New-York tribune., 1907-11-27
MAXWELL A SUICIDE.
LElYES U'IFE PENNILESS.
Brooklyn Banker Deserted by
Friends IN Time of Trouble.


Bank i'm Brooklyn, committed suicide shortly
before O'Clock yesterday afternoon at his home
No 1S2 Congress street. Brooklyn. by cutting
his throat with razor
Mr.. Maxwell dressed only in his underclothes.
went TO the bathroom on the second floor of hts
house about 100 O'Clock yesterday afternoon
He carried in his hands razor and his shaving
mug He left the door partly open. Some min
utes later his wife. who the first floor.
heard him call her name then the sound OF a
heavy fall She ran upstairs. Before her lay
her husband. stretched at full length on the
bathroom floor. blood gushing from deep cut
across his throat Ee had also severed an
artery Beside him lay ire razor. He was un-
able 10 speak. but seemed tc recognize his wife
Two of the servants followed Mrs Maxwell
as she rushed upstairs. and they went at once
for nearby physicians. Dr. T E Brown who
lives only a few doors away, was the first one
10 reach the house In the mean time the SON
in-law Of a nurse, who happened 10 be IN the
house at the time. had lifted Mr.. Maxwell 70
chair in the bathroom He was supporting MS
head when DIR. Brown came IN Mr. Maxwei
was still seni-conscious, DR.. Brown said. wnen
he arrived.
Living Immediately outside the door was
razor which it is thought Mr., Maxwell used 10
slash his wrist. Beside him was the razor WIN
which he cut his throat
DR. F. C. Paffard reached the house only a 1e~
minutes after DR. Brown, and short EXAMINE
ton convinced the physicians that Mr. Max
wells only chance of recovery was through an
oneration. There was a big cash on the right
side of his neck. On the left wrist was a long.
triangular cut. Dr. Brown Immediately se"eo
up the artery and prevented furtner loss Oh
blood.
Mr. Maxwell was taken In an ambulance 70
the Long Island College Hospital. and four sur
geons. Dr. Rogers. DIT. Brennan. Dr. Doyle and
Dr. Crane performed an operation 1t proved
of no avail however. and Mr.. Maxwell died at
5:45 o'clock.
FAMILY LEFT PENNILEss.
The end Of Mr.. MaxweIrs career was as sad
as IL was tragic. As a banker he had made
money Only few weeks ago he was looked up
TO as one of BrOoklyns most successful men
Only a short time ago the Kings County
Grand Jury started an investigation into the
affairs Of the Brooklyn bank Before 1t began
its work along this line the Borough Bank had
closed it's doors. and at a stormy meeting Oh
the directors Mr. Maxwell had turned over
everything OF monetary value he possessed IN
the world to make good to the banks depos-
itors any losses they might have sustained
| because OF his connection with it. Then the
/ grand jury took up its work. 1t handed down
/ three indictments against him. The indict-
meats charged him with grand larceny and
| forgery in the third degree. To each of these
he pleaded mot guilty"
Then it was that the deposed bank president
| tasted of the fruits OF his labors. His busi-
ness associates and friends men who in past
times he had helped and Of whose loyalty ana
| friendship he felt assured failed to stand by
him. They let him be thrown into jail rather
than furnish him with bail, as they had prom
ised him they would do before the indictments
were handed down
From his demeanor when he was arraigned
even a casual observer could have told that he
felt the disgrace keenly that he felt the humil-
iation bitterly He locked up in the Ray
mond Street Jail last Thursday night. and IL
was Sunday night before his counsel. Isaac
r. Oeland, found bail for him and he was re-
leased
During the days he spent in Jail he seemed
to lose heart He would not leave his cell ex-
cept when forced 10. He saw no one except his
wife and counsel. and asked that all other call
ers be excluded.
Sunday night he went 10 his home. That even
ing he had a talk with his counsel and then a
long talk with his wife Yesterday he appeared
respondent, but not more so than might have
been expected He said little about the deser-
tion of his business associates. but he felt II
keenly and it seemed to weigh on his mind
FRIEND OFFERED ASSISTANCE.
Mr. Maxwell did little yesterday morning. hut
again talked with his counsel About o'clock
the telephone bell rang and he answered it. A
friend Of his In Manhattan had called him up.
How are YOU fixed hnanciauy?" this man
asked.
1 made everything had over TO the bank"
he replied
We'll, come over and see me at O'Clock tbis
afternoon and viii fix things so that Won viii
he tided over for the time being" this friend
told him
Mr.. Maxwell thanked him. He told his xifs
about the conversation and that his friend had
offered to lend him $4,000 TO help him out He
said he expected to keep the engagement and
seemed more cheerful than he had been and
spoke appreciativeIy of the offer
Then Mr.. Maxwell went upstairs and later
10 the bathroom on the second floor. where he
killed himself. Whether he wcs prompted bv
an insane impulse of the moment or whether he
decided life not worth living will never be
known. He left no papers or letters to show
that his suicide premeditated-
AT the first night meeting of directors after
the Borough Bank closed Mr. Maxwell told
| them what his transactions had been and made
what restitution he could by turning over everv
available asset he had He left that meeting
almost penniless. After he had finished his
narrative to the board he said: Now. gentle
men, If you want nothing else of me 1 want to
leave you. My mother is dying. / should like
10 be with her"
why. you must go at once. Why didn't YOU
tell us this before?" said one of the directors.
The next morning his mother was dead The
following day three indictments were handed
down against him. I thank God my mother
did not know that" Mr.. Maxwell said to his
wife the night before he committed suicide.