The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-01
MYSTERIOUS SLAYER DEAD
PLUMB, TAKEN FROM THE TONES,
DIES ~ BELLETUE.

NhU 'nNSlClNn belleNeh re Hhltu ~ Dle.
James Ncale Plumb. who on May 3 shot and
killed Alexander Masterton. died last evening
In Bellevue Hospital presumably from exhaus-
ton contingent on an attack OF erysipelas. Ho
was to hav" pleaded to the charge Of homicide
in General Sessions yesterday. but instead was
taken to Bellevue. When the case was called the
District Attorneys representative explained
that Plumb was i'll in the Tombs and could
not be brought to court. An affidavit to this
effect was made by DIR. Robert Campbell. tho
Tombs physician, who reported that Plumb
would die In n few days II not removed to n
hospital. The case wins stricken from the cal
endar, and the District Attorney issued an
order for Plumb's removal to Bellevue.
Although it was known that the man was n
very sick man. his death was entirely uncX-
pected by cithc" the Tomhs physician. DR..
Robert Cam phell. or by Dr. Wynkoop. who as
sumcd charge OF the ease when Plumb reached
Bellevue Plumb had been III ever since he was
committed to the Tombs. but he never made
any complaint. Last Monday pr. Campbell
noticed a slight swelling about the eyes. The
skin was Redeemed. and the Doctor after n
brief examination told Plumb that he feared he
was suffering from erysipelas.
NO. I'm not. replied Plumb. I've studied
medicine m ysclf. and know that isn't erysip-
elias. It's merely n little eruption Of the skin.
I've had it frequently before"
Dr Campbell did not pursue the subject any
further then. but he reported the matter to
Warden Ilagan and said that he was by no
means satisfied with Plumb's explanation
On Tuesday Plumh's condition was slight
Is worse. hut he still maintained that
nothing serious was the matter with him.
and tn" symptoms had not advanced enough to
allow Or Campbell to diagnose the disease de-
cisively as crvsipelHs Yesterday however.
DR.. Campbell could see at a glance that Plumb
was seriously i'll and he promptly notified
to bellevue Hospital and ask ed Superint endent
oRourke t. send an ambulance for Plumb
first I" accept the responsibility; He pointed
out to Warden flagan that Plumb could not be
r'arcd In the prison ward OF the hospital, as
"rvslpciHs was a contagious disease, and he
said he did not Ike to h9v" prisoner on such
a.scrious ,chGrg" place! in on" OF the ordinary
If hy any chance he was TO escape" said
Superintendent ORourkc Il would lie
w. tn" nan will. ,Iie i left hrre; replied
sihiIity VII send keeper With him and
will have a keeper with him day and night"
oIIpn4.r thcs" conditions Sups;rimi,end!,snt
protesting loudly that he was ali right was
reached Bellevue. and DR.. Wynkoop was az
signed to attend him. He grew RAPIDLY
W"ih"r, ana ulei shpitN before w COCK Iast
" He died from e2haustion." said DR.. wvn;
W STS' o lie nss 80 g'as e 90 am ana
to-day that the cry:irc a. was estns
that's ali nonsense, Erysipcas would not
have Eed hm but he , was Ss,Tpy tGG weak
recover. but his sudden death was entirely un-
~" \ along. said Or. Campbell at his homo.
n,i.I W est 1.i.Itb street last night - Plumb
fused rorake any mcdicine. although he was IL
from his first day in the. Tomhs H. admitted
TINT he was suffering from Gastrtis hut de-
rlar"d that, aside from his stomach trouble, he
was perfectly well man. This however. was
III" INST three days, There is NJ, doubt in my
mind nut that his hrnm was afl,Hctsed and II
ING brought to trial for murder. Poor fellow.
f.it very sorry fer HIM. nnt he was fHs
ever ,,'i to hear that he died So soon. There
l. absolutely n" ground for any, suspicion that
Two days ago mat, owing to his disease and his
weakness he could never rccoy"r.'
! Henry Thompson, who was rIumh's counsel;
3; his G@Pn last nrHt at his homS "a
CLIENT every day at the Tombs.. He say him on
Mo4d and he Een aid in good hoR Kim
on Decoration Day. When he saw .PlnmG
again yesterday morning he learned that he
night and that his temperatnre had risen to
| l04 degrees. Mr. Thompson said that Plumb
GsS he be En Fsm
| said he preferred to stay In tho prison,
removed to the hhospital and he told the prison
physician so he said last night that he would
prison in such condition.
Plumb shot Alexander Masterton. a lawyer.
yrG in Br9n XVI on May Il WI Ir Tbfr
, %io"ar" fron !TttsF ,o"% R,S On T ES
express purpose q Killing him: Plumb was
y e% o wh SkS "nd bn h W to- a Th rss
long ,ypcwTiitcn Within e tate in which he set
forth, with great exactness his reasons for the
IN this statement Plumb declared that
Mastorton had bounded him for, years. He
| Plumb when she was Miss Sarah Ives. and had
| been appointed one OF the executors OF the
c0"Gincss b"twe%n GiiimiSiii and Riis wife which
existed until she died In Paris in 1877 He
%GGGE aha wi a 2E5E 2 ]
| married Ramsay Mares an Fnglishman. whom
he hGd denounced az an an, 4dyenturer o,,od ~,
e Anna burton, the daughter Of q physician Of
Ioly,echpic Institute OF that city The mar
raEG G,strq}nGed father and son. the latter after
Range, -p l.. l. ]. Ives Plumb was present
| at Ma-terton's funeral and to Masterton's
| family denounced his fathers act. Plumb also
accused Mastcrton of enticng away from him
| his younger daughter Lenita, and alternating
| her affections Lcnita still lives with the Mas
| tcr'OnS.
Whom Ahram Ives died he left life inter-
| "st in his estate t. Mrs. Plumb. STIMULATING
| TINT on her death the property was to revert
| Ives Plumb. Masterton was one u tho cXecu-
tors Of tho estate, and Plumb was made
special guardian. When Mrs, Plumb died it
| was learned that she had provided for Lenitn,
| who was born after Mr.. lves's death and did
| did not figure IN the estate proper. by leaving
| her $4,000 which she had saved ont OF her
life interest. Plumb was made executor OF
| Ienta's estate,
In 1896 Plumb brought suit in tho Brooklyn
| SuprerIn Court to be made executor OF the en-
| tire estate, which at that time yielded yearly
| income Of $4,000 He won the suit. Mrs
| Mares brought suit against her father shortly
| after she married. She asked for his
| removal ON the ground that he had squandered
over $50. 600 oi the estate by eXtravagant liv-
| ing Her lawyers were Mnsterton. David Nc
| Clure. and Roosevelt q. llolston. About the
| same time her young sister brought similar
| suit and had the same LAWYERS Referee Hall
| dismissed both suits. and his finding was con
| ilrmed by the supreme Court. In Mrs Nares's
| suit he decided that Plumb had not wasted
| money. but instead there was money owed to
| him by the estate.