The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-29
BRooKLYs,s .BLAoK PRINCE"
How Jacob Howard Squandered Large o.
time and was Arrested for Perjury.

jacob
tune and Was Arrested for PerJury.
New York sun.
There ia confined in the Tombs indicted Tor
perjury, a man who has played Promlnen u
part in the political life of Brooklyn. inere are
few politicians in Kings county who have not
come in contact with Jacob p. Johnson Howard,
for he has been political force there. pr pit.
Howard was known as the :Biack frince. hs
was in the days of his prosperity, man OF royal
anneaTanca and bearing Mr. Howard's father
was enc of the most remarkable OF the coioreo
men of New York and Brooklyn VINO maoe
m oney before the war and kept u afterWaro ana
added lit The black Shylock prospered until ne
owned houses and lands in Brooklyn, New xorK
and New Jersey. Jacob was the oane OF nis
fathers existence; he had an ingrained aversion
to honest toll. When he was yet young man.
he ran away from home The taste ne shes got
of the sea and foreign travels stimulated MS
appetite for adventure and he became tnor-
ouehly Travelled man. When he returned, his
father refused to have anything TO DO WIZ Dim.
He then a young man. slx feet tall, .poruy
as Chesterfield and black as the Prince or
Midnight He found himself under the neces-
sity of living by his wits and on his abundance
of cheek. He entered politics and became the
recognized leader Of the colored voters OF Kings
county He was tireless worker. He lived
high, dressed finely, and eonsorted Win the
leaders of his party on public occasions wnen
battles were to be fought. Perhaps no man
ever lived in Brooklyn who had more judge
ments recorded against him IN the courts;
but he was a bankrupt and the judgments were
not good. Old man Howard knew his son
Jacob thoroughly but the means which be
adopted to keep his son from squandering
the splendid estate which he got together de-
ifsSted themselves by reason of the parsimony
mon which the old man based them. The
estate was valued ut SOC, 900. Mr.. Howard left
&c to his widow in reversien to Jacob the two OF
them to enjoy the income jointly during their
lives. Three trustees were appointed under the
will to manage absolutely the estate. but these
trustees refused to qualify, and this left the
matter in the hands of the widow, who was
step-mother to Jacob. By some trick Jacob got
the widow to sign paper relinquish1ng her
right in the estate and giving over the manage
ment TO him: Then Jacob began career of
splendid and extravagantly luxurious living,
never before equajed by any colored man in the
United States. The enormous income of
the estate. did not suffice to satisfy the
Garrison Post of the g. A. r., of which he was
commander, groaned under the layishment of
his generosity. He began to put mortgages on
his houses. One by one they melted away into
the NAV of accommodating noney-lenders
There speedily came time when there re-
manned not one of tbs twenty-five or thirty
houses which the industry of his father had
consolidated into splendid estate The Black
Prince was fiar. Friends fell away from him.
creditors became clamorous. Suits and judg-
ments multiplied but the Black Prince was still
magnificent in his ruin. He fell back his
w.t. Then the William Lloyd Garrison Post
bounced him for crookedness in money matters,
lie lost his political grip. poverty and death en-
tered his home. and desperation chased him
wherever he went
In five years he had squandered 5000, 600. There
was a case in which $40, 900 involved: an
appeal was taken and the appellant was
CURED to give bond. Jacob was approached by
representatives of the appellant He was offered
$3.50 if he would qualify and get another man to
stand with him ON the bond. He accepted the
offer and reported to the court that his father
had left him estate valued at $3.50, 900 and
that he had added to it $3.50, 900 by judicious in
vestments, thereby reporting him to be worth
$780, 600. and specifying real asttte as mis- and
as unencumbered which was covered up with
mortgages that Howard had 10 legal right in it
IL.
gated it was found that the Black Prince lad
perjured himself, true bill was found against
him, the iron hand of the law was laid upon
him and be was taken to the Tombs.