New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-10
PRESTON DIED INSANE.
FORGED FOR BIG SUNS.
preliminary Inquiry ShOvcs Delusion
of Great Wealth.

ioISeF- His odd viii showed rbat ba ma, a.,
sane and that his insanity led 10 What vvorIs
nave oeeh criminal action in a sane person
eS'oi suffered before his suicide from de-
''S ol great wealth He lived as though his
,'"-.e Hau tangible existence. playing both
'ne stock market and the races until What
money he had actually owned was practicable
gone His wife had been left p-acticaIv Dar,s-
less she was before her marriage a sixth ave.
nue. saleswoman.
MS friends believed in his mythical ricbez
ne believed in them himself for in his dast,
'nere was found yesterday an unsigned contrace
IN Wnlch ne had agreed to invest 100000 in n,
STOCK OF the Hewitt Motor Company. controlled
oy EDWARD R. Hewitt son OF the late Mavo-
Hewitt
Preston was sane enough to play the game
uatii tne last card On the day on which a note
bearing the forged signature OF E. r. HEWITT
was due in the Riverside Bank he killed him
self Another note fell due April L drawn on
the Commercial Trust Company This was r,-
| $4,000 while the other was for $4,000 There
was also another note for $4,000 on another
bank An insurance policy in the EauitabIs
which he held had been allowed to lapse.
X was brought out at the preliminary INQUIRY
OK the coroner yesterday morning that Preston
undoubtedly committed suicide. Coroner Ear-
burgers physician, DR.. OHanlon. had per-
/ there
enough prussic acid in the dead mans stomach
to Kill a regiment The coroner summoned as
witnesses Edward r. Hewitt Mrs Preston.
Leonard Gray, William r. Timken OF Canton
/ Ohio the men having had business at one tina
| or another with Preston. and several other less
! important witnesses. From their testfrnonv tba
| story of Preston's peculiar acts was revealed
/ while his will, which was read. showed that he
realized that he was insane and contemplated
suicide.
HIS STRANGE WILL
/ His Will asked that in case OF sudden death
his wife and some friends and relatives be IN
formed, and that his Insurance policy which had
/ lapsed. be paid to his wife 1t read as follows:
my wife, Mrs l. NJ Preston. care Hotel Cumber-
land New, York; my mother. Mrs. c. 9. Preston.
Preston. College Station. Tevas; Mrs j. O. Nat
RsTs Ten FEs Ssnt91 stiN 8hi5 Co. St Louis No. E w. R.
ny wife's wishes are to be consulted first in an
also desire that in the event Of nv death at any
time the full amount of my policy. No. l20S 435 in
the Equitable Life. be paid to my wife Anna G.
| realize fully that I am and have been for some
uIns % insane. insane have lost my mind Ny power to
except my firm faith in God and His Son. Jesus
Christ l am in His hands. and leave IT an to
viii never forsake me. L. NJ p
NIr- Hewitt would not discuss the forgeries os
his name yesterday, but James A. Shea a law
yer who represented Mrs. Preston at the In
quest said that he had been Informed by NEr.
Hewitt that an investigation Of the books Of the
drm had shown that Preston's forgeries might
reach 100000 With these disclosures and the
| discovery Of the other notes, taken with the in
direct evidence of the will Coroner Hamburger
abandoned the theory OF murder and stopped the
/ search for evidence along those lines.
/ Mr.. Hewitt said that he had seen Preston a
| fe" days before his death, when Preston had
I appeared to be on the edge OF pneumonia An
! other witness was William r Timken of Can
| ton. Ohio. member OF the Tfmken Roller
Bearing Axle Company. OF which Preston was
secretary and manager He volunteered his
testimony The company had headquarters n
Canton, with a branch in this city. and a capital
| of S2O0O0O
TESTIMONY OF ASSOCIATES
The coroner asked what was the connection
between the New York branch and Canton 70
which Mr. TiRken replied that the connection
was one Of debtor and creditor. and that the
| New York firm owed tine Ohio one more than
$14G0, The coroner asked the witness then Il
! he had heard Of any defaIcation BIr Timkeu
/ was somewhat reluctant to answer but finally
| said that from examination of the books on
the advice of the auditor of the company. he
was convinced that Mr.. Preston was a defauIter
for a large amount
at the Cumberland the coroner asked sud-
denly.
Mir. Hewitt found some dress Of coffee in a
cup. He put his finger i'm II and tasted it, and
found it to have acrid taste"
He said that ne did not communicate his sus-
picions to Mrs Preston and that in his opinion
she was absolutely innocent of any guilty knOWI-
edge of either Preston's crimes or his death
| 1Ir Timkens then said that Preston feared
l ab, tn 7r1iu
affairs and that his irregularities caused him TO
| choose suicide rather than investigation. He
/ said .hat he knew nothing about PrestOn's visits
/ to racetracks and had always considered him
/ an honest man. Whom he started in business
I in this city the Ohio firm gave Preston unIim-
ited credit He took no stock in the story ot
/ Preston that he had Inherited S2.00O0OO.
/ When Mrs Preston was called she said that
she was married to Preston about two years ago.
and was mis- second wife. She said that Prestor
contracted n severe cold in New Orleans three
/ weeks ago. Her husband she said. had been
! addicted 10 the of cigarettes. and was In the
| habit of drinking much whisley.
Last week he grew worse" she said. "ana
/ three DAYS ago 1 called IN my own physician.
/ Dr Malat DR.. 0IaIlet days before Mr.
Preston's death warned him 20 stay at home. but
Mr. Preston told shat his business was IN
such a state that he must so downtown. He
returned in an hour and made me promise that
/ would not tell the physician that his orders
had been discbeyed. He devoted hus-
band. and never said a cross word 70 me- Our
life was too happy To last"
I after a friend had testified Mrs Preston was
/ recalled She said this time that her husband
/ had been very nervous for two days. and had
borrowed 500 from her. Up to that time she
/ sai5 that he had supplied her literally with
money.
Charles X BeeSnan. counsel for Mr. Hewitt.
ID a Statement Yesterday, IN which he said