New-York tribune., 1904-10-11
F. DE P. HALL A SUICIDE.
HIS SUIT ENDS IN COURT.
Club Members Act Laid to Fear
of Criminal Charges.


Fearing arrest on criminal charges hasea 0"
Testimony about TO be brought out in the law
suits he himself had begun, Ito obtain VIM
diostion" Frank De Peyster Hall. the Teh
srno-vr eIubrnan. shot himself yesterday jrst es
she first OF his suits against fellow club mem
hers was I'D for trial Forced 70 leave the
business Of which he had been the head, be-
cause the stories circulated about him were in
s,,rsrg A having resigned from one club "un-
Ssr y,r.esst1re" the stories said, and stunned by
most of his old acquaintance, Hall had protest
ed franticaIly against the injustice done to him.
He was innocent, he swore. and as last re-
source began the suits against the men he called
his tra6ucerH.
What changed his attitude between Saturday
when he called on his lawyers. Morgan d Sea
bury 10 congratulate them on hurrylng ms SUITS
70 trial, ana Sunday night when he was seen
drinking alone. apparently in deep gloom VIII
never be known That he had heard OF the In
terest the District Attorneys Office was taking
in his suits some Of his friends believe. One Of
those who have investigated the reports about
him said he was at loss TO understand why
Hall had ever begun these SUITS knowing what
must follow.
Yesterday Halls suit in the City Court against
Ernest Staples. Of the New-York Yacht Club
came up William NJ Seabury, Halls lawyer
pss ready as we're John D. Lindsay and Cor
usl,us J. Sullivan, representing the defendant
An unusual throng. many Of them men ABOUT
town, filed the little courtroom Hardly Two
hours before that Hall. standing before a mir
yor in his room, had put e bullet through his
head
The body. stil warm. was discovered about
g m. by MaIvina Morse, the colored servant
OF the boarding house at No. 126 Lexington
ave, where Hall had lived She ran screaming
20 Mrs. Patten. the proprietor. who called
policeman. DIT. Psrce. who arrived with a Belle
vTle ambulance. said the man had been dead less
than an hour Coroner Brown decided that an
snuuest would hardly be necessary, and issued
a permit FOR the removal Of the body. The
coroner took Mr Halls effects. among them
letters from his brother. Arthur. and from
Schuyler Van Vechten, Of Albany; H. H. Brig
ham, Of No 90 Wiiliam-st, and H v Hutnet
FORD. Of No. 81 Nsssau-st-, assuring him OF mex
sympathy, but inquiring what tie lawsuits We're
about The letter from his brother was as foi-
lows:
Kenyon College. Gsm6is. ohie, Oct = lsG
Dear BTa1k: & S A4sT 1s} r.aS sIih"oef Of Course be-
ieve you aud that you will come out & 81 s f e f
s,erfect consdence in you which am sure mother
the effect OF the legal proceedings upon them Inc
Eunerings and anxiety viii be great m ID any c -
hosT you came 10 resign from the Calumet CLUB:
I yuieh I
Snsnv of vour ST. AnthonySs friends and others who
viii stand by YOU faithfully ana v 70 t.. nave i ye
power help where have none sPTfTTTR
your brother ANifAOH-
When Informed Of his clients suicide. Mr.. Sea-
bury made the following statement;
We know Of no facts Leading US 10 suppose that
Ar Han would not be prepared TO 60 on ts TIa 9esfS
has come as great shock 10 as. and we can only
say that all the actions which have been instluuteo
rhese actions are not such could be carried on
by his personal representative
Early last May Mr.. Hall brought suits for
slander against Ernest Staples and George Cor
mack. members Of the New-York Yacht Club.
in the city court where the limit Of jurisdiction
is $1,000 Later he brought suit the same
ground against Alfred Il. Bond, president of
The Calumet Club. for $4,000 in the Supreme
Court II was charged that the defendants had
slandered him by repeating stories regarding his
conduct. and that he had been forced to resign
from the Calumet Club on this account In
the answers interposed for the defendants it was
asserted that the stories true I'm every
particular Then came the complainant's appli-
cation for bin Of particulars. This bill Of par
ticulars, containing important atldavits. was
ready for fling BY Francis l. Wellman acting
for Mr.. Staples, when word came Of Mr.. Halls
suicide. At that. the case adjourned for
a week, until the information could be made
positive. but really dSopped forever.
Assistant District Attorney Corrlgan wes at
the hearing In the city court and had the facts
warranted would have made charge against
Han on behalf OF the District Attorney. He
had not presented the case 10 the grand jury and
now viii drop his investigation.
Hall was Of an old New-York family He WAS
graduate Of Trinity College. Hartford, where
he made an excellent record in athletics. Sew
er2l years ago he, Rsoul Duvsl and the late
Albert Stevens. Of Hoboken. formed the firm OF
T. De Peyster Hall & Co. 10 import wines. Hall
WIS 2 member OF the Nec--Y0-k Yacht Calu-
met and ST. Anthony's clubs and some college
ofgsrizs lions. Since The scandal the firm has
changed its name
Alfred H. Bond president OF the Calumet Club
said last night:
< do not want 20 make any statement. Let
Ihis painful matter rest once and for all. II
the poor fellow had realized it, ] was among
his best friends. and ii greatly to my re-
gret that be forced me TO take part in the recent
development. Nobody could be more sorry than
that all this has happened, and all ] have to
say is may God rest his soul"
A vel known clupman said that Hall was
obliged 10 bring suit because other clubs 10
which he belonged were bounding him. and that
was one reason that he wanted TO clear his
name.
At the Stephen Merit Burial Company, where
Halls body was taken. II was said last night
thar telegram had been received from Arthur
Hall stating that he was on hts way 10 this
city. and instructing that the body be held
pending his arrival.
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