Daily globe., 1883-05-13
SKETCHES OF PUBLIC MEN.
Congressman Dick Cro,cley.
Washington Special.


Washington Special.
Congressman Richard Crowley, who has
been brought into prominence by his init
macy with President Arthur and ALLEGED
recent rupture with the Chief Executive.
was born in Lockport, Niagara County.
N. Y, Dec. IA, 1886. He received his edn.
cation at the Union Public School in that
city, and subsequently studied law in the
Office of L. F. & G. W. Bowen, Being ad-
mitted to the bar in 1860. His parents
were born in Ireland of humble origin. and
were very common people themselves, his
father being day-laborer at Lockport. in
which city he settled shortly after his emf
grafton to this country. Richard espoused
Republicanism before reaching his major
ity, and cast his destinies with that party
when he became of age. He was elected
Prosecuting Attorney for Niagara County
in 1865, and was elected the same year to
the New York State Senate, and reelected
in 1867, serving from Jan. 1, 1866, to Jan.
1, 1870. He was appointed United States
District Attorney for the Northern District
of New York in 1871, and reappointed in
1875, reslgning that Office March 8, 1879.
to take his seat in the Forty-sixth Con-
gress, to which he was elected by a large
majority. He was reelected to the Forty
seventh Congress, receiving 1879 votes,
against 1881 votes for R. S. Stevens, his
Democratic competitor.
Mr.. Crowley married Julia Corbitt in
1863, the acknowledged belle of Lockport,
daughter of Michael Corbitt, humble
Irish citizen of that place. "Dick," as he
has been familiarly called from childhood
in his native city, is a man of fine, com
manding personal appearance, an elo-
quent and able jurist, and a politician
who has thoroughly familiarized himself
with the peculiar tactics which enable
men to obtain and hold on to high places.
His extreme suavity of manner, together
with his natural ability, has served to make
him intensely popular in his district, and
although his name has been associated
with certain questionable transactions in
politics, he is still the leader of his party
in that section of the State, having trusted
and we'll drilled lieutenants, who operate at
his beck, in every township. He entered
the New York State senate a poor man.
and before serving out his first term
amassed means with which he purchased, at
a cost of $4,000, the elegant residence on
High street, III the city of Lockpert, of the
late Eli Chase, who, at the time of his
death, was United States Marshal for the
Northern District of New York. This sud-
den transition from comparative poverty
to aff1uence subjected him to the charge of
having courted the favor while in the state
senate of the New York Central Railroad
Company, an allegation, however, which
was never thoroughly substantiated.
When Crowley became prominent in
New York politics close intimacy sprang
up between himself and Roscoe Conkling,
and the latter was a frequent visitor at his
(Crowley's) home at Lockport. as was the
then Mrs. Chase-Sprague, who was on terms
of the closest intimacy with Mrs. Crowley.
Their palatial residence was oftentimes
the scene of brilliant gatherings of New
York society people, in which the beautiful
Mrs. Crowley and the equally lovely Kate
Chase-Sprague, together with the courtly
Roscoe, were stars of the first magnitude.
Congressman Crowley is now the father of
no less than ten children, one of whom, his
eldest son, is said to be engaged to the
daughter of President Arthur. This story
is denied, however, by people who claim
to speak with authority. At the National
Republican Convention in Chicago in 1880
Crowley was present as Grant delegate,
and persistently fought for the General to
the end,