New-York tribune., 1910-02-03
TOLER BROWNS
In EAST RIVER
MAD CHRISTIAN SCI
ENLIST A SUICIDE.
Plunge Into He'll Gate Fotto'cS
Escape from State Hospital
for Insane. e

,,,.-,-ed and financed 10 3 'ai 90
,,o s,,euae Of reclaimins a great POI
for the descendants of the old
7,,,.c- settlers. which she was saio 10
have promoted. jumped into the East
4-,~er off Wards Island on 1nesodH
morning. and was sucked unoeI - 'i'N
death bv the swirl Cf Hell Gate
7,atcr,man for the Manhattan 0ta'e
4zo.,,-s1 for the Insane on the island, IN
,,-.,i,h institution Toler had been conhneo
since last Jul1-. saw him from distance
make the fatal leap. but was unaoie 10
get 70 his assistance in time to save MS
life
1-f,iIe the suicide vas reported TO the
,,o1ice Cd Tuesday. ii was not nenuoneo
20 the relatives Of the man until late
YESTERDAY afternoon.
roier. n,as sent TO the asylum from the
r,s,-chopathic ward "f Bellevue Hospital
last Jul1. after he had been committed
10 the hospital for observation as to his
mental condition under DR.. Gregory, who
said then that he thought he was prob
ably incurably insane.
Or. William Mabon. superintendent in
charge CT the Wards Island institution,
sai5 last night that Toler, though
psranoiac. was not in any way danger
Gus patient. and that his life in the asy-
lunn had been one of genial relations
With both ether inmates and his keepers.
PAROLE MAN.
He worried over a small sbscess IN
his cheek said the doctor. when he
lost remembrance Of his former troubles
IN 4 religious way. He vas a parole
rnan-that IS, a patient whom we trusted
but ] believe nov that probably he be
came suicidal suddenly. and plunged into
the river while under that mania"
Toler's religious connections gained
him wide notoriety at several times from
1903 on. In that year, according to the
reports, he joined with Mrs. Stetson in
the Harlem reclamation scheme. Mrs.
stetson herself. then the most prominent
member OF the Christian Science cult,
apart from Mrs. Eddy. had previously
treated him for the drink habit. Toler
acknowledged great benefit from the
treatment and considered it a remark
able cure.
ToIer was recorded as forty-f1ye years
old FEen committed to Bellevue Hos
pitzl last summer, and even before
entering the field OF Christian Science
under Mrs. Stetson's tutelage had been
prominent apart from his connections a.
: member Of an old New York family
an as a wealthy man.
IN 1884 and the two succeeding years
~ vas a member of famous football and
Ill
ana after his graduation he was a golfer
4 national repu-e.
Turning to business. he gained success
and wealth, first on the Consolidated
Exchange and later as member of the
New York Stock Exchange where. up
to the time he turned TO Mrs. Stetson as
his leader, ne was looked upon as -is-
ing power in financial circles.
SEAT OK CHANGE FOR $4,000.
lie sold his seat or change for S53. 14tl
and vas said 10 have invested the pro-
ceeds and many thousands Of dollars
more in the Harlem scheme At a mass
meeting Of the descendants of the Dutch
settlers. held in the Harlem Casino in
1893. Toler explained to them how
Charles II Of England had granted d
large tract in what is now Harlem to
twenty-three Dutch settlers and their
heirs forever. He was enthusiastically
'lcct.G 10 prosecute tne claims Of the
hcirs, but after considerably more money
Uas spent the scheme was abandoned.
iIrs- Stetson. supposedly at the order Of
Mrs. Eddy Withdrawing her support
Mrs. Laura a. Skeels. OF No 131 West
1olst street. who was ore of the de-
socndants 10 whom Mrs Stetson and
Tcler were said TO have promised huge
dividends. swore in an affidavit made in
Connection with an action TO recover
money that a the end Of the scheme
II June 1865 she saw ToIer. after d
heated argument with Mrs Stetson, in
which he accused her of inveigling him
,nto the affair, strike her in the eye
From then on Tolers troubles multi
Piled. Family discord combined with his
financial losses brought on paranoia and
ne IS a; times said 10 have been under
lie delUsion that he was the Messiah,
Who was 20 build . great temporal power
fer the Christian Science Church
Hugh Toler, his brother, finally Sc
cured his admission TO Bellevue for ex-
animation as to his sanity. and he was
sent TO the state institution, where his
brother paid for his support.
Coincident with his complete loss Of
mind and consequent Incarceration came
he downfall Of Mrs Augusta +. Stetson
~ Christian Science circles, the woman
"iih y hom he had planned such great
temporal power for the cult
Al fhe asylum Toler was regarded as
model ps stient. and his delusions were
found 70 be SO harmless that he vas al
lowed considera bic freedom II was in
that way that he Was able on Tuesday
morning 70 gain the bank Of the river
before being discovered
Graphing irons we're used By laborers
= the hospital. who rowed arciiRd in
rCTb boats dragging the irons, but they
were not rewarded The current is swift
~ that point in the river. ana the search
- length was given up. as ii was con-
sIdered certain that the BODY must have
been carried away Immediately
Mr. Toler IN the COS. when golf vas
beginning 60 gain its foothold here. was
one Of r1e leading amateurs of the coun-
Try although he never figured promi-
nenfIy in championships He was one of
the crack players at Baltusrol in those