Evening journal., 1896-04-18
MYSTERY is SOLVED.
he Yonkers Suicide Was Gen.
J. Blackburn Jones.
ENTAIL ALTERATION THE CAUSE.

Belonged TO Prominent Western
Family and Had a Splendid War Rec
q ord-was Formerly Engaged In Busi-
ness In New York.
81 YoNKERs, II. Y, April 18.-The nys-
9& ary concerning the identity Of the man
Z Tho committed suicide in the Hudson riy-
ID near this city, and whose relatives and
Friends refused to give any information
& oncerning his past life, is at last solved.
z he particulars of the mans suicide and
s he peculiar method adopted by the city
officials to avoid publicity were told in
hese dispatches. Until the present time
he facts concerning the suicide were con-
&nealed.
Mr.. Jones, as he was declared to be
Ny the coroner and the police, was Major
3seneral !. Blackburn Jones and was a
commander during the civil war and sub
7sequently a lawyer in st. Louis, Chicago
Hand New York. General Jones was in
command Of the Sixty-sixth regiment,
HUnited States colored troops, and was
mustered out with the brevet rank of ma
jor general Of volunteers. He received SOW
eral wounds in battle and was awarded a
pension, which he had made arrangements
to collect through his friend, William A.
Harding of $50 Broadway, New York, at
the time Of his suicide.
For long timo General Jones occupied
offices at ESQ Broadway adjoining those
of Mr.. Harding, and the two men became
fast friends. Mr.. Harding said that Gen
eral Jones was one Of the most eloquent
men he had ever met and was especially
distinguished as a jury lawyer.
General Jones stopped the practice of
law about three years ago and accepted
the proposition OF several mining compa-
MES to become their confidential agent in
Europe. He arranged to noat their bonds
and stocks in foreign markets. He had
wide acquaintance In London, Paris and
Berlin, and. the proposition being very
grateful to him, was accepted. He made
several trips abroad and was at first great
ly encouraged by his success. He finally
became moro especially interested ia the
Queen City Iron Mining company and
devoted most OF his attention to that cor
poration.
He Became Despondent.
Then the hard tisnos affected all Ameri-
can securities abroad and the general took
the failure very much to heart. He be-
came despondent, 'as one Of his old wounds
was troubling him. and he decided to give
up active business. Last September he
rented rooms at Mrs. Berrian's boarding
house in this city.
General Jones called on Mr.. Harding
two weeks before his suicide and told him
chat his head was troubling him greatly.
He continually heard ringing noises, and
he said that he believed his mind was be-
coming affected. Mr. Harding suggested
that Ire consult a physician. This the
general consented to do, and finally halt
agreed to go to the Butler asylum, near
Providence to remain until the perfect
rest he could secure there would restore
him.
General Jones belonged 10 the celebrat-
ed Blackburn family.ot Kentucky. DC
had three brothers. One Of thsp, Colose
JoDa Wesley y--aa of Nav York. pral
postmaster OF Brooklyn and is still ver1
premiHent poIitician. Another br0thel
was Professor W. p, Jones, founder o
Evanston college, nliuU1s, and still an
other was very prominent physioiap IL
Chicago. He left three daughters Mrs
George E. Haskell OF Broekline Mass.
Mrs Maud N. Dow of Plymouth, Wis.
and Mrs. II. =. Reynolds of Scranton
Pa At one time General Jones was very
wealthy, but recently, because Of his gen
erosity and the freedom Of his habits Of
living, did not accumulate any property