The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-04
PROMINENT MAN MURDERED
DIRECTOR IN FARMERS LOAN AND
TRUST COMPANY.
Alexander MastertOn, Aged Seventy-
two, Shot to Death In Room In the
Burlington Hotel I'm New York by
James Neale Plumb-Sensati0nnI
Charges of the Murderer.

James Neale Plumb-sensationn
| Charges of the Murderer.
| New York, May 3.-Alexander Mas
terton, director of the Farmers Loan
and Trust company, and seventy-two
years of age, was shot and killed this
Afternoon by James Neale Plumb, In the
Burlington hotel, on West 30th street.
Masterton was shot five times, and died
within an hour or two. The murder
was premeditated as evidenced by the
voluminous statements written In adj
vance by Plumb and given out after
his arrest. Plumb, in his Statements
issued "to the public and entitled
''Why I, J. Neale Plumb, shot Alexan-
der Masterton" declared that he had
been actuated to do the shooting be-
cause of a systematic bounding of him
by Masterton Plumb declared, further,
that Masterton had not only ruined him
financially, but had attempted to alien
ate the affections of his wife and cl1tl-S
dren and to cause his social downfall.
Masterton and Plumb met by acci-
dent in the Burlington hotel at 1870 ri.
m. in the apartments occupied by Man
ager Cole. They had been there but 3
short time when five shots were fred
in rapid succession. Plumb then came
out of the apartments and walked into
=
murderer was taken before Police Cap
tain Price of the Tenderloin precinct,
of whom he Is an intimate friend. He
was later taken before a magistrate In
the Jefferson Market police court ana
held. Nothing was brought out at the
hearing that could be accepted as a Tea-
son for the killing beyond the state
ment made by Plumb that Masterton
had bounded him for many years IN
one of his statements Plumb wrote as
follows:
THE reason for taking this serious
step was that for upwards of twenty
five years commencing as far back as
1852, at the time Of my marriage en-
gagement this man has followed me
like sleuthhound from that time to
l.
cover the cause or motive of his vim
dictive animosity towards me, as when
he commenced to attack me had new M
er seen the man. nor ever heard Of
him. Again in 1885 on my return from
California, after three years absence,
he at once renewed the intrigues against
me in my family and in public, secretly
doing me all injury in his power So
cially and financially After all these
years down to 1876 this man was con-
stantly plotting and conspiring against
me- endeavOring to undermine my
wife's confidence in me by mean and
covert insinuations and endeavoring in
every way to ALLEVIATE the affections OF
my wife and children and he had q
powerful influence, being the trustee Of
ny wife's large estate
In 1878 Mrs. Plumb died in Paris and
Plumb returned here and went to live
1T Islip, l.. I. His statement recites
number of instances Of Masterson's al
eyed conspiracy to ALLEVIATE the affec-
ions Of his children, a French maid act
ng as a spy for Masterton. 1t refers
% another conspiracy" begun in 1885,
which, 1t says, is known to Plumb's
riends in New York and Washington aa
he washington conspiracy where his
'ldes daughter, Minnie, laid trap for
1asterton and his lawyers by means OF
ecoy letters and kilograms and that his
nemy fell into the trap and did not
now he had been trapped until his
laughter displayed the motive Of these
elegrams in Surrogate Rollins court
Turing an action in connection with the
ase.
After reciting the story of the mar-
lage of his son, J. Ives Plum, In 1885,
With a woman named Anna Burton, OF
whom he speaks in no complimentary
erms and laying the blame for this ur-
esirable marriage at Masterton's door, IN
'lumb refers to what he calls ''The last M
reat conspiracy of Alexander Master
on, which has eliminated his long
ears of cruel, vindictive oppression BY
is punishment decreed by an outraged
fod." He says that soon after his SON a
marriage" he went to
Europe intending to make his home In
outhampton, England, and he and his
aughters were as happy there as they
ould be with a cloud hanging over
hem in the moral death of his son. He
ext refers to the alleged kidnapping Of
Is daughter, Leonita, in 1888, after
ley had returned to New York She
as forced into carriage by the agents
Masterton, he AYERS, and taken to the
ictoria hotel. Later she was taken to-
roy. She subsequently regained her
'eedom. The object of this abduction,
lumb claims, was to force the girl ia
i've up her father
Alexander Masterton was a leading
'sident of Mt. Vernon, where he occu-
ed handsome home with his wife
nd two daughters. He had the man
cement of many estates and was in
rested heavily in Westchester real es-
tie. He had held a number of public
ices. He was prominent Mason and
as popular man in Mt. Vernon. J.sassa
eale Plumb at one time was very
ealthy, occupying a fine residence on
fifth avenue and having a half million
,llar villa in Iselip. Persons inti-
ately acquainted with Plumb say that
, lost most of his fortune, although he
I'd sufficient left to retire from busi-
,ss twenty years ago. He also is said
be popular, easy-going man by
ose who know him best.
A number of the lawyers interested
the legal proceedings of the Plumb-
asterton case were greatly surprised
learn of the murder. j. Henry
81 ~ l,xx n =