The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-04-14
MURDER Winds UP
A SOCIAL COLONY
A. N. Donaldson, a Prominent
Member, Under Arrest.
Victim Is Louis N. Meyers, a Florist, Of
Rossville, N. Y.-Accused De-
clares Deed an Accident.

NEW YORK. April 13-The Straight
Edge, started a year or so ago as an as
sociation of men and women who. IS its
articles of incorporation read, wished to
study by practical and experimental
methods how to apply the Golden Rule to
social and industrial life and to realize
the conditions under which people can
live together tremendously, has gone to
pieces, and one of its former members is
under arrest on Staten Island on charge
of murder, committed at Rossville, where
the sect for some months maintained a
farm modelled somewhat on the lines of
Brook Farm.
A School Principal.
The man arrested and who is now
lodged in the Richmond county Jail is
Austin n. Donaldson, who resigned as a
farm community.
He is charged with causing the death
on Thursday morning last of Louis y.
Meyers, florist of Rossville, by strik-
ing him on the head with 4 spade.
Donaldson has not been a member of
the Straight Edge since last October.
Neither has the farm at Rossville since
then been a part of the assets of the as
ISOLATION. Its proprietor since then has
been the Rev. MIR. Dalton, an Episco-
palian minister. who is connected with
Trinity Parish and does missionary work
on Ellis Island.
Social Colony.
Mr.. Dalton Joined the Straight Edge
last snring and was such an enthusiastic
member that he advanced money to lease
the farm. The farm had three houses
on it and twenty-five members settled
there as the nucleus of the social colony
expected to flourish on it.
Donaldson, according to Wilbur Cope
land, the organizer of the movement.
joined the community last August. Last
October the Straight Edge became in
yolved financially. Mr.. Dalton took the
farm for his own use. He induced Dom
aldson TO live on it and work it for him.
Meyers had been a resident of Rossville
for twenty years His farm adjoins that
now in charge of Donaldson, and through
it runs a small swamp which drains the
latter property.
For some days past. according to the
stories told at Rossville, Donaldson has
been making bitches to run into this
swamp, with the result that Meyers farm
was flooded. Members Of the Meyers fam
lily say that Donaldson, in company with
Mr. Winant. the owner of the farm. and
several other men, had discussion with
Meyers about the matter on Thursday,
when the latter protested.
The only witness of what happened
after that appears to be Erastus Lake, a
nineteen year old boy employed by Meyer.
His story is that shortly after noon on
Thursday he saw Donaldson run toward
Meyers and strike the latter a blow on
the head with a spade. Meyers fell I'M
conscious and Lake ran back to the
house and told Mrs. Meyers what had
happened.
Says II Was an Accident.
The wife ran to the scene of the as
sault and found Donaldson standing over
her husband. She says that when she ox-
claimed Who killed my husband" DON
aldson replied. - did" He was arrested
the day following the assault and was re-
leased in $500 bail by Magistrate Marsh.
This morning he was taken before Cor
oner Schaefer and was committed with
out bail to jail to await the result OF the
inquest. which will be held on Wednes-
day. When arraigned both times Donald
son said it was an accident