The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-04
PRENEDl7AlED MURDER
Wealthy New York Business Man
: Shot by a Rival. s.. 49,.
STATEMENTS BY THE ASSASSIN.

j. Neale Plum b Declares In Previous
~ Prepared Statements That Alex
ander Masterson Had Ruined Him
Financially. =
New York, May 4.--Alexander Mas.
terton, a director of the Farmers
Loan and Trust company, and 70 years
of age, was shot and killed yesterday
afternoon by James Neale Plumb in
the Burlington hotel, on West Thir-
tieth street. Masterton was shot five
times and died within an hour or two.
The murder was premeditated, as evil
denced by two voluminous statements
written in advance by Plumb and given
out after his arrest.
At present the real motive for the
crime is unknown. Plumb. in his
statements, declared that he had been
actuated to do the shooting because of
a systematic bounding of him by Mas
terson. Plumb declared further that
Masterton had not only ruined him
financially, but had attempted to alien
ate the affections of his wife and chill
dren and to cause his social downfall
Plumb's 81 tements. one of which
was ADDRESSED to the press, deal with q
period of his career embracing the past
IS years, are rambling in many places.
The letter concludes:
mo man has higher regard for
human life than have. But the just
and righteous punishment of Alex
ander Masterton is decreed by an put
ragged God. and am simply the hum
bic instrument in his hand, as he has
selected me as his chosen instrument
of wrathful vengeance. l have rid
the world Of man who was not fit
to live and whose death thousand
times over could never atone for the
monstrous wrongs done me-"
The wife of Plumb had large es-
tate, Of which Masterton was trustee.
In 1877 Mrs. Plumb died in Paris, and
Plumb returned here and went to live
at lslip, l.. I. He recites number
of circumstances showing Master
toms alleged conspiracy to aleniate the
affections of his children, a French
maid acting as a spy for Masterton.
Plumb refers to another conspiracy"
begun in 1885, which he says is known
to his friends in New York and Wash
ington as the Washington conspir-
acy,' where his eldest daughter, Min
ME, laid trap for Masterton and his
lawyers by means of decoy letters and
kilograms, and that his enemy fell into
the trap and did not know he had
been trapped until his daughter dis
played the motive of these kilograms
in Surrogate Rollins court during an
action brought in connection with the
case.
Alexander Masterton was a leading
resident of Mount Vernon, where he
occupied handsome home with his
wife and two daughters, Mrs. c. B.
TiBbals and Mrs. w. N. Ferris. He
was formerly connected with the old
Manufacturers and Merchants bank,
of New York, and later was interested
in the Farmers Loan and Trust COM
rany. He had the management of
many estates and was interested heav-
lily in Westminster real estate. He had
held a number of public Offices. He
was prominent member of the Ma
sonic fraternity and was a popular
man in Mount Vernon
J. Neale Plumb is So years old, and
was at one time very wealthy, oc~
cupying fine residence on Fifth ave-
nue. and having a half million dollar
villa at Islip, L. |. 1t is said by those
who are intimately acquainted with
Plumb that he lost most of his for
tune, although he had sufficient left
to retire from business 20 years ago.
He also is said by those who know
him best to be popular, easy going
man.
A number Of the lawyers interested
in the legal proceedings OF the Plumb
Masterston case were greatly surprised
to learn of the murder. Lawyer David
Mcclure, who represented Masterson
in proceedings in which the two men
were involved, was greatly surprised
to hear Of the shooting, which, how
ever, he did not wish to discuss. He
said, however, that he had always
found Plumb pleasant, agreeable and
easy to get along with.
]. Henry Thompson, another lawyer
interested in the family litigation.
said:
Had the shooting occurred during
the first proceedings | might not have
been so much surprised
Mr.. Thompson admitted that Mr..
Plumb was very bitter over the court
proceedings, and believed that he was
the victim Of conspiracy.