The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-23
BROKER MAURICE'S DEATH.
REPREsENTED BIZ A YELLOW JOUR-
NAL Is A MURDER.

ne Died or Heart Rupture. and Injured HIN
seir IN FainnE-Thia Gavo Rise to suspi-
cieus which tho Hotel People strengthened
By Putting Obstacles Ia the Pelior's Way.
Under circumstances which were in no way
suspicious until rendered 30 by tho efforts of
the hotel employees, Arthur Maurice, an cid
erly broker, was found dead yesterday morning
in his rooms in the Hotel Winthrop, Seventh
avenue and 125th street. Tho cause OF death
was heart rupture, but as the man died with
out medical attendance, and there were abra-
sions upon his face, tho police were notified
by the undertaken, +. Il. II lines II 90
West 125th street. Immediately the hotel
people put so many obstacles in tho way
Of police investigation that suspicion was nat
urally aroused. To add to this, an evening
yellow journal printed a picture Of q "bloody
hammer" found in tho room, under the caption
'"The Deepest Mystery of Years." Coroner
Hoeber settled all doubts by declaring otter
ar investigation that a~poplexy was tho cause
of death, and that tho marks on the face were
caused by q fall. As for the hammer, that
had been on the closet shelf where 1t was found
for several months, and there was no blood
upon It.
The actual facts in the matter of Mr.. Maui
ricc's death are simple. He suffered from
chronic ~arterial trouble, and had been warned
that he was likely to die atTany time Of heart
disease or apoplcxy. On Tuesday night he
played cards with his wife and some friends,
and about midnight went to his rooms on tho
fourth floor, across tho hall from the rooms Of
his wife and daughter. Shortly after. two
children. who sleep in a room just below Mr..
Maurice's, were awakened by the sound Of a
fall which shook the ceiling, but went to sleep
again. In the morning Mrs. Maurice went to
her husbands room. and: getting no answer to
tween the bed and tho closet, lay the body of
her husband, partly undressed. She at once
West 125th street was called. He said that
Mr.. Maurice had been dead for several hours.
cause he named in his death certificate. At
the same time he advised the hotel people to
report the case to the police, as n death without
medical attendance, which was done after con-
When Undertaken Holmes came to lay out
bruise over tho eye..and some small cuts on the
side OF the nose, and deemed it best to send
Donovan Of tho West 1a5th street station sent
a policeman to the hotel with orders to let no
one touch the body until the arrival Of the Coro,
hotel people refused to givo the policeman any
information, and, at, first, refused him admis.
there were suspicious circumstances, Capt.
Devery, Detective bowling of Inspector Nc
Detective Bureau set to work on the case.
Meantime Dr.Oyler was questioned and stuck to
his statement that Mr.. Maurice had died OF apo
pleXy. The wounds on the face were not to be
wondered at In view Of the fact that the dead
man weighed 200 pounds and had fallen heav-
lily. Any robbery theory. was futile, as 1875
in cash and a certified check for $4,000 was
found on the body. In tho closet on a shelf q
policeman found Il small hammer, which had
no other connection with the case than to fur
nish the basis for the yellow journals wild fake.
Coroner Hoeber, after examining the body,
concluded that death had resulted from natural
causes, but. to make assurance doubly sure, he
had Coroner's Physician Schultz make an au-
topsy. This showed that the artcrial weak
ness had resulted in rupture of the heart. In
stead of the brain, as had been supposed. 1t
was also found that the hinge of the closet door
had been broken by'the force with which the
stricken man had fallen against il, thus scarf
flying ~his.facc.
Meantime tho night elevator man of the hotel,
John c. Thompson, a negro. had been taken to
tho police station, as he was the only person
known to be about at the time when it was sup
posed Mr.. Maurice died. He was released on
Coroner Hoeber's order.
Arthur Maurice was born in England 20
years ago.. Beginning life here as a clerk in n
brokers' office, he got'enough money to buy a
seat in the Stock Exchange, where he was
never very prominent. Some years ago he was
known as a specialist. in quicksilver mining
stock, and later in Panhandle. Ho left a widow,
a daughter, and II son, Arthur d.. Maurice, now
travelling in Europe.