The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-17

NEW YORK, Aug. 16.-The mystery
surrounding the death of the brilliant
SURFACE railroad manager, Frederick
u. Rounds, who either died by his own
hand or that of an assassin recently.
may never be Solved.
BESIDES the woman, Mrs. Belts. in
whose house he died at Hoboken. there
We're two others whom he had cause to
rear Tor the wrong that he may have
done them.
nlarrled roue, brought him to the end of
what might have been a very brilliant
career with a sharp turn.
Some years ago the young man
sought the metropolis, coming from
his humble home at WATERFOWL, N. ".
with a reputation for cIeverness and
honesty. -e-
He got into railroad life and imnoadi-
ately distinguished himself by the ex-
ceiience OF his work, attracting the
attentlon OF Mr.. Whitney, the Wander
UiltS, ana others interested in the sur
race line Of the metropolitan system.
Al the time of his death he had Just
reserved an appointment from Mr..
Gould placing him in charge Of a rail
road down in Pennsylvania
PROBABLY he sought this appointnoent
IN order to escape from the triangular
feminine tangle in which he had be-
come enmeshed. If so he doubtless
discovered too late that his victims
did not intend to allow him to escape
50 easily He was cornered and shot
hImself-or something else happened-
someone shot him.
Rounds Comes to the Front.
Rounds came to the front ->very
conspicuously at the time the Metro
pol1tan and Third avenue roads were
pfactlcalIy merged, being then made
70 i.
Vreeland -
his salary is said to have been very
large, and brilliant future was as
sured him beyond the peradventure Of
a doubt.
only one man in million gets the
chance that came to Frederick
u. Rounds so easily in the few busy
ed MS capacity for executive railroad
work --- o''0
During the time he was building IN
a career Rounds married an estimabIe
lady, who, beyond being in every wav
an ideal wife, according to his own ad-
mission, was far handsomer than the
other two women between whom he fell
to the ground
The third woman in the case is a.
Miss Howard, who is said to be an ac-
tress. Her residence is in the Tender
ioln, and she claims a prior right to
the directions of Rounds over Mr..
Belts, in whose house the man was
found dead.
According to Nine. Howard,s state
ment Mr.. Rounds lived with her for
over four years, either while he was
living with his wife also or after thew
had separated. Among other things
that Nine. Howard claims to have
done for Rounds is the buying of
clothes and diamonds for him.
How this woman made his acouaint-
ance, or what she knew Of his married
life has not transpired. On these
points she is silent But she was
jealous of Mrs. Belts.
Acquainted Seven Years.
The acquaintance between Mr..
Rounds and Mrs. Belts was formed in
a FOfty-second street restaurant She
was, at the time, the wife of a wealthy
man who had moved from Newport, N.
j., to handsome residence at West
End avenue and Seventy-second street,
New York. The couple became infatu-
ated with each other at once, and a
great time followed. The meeting
took place in the restaurant seven years
ago.
Seven months later Rounds is known
to have boosted that he drove UP to
the elegant home in West End avenue
4 and took Mrs. Belts away from her
wealthy husband at the point of a re-
volver.
Mr.. Belts was then sixty years Of
age and Mrs. Belts some ten years
older than Rounds
Despite her story Nine. Howard
must be mistaken as to her priority
over Mrs. Belts. She is a younger wo-
man than the millionaire's wife, and
the latter has been very jealous of her.
Previous to the tragedy which ended
In Rounds death the railroad man had
been out drinking. Accounts differ as
to the condition in which he was when
he returned to the house of Mrs. Belts
He had half a dozen drinks of whisky
In one place, and took a bottle away
with him. What he drank elsewhere
has not come to light.
When he went in he told Mrs. Belts
that he intended to commit suicide. She
laughed at him. That Rounds had been
drinking she could see, and therefore
claims that she only considered him
morbid on account of that.
Gave All to Mrs. Belts.
He wanted to write some letters, but
his pen only travelled in curves. To
humor him Mrs. Belts says she wrote
them at his dictation. There were
three-the fatal number. One to his
parents, one to his attorney and the
third to whom it might concern. In
each he said that eff anything hap
pened to him. eff he should die he
wanted Lip (Mrs.- Betts) to have his
belongings, and nothing to go to his
wife and daughter.
When the police asked for the letters
after the tragedy MN Belts gave
them up, and also the scrawl showing
how he had tried to write.
Five minutes after the letters were
written a bullet from toy pistol
pierced the railroad mans brain.