of the Unio
or Station baggage room do not show tina
a a dead body left here for Bowling Gree
lg between s o'clock yesterday mOrnin
IN and 10 o'clock to-day.
= 1t having been established that John
y, son and Mr. DUPONT were the same tai
: | now uflILeu 10 bne cause OF Qedtl
a. a. Police Sergeant Wickham aud Patro
70 man Burns insisted that DUPONT ha
Gu been shot and killed in the Payne house
They stated that at s o'clock yesterds
N morning two shots had been heard con
ing from the house On investigatio
By they discovered A. " DUPONT had bee
a shot in the back.
"Like wildfre the question sprea
An over town and was repeated from mout
a. to mouth: Who shot DuPontT
- "The officers talked very freely, unit
eu so il is said, orders came from Chic
iis Taylor that he wanted the matter neith'
IL aired nor investigated further. Dr. Nj
as Dermott, in regard to this, as we'll
~ all other surrounding circumstance
ne was rather non committal, but seen
IN ingly pooh poohed the idea that Mr. DI
Pont was shot.
Another rather mysterious cireuu
stance was the haste shown in gettin
ok the body ont of town. AT - 4S o'cloC
the remains were taken TO the depot an
nr sent by the way of the Louisville an