Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-16
JOHN p. HOWARD DEAD.


suddenly In England.
Our community will share the sorrow
with which we chronicle the death of
Mr. John II. Howard, which took place on
Saturday last in England. 1t was an
nounccd to his relatives in this city,
Monday, by "A despatch cabled from Lon
don, by Mr.. Charles ~ Dawson, who
was Mr.. Howard's lawyer, to Mr.. A. G.
Spear. in the following terms: "Mr.
Howard died suddenly on Saturday. His
body has lcen embGlmcd, to be sent to
Burlington" The sad intelligence,
though coming with sudden shock, was
not altogether unexpected by Mr.. How
ards friends in this country who have
known for some time that he was in
critical condition OF health and have had
little hope of seeing him again in life.
John Purple Howard was born June 3,
1914 the fourth son of the late John How
ard, of respected memory, of Burlington
his elder brothers being Sion e., Daniel
ID. and Sidney-the latter of whom died
young. He was born in Burlington and
spent his boyhood here. At an early
age, he accompanied his brother Daniel
to Troy, n. Y, and afterwards to New
York city, where the brothers established
first the old Exchange hotel in Broad
street then the Howard hotel, on the cor
ner of Broadway and Maiden Lane, which
still bears the name of the Howard house,
and then the Irving House Retiring from
the hotel business with handsome for
/ tune, Mr.. Howard devoted himself thence
forward for number Of years to the care
OF his property and to seeking health,
Information and pleasure in travel
throughout his own and many foreign
countries. He was Il quick and keen OBJ
server, had retentve memory and ac-
quired fund of information of men and
things, which made him an exceedingly
| interesting companion. some six or seven
years ago, while on his way from Lon
don to Paris, he had an apoplectc attack,
under which he nearly sank at the
time. Under able medical treatment
and the attentive care of his niece,
Mrs. Evans of Paris, he slowly rallied but
never fully recovered. Returning to this
/ country he spent good deal of his time
in this city, in New York, and of late at
Euglewood New Jersey, with frequent
trips to the seaside, to the Pacific coast,
and to Europe, as the condition of his
health required. lie returned to this city
from the coast of Maine, about the
first of September, year ago, making his
last visit here, during the State fair OF
1884. Going hence to EnglewOOl he had
an i'll turn which alarmed him, and by
the advice of his physician, who recon-
mended il sea voyage, he suddenly decided
to 90 to Europe. He sailed from Boston
in September, and spent the winter in
y c.. There he had an attack of dipht heria,
which threatened to prove fatal He re-
covered, however, sufficiently to 90 to
England, where ne spent the summer at
tolkstone, the Isle of Wight and Bat h.
He improved somewhat in health, and
hoped to return home during this month :;
but remained feeble ; and those best in
formed of his condition entertained grave
doubts of his beng able to cross the water
l,r.iiI OF frnf Inn, iN.,..l nj
ly by his brother-in-law, Mr.. Spear, an
nounced his intention of going from
Bath to London, to consult his lawyer
and chief executor, Mr.. Charles y. Dawson
of New York, who had been spending a
month ortwo in England with his family,
and 1t is supposed that Mr.. Howard died
in London.
Some years ago Mr.. Howard made evil
dent his determination to be in part his
own executor by dlsposing of Il portion Of
his ample fortune i'll public beneiicences,
and to make his native place his chief
beneficiary. Since then he has given i'll
public gifts over $500, OOO, for educational,
charitable and religious purposes in Bur
llngton Prominent among these are the
gift of S5O, OOOin mOneytO the University, the
rebuilding of the main University build
ing and new Medical college, at II cost of
1900, and the statue of Lafayette and
fountain in the college park-these gifts to
University a@gregating about Sl33OoO ;
llIt IlpNtlN opera llOtlSC anu blbth, CpSI-
ing 100000 given to the Home for Desti-
tute Children and the new chapel and
rectory of st. Paul's church, costing $50, =
600 Adding minor gifts (such as the City
park fountain, the gatewayS to Lake View
cemetery and Howard park and charities
Mr.. Towards beneticencies in Burling-
ton in the last ten years must exceed S215,-
600 He gave frequently and generously
also, in private charities. He took great
pleasure in all these gifts, and he had in
contemplation others, as that of new
gymnasium for the University and Il fund
for diocesan school for girls, for which it
is not unlikely that he may have made pro-
vision by will. He probably leaves au es-
tate of not less than million dollars. His
surviving relations are his elder sister,
Miss Louisa Howard, his younger sister,
Mrs. \. c. Spear, and his nieces, Mrs.
Julia Spear and Mrs. Theodore Evans.
lie never married.