The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-07
DEATH FOLLOWING SUCCESS.
ALEXANDER SMITH DIES ON HEIRING
or HIS ELECTION no CONGRESS.
Hepesui 60 the Last that his Fellow citizens
would not Desert him Although they Knew
| he vas Lying nt the Point Of Death.


he Lying Mt the Point OF Death.
Yonkers is mourning over the loss Of one
OF her best and most popular citzens-Mr.
Alexander Smith. who died on Tuesday even
ing, Just after no had been elected to Congress
from the Twelfth District. to succeed the Hon.
Clarkson N Potter. Before the war Mr.. Smith
had not laid tho foundations OF the Rreat for
tune that he afterward acquired. He was
carpet manufacturer in West Farms. and
friend who knew him for yeurs says that ho
was not worth $500. His business increased
very rapidly under his liberal and vigorous
management. however. and although his fac
tory was burned down he rebuilt 1t. and was
soon as prosperous as ever. But in the
zenith OF his success second connagration
reduced his business premises to ashes. That
was about fourteen years ago. and as soon as
his affairs were settled he removed to Yonkers.
with his wife. SON. and daughter. and went to
work at his old business OF carpet making. He
was successful from tho outset. and In his i'm
mense factory he soon gave employment to up
ward OF Ave hundred hands. Six or seven years
ago his daughter was married to William +.
Cochran, who Immediately afterward went into
the business. At the Same timo his son. War
rem. became partner and under the additional
impetus thus given II the business increased
until between seven and eight hundred hands
were employed In tho factory. About four years
ago Mrs Smith died and after three years OF
mourning Mr.. smith married again. He lived.
with his wife and son. in q magnificent brown
stone front house which he had purchased. at
| the junction OF Palisade and Glenwood ave-
nues 1t occupies. with tho ground belonging
| to H. an entire block. Tho rear OF the house
| faces Broadway. and the front commands n
| noble view OF the Hudson River. though the
| house Is sufficiently removed from the water TO
| escape tho sharp river broezes.
Mr.. Smith. although n lifelong Republican.
was popular with the Democrats. The esteem
| that he won so largely was not due TO any po-
| litical tcndencies but 10 the sterling worth OF
the man himself. Indeed among the poorer
classes in Yonkers there are few families that
had not at least one member male or female.
employed in his factory. He had never meddlcd
| 10 accepting Office Thus when his friends
once offered him tho nomination for Mayor he
| at first positively refused to run. But the pres
sure brought % bear upon him was so great
| that he finally yielded. II was useless con-
sson az &at mS %Ss Gc
TO be resisted. aud he was defeated. For him:
self he cared little, hut 'his friends, who had
sass,Iy disappSntsa T6ey % declared % that Ssy tSey
would nominate him for Congress at the FIRST
swept over tho city Lately revived their hopes.
With much dificulty he was induced to accept
h he fweith pisret nie" ThS DemoCra @ oC'dS desired
| 10 nominate the Hon, Clarkson \. Potter to op:
pose him. but he declined TO enter the race. and
| Marcus l.. Cobb got tho nomination. Mr..
Smith . resistancc To the Republican overtures
was so decided that for some time j was sup
Judge Robertson would be nominated; but
the supporters OF both these gentlemen were
another attempt to induce Mr.. Smith TO alter
HI. ds,srmpsond ne a, r,eS has Soen ems sa ~
1 Ha not orator. md from the
\ beginning he carefully refrained from deliver
ing addresses or making any mere personal
| display. He was so popular In lonkers with
both Republicans and Democrats that no fear
was sntertained for the result there. He con;
| Twenty fourth Wards. whore ho made hosts OF
friends, The district is still strongly, Dcmo;
get votes from all parties. and as the day OF
election approached these hopes grew brighter.
MT snitn had never Sren an an entirely ,oI 5sa,ny
| rather thin. His hair. whiskers. and inoustache
were gray. and turning white and his bearing
was so quiet that. as one Of his old employees
said. You would never know he was IA the
factory except by the smell oi his cigar" He
was not communicative. aud he rarely spoke OF
his bodily ailments, but IT, was known, that hc
suffered severely, from dyspepss, -, he lev was "a a
graSatsd his disease. While engaged in the
canvass he caught cold but II was =. not
was unable to 20 out Many Of his, friends
/
he said that he hoped to BE- out and at work the
| following day. Toward evening however. his
condition became SO muen worse ,nat rs Si Mlio
| OF Yonkers. who had before attended Mr.. Smith.
| and no detected SYMPTOMS OF gastric fever. The
morning he said that lie felt little better In
the afternoon. however. he was So decidedly
| worse that grave fears were entertained for his
| recovery. His friends. meanwhile, were work
| inc actively in his interests, and the strongest
hopes were entertained for his success in the
/ mo- =
On Tuesday morning it was question "a to
whether Mr.. Smith would live 70 hear the re-
turns in the evening. There was little doubt ns
| to his election. but much about his life. Ho
spoke. as usual cheerfully. and said that he fult
| better: but MS the day wore on he began to sink
rapidly. few frirnds stood around his bod.
and occasionally gave him the latest news from
was WA pSratined with what ho hsard. aithough ho
| had abandoned all hope Of living through tho
night. His friends called ut HIS house inccssant-
| ly. but an oncer WIS posted NJ the gate to re-
| fuse admittnncc. IA any additional excitement
might hayo been Immediately fatal
| At O'Clock in the evening Mr. Cochran went
from tho bedside II his father-in-law TO attend
| "A crowded meeting of Republicans. In WASH
burn Hall. The returns were being received
and there was great enthusiasm. for there was
then no doubt that Mr.. Smith had been elected,
Mr. Cochran briefly addressed the meeting,
| house. because Mr.. Smith WAS very i'll. IIH
begged his hearers not to attempt To visit his
| father-in-lnw that night to announce to him tho
result Of the election. bccnusa such course
would be attended with danger: He then hur-
| ricd away ana hAlt IN nOur hUerWhru IL was
| announced in the hall that tho returns received
| showed Mr.. Smith 10 have majority OF GOO
| over Mr. Cobb. II WAS known that this could
not DO overcome in the districts not yet heard
from and three hearty cheers were given for
the successful candidate. The news was quickly
| spread over Yonkers. At ten minutes before
IL o'clock Capt, Mangin OF the Yonkers police
4 sent the following despatch TO the Central once
' in Now York city:
Alexander smith Congressman elect Tor this city. died
this evening at about 10 o'clock after illness Of tive
| days
Mr.. Cochran mad not arrived at home in time
TO see his father in-Rw alive. Mr.. Smith was
conscious to the last, and he lived Just long
| enough TO hear OF his majority In tho city oi
Yonkcrs. 1t was 1873 and II insured his eoc,-
| tion. On learning OF his success. he smiled
| and pressing the hand Of one of his friends who
stood by his bedside. he said Thank my sup
| pOrters for me. for | shall have no opportunity
| Of thanking them myself" These were almost
y his last words.
Mr.. Smiths majority In the whole Twelfth
| District IL said 10 have been about 5000. His
death Is regretted by all. whether Republicans
| or Democrats. and tho poor families OF Yonkers
| especially are almost inconsolablc. He gave
better wages and treated us better than any fac
| tory owner in YOnkers" one Of his employees
said yesterday. All the candidates for other
| offices were almost ignored ON Tuesday little
| interest taken in their successes fall