Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-29
SAMUEL STRONG DEAD.
The End of the Career of Man Whose
Claim Had Become Famous.

Col. Samuel Strong, the well-known con-
tractor, who has been litigant in our courts
for many years past, died at the residence OF
his brother, MIR. Robt Strong, No. 119 Carroll
street southeast, last evening. The deceased.
who was eighty-one years old, was a
native Of Hudson, ny and in
early life learned the mason's trade
in Albany. serving seven years apprenticeship.
Subsequently he entered business in that city
as a bricklayer, stone mason and plasterer
Including the years of his apprenticeship ne
was engaged in business in that vicinity for
forty years. He was builder of the State Capt.
tol, the Delavan House and many of
the largest buildings in that section.
Early in the SOS he came here
and built the foundations for the Capitol ex-
tension, and then went to California, where he
entered into dock building and in the course of
a few months accumulated 100000. Next he
went to Mobile, Ala, where he built
the custom house, and subsequently
went to California again and spent two
years there Then he went 10 Melbourne,
Australia, and engaged in building there, but
returned few years before the war and en-
gagged in work here and in Albany. During
the war he was Union man After the war
he spent about sixteen months in mining
enterprises in Mexico,
HIS WORK FOR THE DISTRICT.
Under the board of public works here he
constructed the street sewer, the Slash run
sewer, Boundary sewer, / street sewer, raised
and underpined the market house and ninety
eight build ings in Georgetown. 1t was this
work that led to the pending litigation. His
contract with the District required the pay
ment for work and material in cash. To raise
money he was obliged to take certificates of in
debtedness and hypothecate them, but this he
did under protest and claimed that he was
entitled to the face value and Sl6S,000 more.
In consequence OF these contracts ii is claimed
Col Strong was obliged TO sell his property
number OF houses and lots on Capitol Hill
and he was left, outside of what could be re-
his suits he recovered judgments for
S246, 900 by verdict of the Jury. S291 200
through arbitration through one award and
S2S, 600 by arbitration through another. An
appropriation was made for this last award. In
the controversy over this award Gen. Butler
claims the larger portion and in the testimony
being taken certain documents had been fled
which Gen. Butler claimed to be forgeries,
while the deceased claimed that they
were genuine papers written by Gen. Butler.
In the early part Of April the grand Jury re-
ported indictments against Col. Strong, and on
being arrested, acting under advice of counsel,
he declined to give bail and went to Jail, but a
few days after he was released on bal, since
which time he, with his two children,
had lived with his brother Robert. The COM
mitment to Jail seemed to have broken his
spirit and he gradually broke down, an attack
Of pneumonia fastening his demise Col
Strong had been married twice. He had no
children by his first wife, but by his last, who
died October 8, 1888, he had two. His death was
not unsnticipated by him, as he had made
a will in which he requests that the Butler suits
be pressed and names his brother Robert, Col.
W. A. Cook, his counsel, and Mr.. Pennifeid his
executors.
His funeral will take place tomorrow morn
ing at 10 O'Clock.