Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-12-04
Financial Troubles Too Heavy
for Him to Withstand
SPIRIT BROKEN BY PRISON CELL
Unable 10 Stand the Humiliation Of
Facing Serious Charges Against
Him and the Dcssrtion of Former
Friends in His Hour of Need Leads
Howard Maxwell, Deposed Presi-
don't Of Brooklyn Banks, to Take
His Own Life.

New YORK, Speclal.-ioWard Max
well, deposed president Of the Bor-'
ough Bank Of Brooklyn, who was un-
der indictment for grand larceny and
forgery and was later released from
Jail on $4,000 bail, committed sui
eide. He cut his throat and left
wrist with . razor and penlnife III
the bath room Of his home in Brook
lyn and died later at Long Island
College Hospital. Maxwell, who was
locked up last Thursday, had felt hi.
humiliation keenly and during h:s in,
generation kecnly shrdluashrdluaua
generation had appeared hopelesslS
tesponaent. He had, however, given
his family no intimation SO Ear as
known that he had contemplated sui
eide. His wife was Frustrated.
Maxwell was released from Ray
mond street jail where he had beer
lcii a prisoner since the three in
diciments charging him will pisd do
ings in connection with the manage
melt Of the suspended Borough Bank
were returned. There was some diff
ficnlsy in obtaining bail, and officers
of The jail reported that Maxwell was
greatly broken. All day Monday anc;
the day before he lay on his. bed and
appeared to be oblivious to surround
ings. Later Justice Burr signed all
order for Maxwell's release when bali
to the amount of $4,000 was fur
nishcd.
Maxwell, in company with his cour-
sci, I. R. Ocland, was driven to his
residence at 1S2 Congress- street.
where he was greeted by his wife
Maxwell spent the forenoon quictl.;;,
at his homo. In the afternoon he ar
nounced his intention Of taking
bath and going for walk. Shortly
before O'Clock Hannah Scott, col
ored maid, heard sound as Of some
one falling ON the second floor. She
discovered the banker lying on the
bath room floor, half dressed, with
gaping wounds in his throat and left
wrist.
The banker was bleeding so pro-
fusely that it was decided to relnove
him to Long Island College Hospital,
where an operation was performed.
The wind pipe was found to be
nearly severed and his left wrist was
cut almost to the bone. Maxwell dicd
within short time after the opera
ton. He left no statement so far as
is known. Coroner Brewer began the
official investigation Tuesday night.
Maxwell was 40 years old and
leaves a wife but no children. On
November 21st he was jointly indict- /
ed for grand larceny with former
Cashier Arthur Campbell and Direct
or William Cow, of the Borough
Bank. There were other indictments
against him, involving forgery in a
quarterly bank statement made to the
otate banning department. When
these three men were arraigncd
Campbell and Cow secured bondsmen,
but nohe offered to- go on Maxwell s
bond. For some time his four sis
ters, who, offering the house left them /
by their mother, who died three days
after the Borough bank suspended,
could secure only a $4,000 bond,
came to his aid.
This desertion on the art Of men
to whom he had looked for lis free
dom, it is said, embittered and de-
pressed Maxwell. During his ar
Maxwell's counsel stated
that his client had put up every dol.
lar in the world that he possessed to
secure the bank and that he had alb
solutely stripped himself to protect
the institution. His humiliation was
aggravated when like q common felon
no was measured by the Bertillor
system and his pedigree placed in the
jail records.