 Bethune appears to have staged a robbery to upset the investigation, and while nothing was proven, 9,000 pounds of loans were put on Bethune personally.Bethune attempted to sell everything he owned to pay the debt, but failed, and died impoverished in Rochester, New York a few years later.Bethune's steamer network was hampered by the lack of any ability to reach Lake Ontario, a problem for any of the ports in the area.