The sun., 1899-09-17
ARTHUR E. COBB'S SUICIDE.
DEAD MAN'S WIFE AND CHILD WE'RE
LIHIN1 IN ROHTON.

NO QlbDObltlOn mas YET Do0n mhue Oh inc DOuy
OF Arthur E. Cobb. the young riding instructor
who committed suicide at Rye on Thursday
night. The Coroner made another search yes
terday OF tho bedroom In the McKibbcn house
In which Cobb shot himself and found another
note Of the same nature az the one addressed
to the newspapers. In this letter Cobb again
blames Mrs. Shelgrim for his suicide.
Referring to her influence over his pupil.
Mrs. McKibben. he says: Il have but one
friend left through this woman and that
ono she 10 doing her best TO yet
away from me. 1t 10 shame to SEQ
good and noble woman keeping such company.
The villa. which Mrs. Shelgrim occupies. Is in
the section OF Mamaroneck known as orienta
Point. and Cobb declares In the letter found
last night that when it was leased by her
she paid an elderly woman to go
with her as q chaperon. Mre. shslRrim
has seven hne horses pups. groom
and coachman. and attracted much attention
while driving about Mamaroneck this sum
mer Her husband. her maid said last night.
died few years ago in Sweden. and she has
since been travelling around the world living
at hotels. Cobb. IL is said. met Mrs. ShslRrim
about year ago at Durland's Academy whore
he taught her to ride. She ceased taking les
aOns OF him last June and at that
time IL was said that they had had a misundsr-
standing, but the maid eaid that Cobb visited
the house several times afterward and dined
with her mistress. While she was talking
she produced large picture OF Cobb. which
adorned the hallway. 1t showed the riding
teacher mounted on Mrs. Shelgrlm's favorite
riding horse.
After leaving Mrs. shelRrim. Cobb began
giving lessons to Mrs. McKibbon. He hao
apartments atlthe house OF F. B. Aitken Of Nam
aroneck. but spent most OF the time at tho
homo OF his pupil. At the time he killed him
self his clothing. riding habit and boots were
found in a closet in her house.
Frederick Ashington. who keeps stock farm
near Mrs. McKibbons house at Rye. said that
Cobb had lately been speculating inIhorsss and
had managed to make $500 to $500. Only 81
was found in his pockets by Coroner Banning.
party OF men and women sat at a table in
the restaurant OF the Circle Hotel at Fifty
eighth street and Eighth avenue yes
terday afternoon discussing the suicide
Of Cobb. One OF the women said
that Cobb had been in this country
for Ave years and had come he rs from England
after being discharged from a position OF trust
which he held on the other side. Another
woman at the table said she had made Cobb's
acquaintance in the hotel restaurant He told
her. she said. that he had been trainer OF
horses for an English nobleman. and that the
story OF his life would make interesting IN after
for n novel.
According to one OF the men in tho party.
Cobb invited several OF his friends to drink in
tho hotel cafe one afternoon and told them that
he had fallen into snap. He said he was
to go into the country to act as
companion to a young woman who was
wealthy and handsome. He invited all OF
his friends to drink with him. saying that
nft ha Rnopaanan N
tho woman he would entertain them
at dinner at Fifth avenue resort
He shook hands with the crowd in the cafe.
the man said. and went away saying that tho
next time they met him he would be the hus-
band OF wealthy woman.
Another member OF the party said that tho
reason. Mrs. McKibbon went away suddenly.
refusing to take Cobb with her to Denver was
because another woman had appeared with
A. story to the effect that Cobb had
fooled her and had succeeded In getting
from her Q large some OF money. They
said that this woman was Mrs. A. r. Shelgrm.
who had been on friendly terms with Mrs.
McKibbon. and who lived at the Plaza Hotel.
Recently. 1t was said. Mrs. Shelgrim went up
to Mrs. McKibbon's house accom- panied by
]. Cleveland Osgood. and told Mrs. MoKib-
bon that Cobb was a fakir who posed as an
English gentleman just for the purpose OF get
ting money from wealthy women.
William Durland. o! the Durland Riding
Academy. Is out OF town. Ono OF the riding
masters there. who refused to allow his name
to be used. said ysAterday:
Il knew Cobb az we'll as anybody here did
and that 10 not saying much. He came
from Canada to Boston quite .
town. you know. Five yoars ago
nail inc iln hat ha 10 IL
Since then he has been en- ployed Ave times, at
least. in this place and has been fred as often.
He left last spring and did not show
up again until two weeks ago. when
he made another attempt to get employ
ment here. But Mr. Durland would not
have him under any circumstances. He
had wife and a 12-year-old son in Bostcn.
Ny own wife knows Mrs. Cobb we'll Cobb
deserted his family when he came to
this town and has not contributed a
cent to their support since then. His wife cam
to this city about two years ago to see II she
could not persuade him to help her a little. bu,
he wouldn't have anything to do with her.
The riding master added that Cobb had never
been employed by Mrs. McKibbon or Mrs
Shelgrim.
"All talk about Cobb serving In the Life
Guards is nonsense" remarked another EN-.
ployee Of the Academy.
The chief bookkeeper stated that Mrs
McKibbon was entirely unknown at tbs
academy and that she had never ridden there
He said that Cobb must have got acquain tod
with her somewhere else.
Gustave Henemann. owner OF the Centra
Park Riding School at Seventh avenue ant
Fifty-ninth street. denied that Cobb had evel
been employed by him. The man had visitet
him few times. he said. to arrange the sale
OF horses John T. Luqueer OF r. s. Luqueel
Co. OF 81 Murray street. who rented the
house at Rye to Mrs. McKibbon. said:
Il know nothing at all about the woman
Tho lease Of the house was arranged by MI
agent. Mrs. McKibben had some talk will
my wife. but l never met her. | enter
tanned some suspicion at first. when she
proposed to rent the house but m,
agent assured me that she was all right anc
that there would be NO trouble about money
l asked my lawyer to investigate. however
and he could not find anything that wa
detrimental to her reputation. so le
her have the house. She made n,
acquaintances at all in Rye, The only person
she saw were fAends who came from New