New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-04
MYSTERY IN VESTS DEATH
BODY FOUND IN HIS EMPTY HOUSE ON
AN IMPRovISED BED.

James o. West wealthy real estate owner, Of
No l47 West Twenty-seventh-st. found dead
yesterday in the vacant dwelling house owned by
himself at No. 2012 Fifth-ave. doctor who ex-
amined the body could not determine the cause of
death. The police Of the East observation-disclosures
twenty-sixth-st station believe he committed sui
eide. The case is somewhat similar TO that of
Robert McCurdy Lord. the banker. of Bayonne.
y. J.. who committed suicide in Mount Vernon by
inhsling Illuminating gas after he had written to
his family. The OF Mr. West is different, in
that he had lost no money. So far as known he
was wealthy his family relations were happy. and
the only care he had in the world that he
could not get rid Of the Fifth-ave. house quick
enough, ne was DESTROYS of going with his fam
lily TO California. He seventy years old ano 1t
is thought he wished 10 live there for the re-
mainder OF his life. His health was good except
for heart failure which his son John thinks caused
his death.
Patrolnan Daniel McAvoy, of the East one-hun-
an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS station. found the body.
Three buff shades had been taken from the win
dows and placed one across the other, and a COM
Portable, perfectly new. placed top OF them.
SOFA cushion was at the head of this impromptu
bed Dr. Mooney from the Harlem Hospital said
the had been dead about two hours. He
could not determine the cause of death, and said
there not the slightest indication of the man
In the pockets were found sixteen letters ad-
dressed 20 him at No. 147 West Twenty-seventh-
81. and by John B. Ketcham. real estate
hf9h-st. II was learned that Mr. Ketcham had
been trying TO sell the house for the owner Other
articles in the dead mans possession were diamond
cuff buttons a gold watch. chain and charm
81 "a in money, gold eyeglasses. the keys of the
house and a silk handkerchief
Mr.. Ketcham said that Mr.. West owned the
house and a great deal of property in the neigh
borhood OF his Office in West Twenty-seventh-st
He had wife and three sons and two daughters
living with him. Two OF Mr.. VESTS orotneFs
were In California.
Mr. Ketcham said that Mr. West called at his
house had not been sold, He called again at 10
p. Tuesday and got the keys, saying ne wanted
TO show The place 70 man. lie hao no p aGk9sge
20 Mr.. ketcham the dead man was q son OF James
J. West. who died about ten years ago. leaving
fortune of half million dollars.
John West, son of the dead man, called at the
East One-hundred- d-twenty-sixth-st station ano
identified the body. He said his father had been sub
doubt il that which caused death. There
were no financial or other troubles. and he sup
his father he made himself as comfortable on the
floor as possible
that Mr.. West owned two large houses, one az
the number given ana one adjoining AT No. IL
he had an office. The houses are occupied en-
The office of Mr.. West is cared for by an aged
negress, annie Mlams VINO sald thaI Mr; ~, He Is,
left the Office about o'clock Tuesday afternoon
saying he was going uptown. About 10 O'Clock
that night she received d message from his wife
asking II he had been there.
DR., e r Weed. of No III West one-hundred-
~. II. Stewart, of No. 2.e14 Fifth-ave., went to
Lyons undertaking establishment and performed
caused by rupture of the heart superinduced
by the extreme agony OF pain caused by eleven
by any person as to why the body was found on
an improvised bed