File:Albert J. Adams (1845-1906) suicide in the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York on October 10, 1906.jpg

Al. Adams A Suicide, Jury Holds. Coroner Believed Him Murdered. Prominent Witness at the Inquest, the Coroner, Could Be Shown to Have Killed the Policy King, but Testimony Developed Nothing of the Kind. New York; October 9, 1906. Albert J. Adams, the policy king, who was found dead in his apartments at the Hotel Ansonia on October 1st, committed suicide according to the verdict returned by a coroner's jury Saturday after a brief session, which opened with promise of developing a series of startling sensations which, if realized, might have made the Adams case one of the great murder mysteries. The sensation was sprung by Coroner Harburger, under whose direction the inquest was held, in his opening address to the jurors, The coroner declared it to be his belief that Adams had been murdered, and he added that the man whom he believed to be the murderer would appear before the jury as a prominent witness. At the conclusion the jury that before coming into court this morning ne nan been "abused and vilified by an important witness in the case." Continuing, be said: "The relative and police believe that Adams committed suicide, but as a coroner I believe and expect to show to you that Albert J. Adams was murdered, and that the murderer is an important witness in the case, who will appear before you Prior to the inquest W. F. Stokes, proprietor of the hotel where Adams lived and died, culled at the coroner's office and asked the coroner why Harvey Williams, bellboy at the hotel, bad not been summoned. "It is not too late, now," replied the coroner; "I shall have the subpoena served at once." Mr. Stokes said he thought it was pretty late to take action, and then followed a sharp discussion between the two men. The following witnesses testified: Police Captain Burfield, W. B. D. Stokes, Mrs. Albert J. Adams, the widow of the dead man, Albert J. Adams, and Louis Adams, his sons, Dr. Thornley, house physician, William Dunleve, clerk mid Edward Mill, all of the Ansonia, G. W. Robbins and William M. Thomas, Adams's partner and friend. Adams was found in his rooms in the Ansonia on Monday morning, October 1st. A bellboy found the body lying on the floor in front of a mirror, with a bullet hole in the skull. In his closing address to the jury, Coroner Harburger said all the evidence pointed conclusively to suicide. "I have my opinion on the subject," said he, "but we must go by the evidence presented here." On the suggestion of Judge Olcott, counsel for Mr. Stokes, the coroner withdrew his opening remarks and added that be would expect Air. Stokes to withdraw the abusive things he had said In the argument which preceded the opening of the inquest. At that Mr. Stokes came forward and expressed himself as being extremely sorry for having addressed a public official as he had. The coroner and the chief witness shook hands just as the jury reported its verdict.

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