The San Francisco call., 1905-08-05
CR|SWEL[
INVOLVED
IN GRAFT
New York Editor S
Suicide Is Ex-
planned.
Sequel to the Recent
Exposure Of So
ciety Writers.
Subscriptions Taken for Book
Which Has Never Gone
to Press.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, Aug. 4.-That prosecu-
ton on a criminal charge other than the
Indictment for libel already lodged against
him awaited Robert A. Criswell, editor
of The New Yorker, and editor-in-
chief of The Social Editors Society,
who leaped or fell under a subway ex
press last night at Seventy-second street
station, was stated to-day at the office of
tho District Attorney. CriswelPs friends
say his mind had become unbalanced
through constant brooding over his ar
rest on July Is, and subsequent troubles
arising from the District Attorneys in
quiry into the Social Editors Society, of
which he was the head. His arrest was
caused by Congressman Joseph L. Rhi-
mock of Covington, KY, who charged
criminal libel because Of the publication
in Criswelrs paper THE New Yorker"
of an article entitled AN Insult to Alice
Roosevelt"
Assistant District Attorney Paul Krotel
was very much surprised this morning
when he learned of the sa,h Of Crisvsen.
Later, he said.
Although no criminal action has been
brought against Criswell, we were seri-
ously contemplating bringing charge
against him for obtaining money under
false pretenses. Every time Criswell was
here at the office he seemed greatly wor-
ried. l believe he was frightened into
taking his own life, fearing he was going
to be prosecuted.
Upon my superficial examination of
the books of Americas Foremost F'ami-
lies which / conducted last week, they
showed that $500 had been collected and
none of it had been spent toward publish
ing the book Practically all of the money
had gone into commissions and salaries to
Criswel and Irving and their two coll
lectors, A. de Wald Bloom and Leo M.
Morris.
II requested Criswell to appear here
last Monday and produce the books of his
concern. He promised to do SO, but 1
heard nothing from him.
CINCINNATI, Aug. 4.-The tragic
death of Robert w. Criswell. in New
York last last night, following the
complaint made against his paper, the
New Yorker for a publication involv-
ing Congressman Rhinock, of Coving-
ton, KY, Miss Alice Roosevelt. Con-
gressman Longworth and others, led to
the supposition that it was a case of
suicide caused by the results of the
publication. Congressman Rhinock
reached Cincinnati to-day from a brief
absence. He said he was shocked by
the news.
TT probably was suicide" he said,
"but / do not believe the charge 1 filed
against him prompted the act, for Girls
well knew there was nOtn1ng TO rear
in my case Affairs that the public
have not. been informed of, I think,
prompted the deed. AS a matter of
fact, l do not believe 1t Is revealing a
secret now to say that since the publi-
cation of his answer to my complaint
Criswell had been summoned to the
District Attorneys Office dozen times
on cases entirely distinct from mine
I believe Criswell saw himself help
lessly enmeshed and decided to end 1T
all.
II believe Criswell was sincerely
sorry for the publication. He did not
reveal to me the author of the article
but promised to do so at the hearing
in September If, by that time, the man
did not come forward himself and ac-
knowledge the authorship.
HE was not promised immunity I
told him 1 would do what I could for
him If he told all, but that did not
mean much, as 1t was not my case but
that of the District Attorney. I an
only a witness in whatever ,ne case de-
veloped into, even now. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Krotel did not promise
him immunity that l know of; but he
told Criswell he would be as easy as
he could"