New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-03
A BROKER TAKES HIS LIFE.
RENTS COTTAGE IN WHICH TO DIE
FROM GAS-HAD LOST MUCH MONEY.

Robert McCurdy Lord, who formerly brolS-
er. but had been leading a retired life at Bay
onne, n. j., was found dead In a vacant house on
Chester Hill. fashionable part of Mount Vernon.
early yesterday morning. He had taken his life by
inhaling Illuminating gas. The Coroner and doctors
who examined the body say that his preparations
Tor suicide were the most elaborate and complete
they had known
Mr.. Lord, who was thirty-eight years old. was
formerly in Wall Street Six years ago he received
an inheritance With his wife. who is handsome
woman, and two children he lived in Bayonne.
In the last year he had been III. Recently he and
his wife took q trip to Europe to see II his health
could not be benefited. He seemed to improve in
health but he nervous and restless. 1t is
said that he lost $4,000 short time ago In specu-
iation and that this worried him great deal.
On September is Lord made his first appearance
in Mount Vernon. He leased cottage at No. 34s
Summit-ave. paying s25 to bind the bargain
Last Saturday night at late hour Patrolman
George Atwen. who was on duty summit-ave..
saw Lord leave the vacant house. which IN
darkness, and hurry down the street, The police
man fastened after him to find what he doing
out at such late hour of the night. Lord told
Atwell that he had Just rented the house and was
getting ready to move IN.
The dead brokers' younger brother. Henry J.
Lord. who lives at No. 56T East observation-disclosures
acknowledgement. received a letter from him late
on Monday evening The writer said that he had
would find his dead body in the bathroom. Tell
Anna goodby he said in closing.
AS soon as Henry Lord received the letter from
his brother he sent at Bayonne for the
Rev Frederick Maurice Kirkus. rector of Trinity
Church The dead had been a prominent
member of Mr. Kirkus's parish and connected with
the Sunday school and young peoples societies.
Accompanied by the minister and two patromen
the younger Mr.. Lord went TO the Chester Hill
house yesterday morning. The doors were locked
but the policemen quickly opened them with skee-
nearly overcome by Illuminating gas which
completely filled the house. They burst open the
door of the bathroom and found f1ocd lying dead
on the floor.
He had made leather harness to fit his head.
and then, fastening gas tube in his mouth, he
had lain down with his head satchel and
died. A handkerchief was tied over his eyes and
beside him pot of paste and paint brush
With which he had pasted newspapers over the
door and window cracks to keep all the gas in the
room. He had even pasted the overflow pipe In
the bathtub with newspa per. In the satchel be-
meath the dead mans head was IN empty cham
payne bottle and flask partly filled with whiskey
1t is question in the mind of the Coroner whether
courage to end his life took it to make him go
TO sleep. In his pockets were big revolver,
gold watch and several bank checks. Pasted in
the case of the watch picture of Mrs Lord
and their two young children. Coroner Birch
turned the body to the relatives.
The brother Of the dead thinks that his
recent illness unbalanced his mind and led him
10 commit suicide He told Chief Foley that his
brother had threatened to commit suicide a few
days before he sent the letter. Robert Lord IL is
said. had life insurance policy of $4,000