Alexander Masterton Jr (1822-1899)
Business Man and Murder Victim
Alexander Masterton Jr, the oldest child in the painting "Alexander Masterton and his Wife and Children" (probably the one fishing in the pool) became a prominent figure in Mount Vernon, with banking and real estate interests and held a number of public offices until he was gunned down in the Burlington Hotel in New York by James Plumb. Whether he was entirely blameless of Mr Plumb's allegations or was a ruthless manipulator, or indeed whether Mr Plumb was insane and misguided, will most likely never be known, the trial being thwarted by Mr Plumb's death within one month of the deed.
Genealogy
Alexander Masterton Jr was the eldest child of Alexander Masterton and Euphenius Morrison. On 2 February 1842 he married Mary Augusta Hance and they had three children:
- Louisa P Louise (b March 1855)
- Joseph (b app 1858)
- May (b April 1863)
Louisa married William N Ferris and May married Charles B Tibbals.
A fuller version of Alexander Masterton Junior's extended family tree can be found by clicking on his name.
MURDERED
A Prominent Business Man in New York Shot and Killed...............WORK OF A CRANK......Claims to Have Been Hounded by His Victim....His Stories Are Rather Vague........ New York, May 4
Alexander Masterton, a director of the Farmers' Loan and Trust company, and 72 years old, was shot and killed by James Neale Plumb in the Burlington hotel, on West Thirtieth street. Masterton was shot five times and died within an hour or two. The murder was premeditated as evidenced by the voluminous statements written in advance by Plumb and given out after his arrest. At present the real motive for the crime is unknown. Plumb, in his statements, issued "to the public," and, entitled "Why I, J. Neale Plumb, shot Alexander Masterton." declared that the [he] had been actuated to do the shooting because of a systematic hounding of him by Masterton. Plumb declared, further, that Masterton had not only ruined him financially, but had attempted to alienate the affections of his wife and children and to cause his social downfall. Plumb's statements, one of which was addressed to the press, dealt with a period of his career embracing the past 35 years, are rambling in many places, and conclude with the following: "No man has a higher regard for human life than I have. But the just and righteous punishment of Alexander Masterton is decreed by an outraged God, and I am simply the humble instrument in his hand, as He has selected me as His chosen instrument of wrathful vengeance. I have rid the world of a man who was not fit to live and whose death a thousand times over could never atone for the monstrous wrongs done to me."
Masterton and Plumb met by agreement in the Burlington hotel in the apartments occupied by Manager Cole. They had been there but a short time when five shots were fired in rapid succession. Plumb then came out of the apartments and walked into the reception room, awaiting arrest. The murderer was taken before Police Captain Price of the Tenderloin precinct, of whom he is an intimate friend. He was later taken before a magistrate in Jefferson Maraket police court and held. Nothing was brought out at the hearing that could be accepted as a reason for the killling, beyond the statement made by Plumb that Masterton had hounded him for many years. In 1877 Mrs. Plumb died in Paris and Plumb returned here and went to live in Islip, L.I. He recites a number instances of Masterton's alleged conspiracy to ailienate the affections of his children. Plumb refers to another "conspiracy' begun in 1885, where his eldest daughter Minnie laid a trap for Masterton and his lawyers by means of decoy letters and telegrams and that his enemy fell into the trap and did not know he had been trapped until his daughter displayed the motive of these telegrams in Surrogate Rollin's court during an actin brought in connection with the case. After reciting the story of the marriage of his son, J. Ives Plumb, in 1885, with a woman named Anna Burton, of whom he speakes in no complimentary terms, laying the blame for this undesirable marriage at Masterton's door, he refers to what he calls the "last great conspiracy of Alexander Masterton, which has culminated his long years of cruel vindictive oppression by his punishment decreed by an outraged God."
He says that soon after his son's "disgraceful marriage" he went to Europe, intending to make his home in Southampton, Eng., and he and his daughters were as happy there as they could be with a cloud hanging over them in the moral death of his son. He next refers to the kidnapping of his daughter Leonita in 1888, after they returned to New York. She was forced into a carriage by the agents of Masterton, he avers, and taken to the Victoria hotel. Later she was taken to Troy. She subsequently regained her freedom. The object of the obduction, Plumb claims, was to force the girl to give up her father. Plumb declares that the wrongs which Masterton had done him no law could reach. His words are "The man who brought all this trouble in my declining years, no law can reach." In addition to these conspiracies, Plumb goes into lengthy details regarding the alleged efforts of Masterton and others to bring about a marriage between one of his daughters and a worthless fortune seeking Englishman, who had made his boast that he could win the little American miss. Plumb did not, however, add anything to the statement which had been prepared in advance, regarding the events which took place just prior to the shooting. He appeared cool immediately on his arrest, but while at the police station word came that Masterton had died, Plumb broke down and said: "It had to be."
A chambermaid at the Burlington, who was the only one near the room in which the shooting occurred told the police that she heard the men in angry conversation just before she heard the pistol shots. One of the men said, she was positive it was not Masterton, said in a loud angry tone: "I will not be satisfied with that amount." Two shots were fired in quick succession a moment later and then three more. Plumb came out of the room perfectly collected and said to her: "There is a man in trouble in there." He then went down stairs and in the reception room, where, later, he was arrested. Alexander Masterton was a leading resident of Mount Vernon, where he occupied a handsome home with his wife and two daughters, Mrs. C. B. Tibbal and Mrs. W. N. Ferris. He was formerly connected with the old Manufacturers' and Merchants bank of New York and later was interested in the Farmers' Loan and Trust company. He had the management of many estates and was interested heavily in Westchester real estate. He has held a number of public offices and was elected last year for supervisor on the Republican ticket by one vote. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity and was a popular man in Mount Vernon. J. Neale Plumb at one time was very wealthy, occupying a fine residence on 5th Avenue and having a half million dollar villa at Islip, L. I. It is said by those who are intimately acquainted with Plumb that he lost his fortune, though he had sufficient left to retire from business 20 years ago. He also is said to be a popular, easy-going man by those who know him best.
Hornellsville Weekly Tribune
(Hornellsville, New York)
5 May 1899
DEATH PREVENTS A MURDER TRIAL...........New York, June 1
J. Neale Plumb, who shot and killed Alexander Masterton on May 3 in the Burlington House, in this city, died at Bellevue hospital last night. Plumb had been removed to the hospital from the Tombs during the afternoon. After his arrival there Plumb seemed to gain strength, but the reaction had been too much for him. The cause of death was exhaustion, induced by facial erysipelas.[ A strep infection]
News
(Frederick, Maryland)
1 June 1899
Here are some related articles on this notorious event from the Archives of the New York Times: