The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-03-11
CHEATS IN DEATH
AS IN HIS LIFE
SUICIDE or LEONlDAS M. PRES.
TON REVEALS BLUFF CAR.
RlED ON TO GRAVE.
RACE TRACK THE CAUSE
OF His Ruin and Drank Poison TO
Avoid Arrest--Thaft of $4,000
and Mythical Fortune
Shown at Inquest.

New York, March l0.--On The
strength Of mythical $2,000,050 es
tate and an Independent fortune OF
$I000000 that existed only in his
disordered mind, Leonidas NJ. Pres
ton, who KILLED himself in the Hotel
Cumberland on Thursday was able
TO commi forge.ies that may
amount to 100000
By constant reiteration Of the
statement that he was millionaire
Preston eventually deuded himself
into the belief thai he possessed m l.
lions. When he died his sole earth
g possession was the sum of IS
cents.
All doubt as to the manner of
Preston's death was set aside today
at the inquest conducted by Co.oner
Harburger He committed suicide
ard planned the act with cunning, SO
that it would appear to his business
associates that he dropped dead IN
der the strain of business worry
I.SdtCu Even IN De9th.
On the day before he. killed him.
self Ptest0n was talking 0. his physi-
elan, DR.. George II. Mallett.
You are too sick to think of at
tending to business" said the doctor.
4. had a patient not long ago who
was just in your condition. He dis
regarded my advice and star ed to at
tend 10 some business and dropped
dead
"You say he dropped dead?" asked
Preston, feyerishly.
Dropped dead right in his room.
answered DR.. Mallett.
That was Preston's cue. He ar
ranged to drop dead in his room and
picked his time eleyerly. Within
few minutoG nf tho hour r,ba,, h q
,ount for his management of the New
York office of he TimkenRoller Bear
ng Axle company he swallowed. in a
glass of whisky, enough prussic acid
10 kill an elephant And he dropped
lead in his room, as Or. Mallett's
patient had dropped dead, and just
At the moment that his business as
sociates entered the room.
Investigation thus far has brought
t. light $4,000 worth Of notes on
which Preston had forged the in
1orsement of Edward r. Hewitt, with
whom he was associated in business.
The Rivers de ba1k holds a forged
note for $4,000, another bank holds
$4,000 worth of forged paper, and
still ano her bank $4,000 worth.
Downfall Starts at Rscetrack.
From the stories told by his wife.
who is left pennfless, and his asso-
ciates at the inquest today, it was
learned that Prestons downfall be
gan less han two years ago Up TO
that time he attended 10 business
strictly He was temperate and
never eambled p9d had small sympa
tbs for men who did. One day about
two yelrs ago he accepted an invita-
ton to go 10 a race rack lust to look
on" and one of his friends, in a
banterlug mood, dared him to make a
bet. He laughinly assented. placing
$21 on a horse at big odds Many
GOOD mans fate was his. He won his
first bet. It was rot yet the second
anniversary of that venture before
he gambling craze had taken com
plete possession Of him.
During the last year, when Preston
was rushing to ruin, he began totalk
Of "a great fortune. two millions OF
more. that he said he would soon in
hert. He made most Of his friends
believe IT. and his wife, too. She hal
always thought him a millionaire !
IS known now the fortune was d
myth Al he owned was $50 share:
of stock in the Timken company an
! his salary was s2500 a year
Used Mythical Fortune as Bluff.
William r. Timken. of the Timke~
Roller Fearing Axle company Of Can
ton. Ohio which is entirely indepen
ct of the New York company bear
| ing the SAME name. said he hn'
tpov-r p~es ~, for fourteen rea r.
and had started him in business ST,
-ears ago. Mr. Tiuken o-iginate
the Canton conpany % sell his in
ventiors and Preston became one 0
! MS salesme-. -Four wears ago Prs
ton came 20 New oYrk 70 orean.z
/ and handle the Canton concerns rgt
nut. knowing Preston so Tell III
/ Timken gave MIN unlimited credit
/ He aIware me. his obligations unit
about a year ago. Then he began {
fall behind and soon after that bega.
10 talk Of his mythiral fortune Nj
. Timken said he never placed al
+ stock in that tale. but 90 persistent
did Preston refer 10 i and such
ib-ld front did he make in his sfyl
+ of living that nearly every else d
+ believe him and rated him a millioi
aira.
/ Recently Preston BEGAN 70 see tha
3