New-York tribune., 1910-07-22
NOT CORNFORTH'S WIFE
| Woman with Him Here Reveals
Relations with Dead Man.
| CREDITORS MEET IN LONDON
Unaware of Once Prosperous
Brokers' End, They Discussed
Bankruptcy Case.
:REDlTORS MEET IN LONDON

Coroner Feinberg and his physician, DR..
A. T Weston. held an inquest yesterday
in the case of AthelstOn Hall Cornforth.
They quickly decided that he had commit
ted suicide by shooting himself in the head,
but the inquest revealed nothing more as
10 the reasons for the act of the English
man who took his own life in Colonial
Park on Wednesday.
Facts about his life were revealed in
some measure. however, during the day. In
addition TO the facts about his career as d
stock broker in London. where, according
to cable dispatches ne had. until his health
failed recently, had d brilliantly successful
business, it seemed to be esta bished that
the woman who lived with him here was
not his wife.
After the body had been found Coroner
HoItzhauser at first refused to issue per-
NIT for its removal to an undertaker's. At
that time it was supposed that the mans
name was Arthur Hall. The woman sup
posed to be his wife, when the police found
her at No. 2S Irving Place, said the dead
man was the Rev. Arthur Athelstcn Hall.
of London. But when Coroner Holtzhauser
sought more definite information she made
an affidavit, when his identity as Athel-
ston Cornforth was finally established.
Coroner Holtzhauser was reticent about
that affidavit on Wednesday. But its con-
tents leaked out yesterday, and it became
known that the woman describing herself
as Mrs. Edith Hall Cornforth' had sworn
that the dead man had left his wife be-
cause of her addiction TO intoxicants and
had come to this country with her and
two of his children. She was a Miss Hall,
and he had apparently taken her name in
stead Of giving her his own.
Al No IS Irving Place it was said yes
terday that the couple had been there but
that no children had been with them. What
has become of the children no one seems
to know. The woman has not been at the
house in Irving Place since Wednesday
night. Sire said then that she was going
TO stay with friends in the city
London. July 21-AtheIstan Cornforth.
who committed suicide in New York yes
terday. Is said to be Identical with a Lon
don stock broker of that name. whose
creditors. ignorant of his fate. met to-day
in the bankruptcy court
C0rnfOrth was a man of splendid attain
ments. He had been a clergyman, serving
churches in this city and at Nottingham
He was married TO woman whose addfc-
ton TO alcohol had caused their separa-
ton, and leaves a family
Some twenty-five years ago he left the
ministry to engage in business Beginning
in small way outside broker he
built up a big patronage and during the
haf1r boom the turnover of his brokerage
house was larger than that of any similar
firm in London.
But while he was outstripping his COM
petttors on change, domestic worries
Breyed severely on his mind. Last year his
physicians ordered him to take a long sea
voyage. He sought recuperation by ab-
senting himself from his Offices and his
business was allowed to drift until to-day
his affairs reached the bankruptcy court.
His creditors met to-day quite unaware
that the bankrupt had taken his life. They
were under the impression that he had
gone to South Africa.
No statement of Cornforth's financial af-
fairs has been fled. but il is believed by
his friends that his liabilities are not great
His friends are at loss to account for
the fact that Cornforth was living in New
York under an assumed name They seem
70 know nothing OF the woman with him
He had often told his intimates that some
day ne would go upon the lecture plat
form, but il is not known that he ever
spoke of returning 10 the ministry.
San Francisco, July 21.-Harold Cornforth.
of this city a brother of Athelstan Corn
forth who committed suicide Yesterday in
New York sent instructions to the New
York authorities to-day 10 have the body
Cremated and the ashes sent 10 London.