The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-01
WILLIAM RICHARDSON DEAD
a UNIQUE AND PICTURESQUE CITIZEN
OF BROOKLHN.
re Began Life n Printer's Devil ana
Made eS.OOO,OOO IN Street Raiirosd Eo-
tsrprtses-HoyyH re Got the Title sneneon."


| Made ss,0OO,OOO IN street Raiirosd Eo-
| tsrprises-HowH re 9otthe Title "Deneon."
William Richardson. sometimes called the
| Railroad King OF Brooklyn, but moro popu-
| larly known as Deacon Richardson, died yes
| terday morning OF pneumonia at his home
| 125 oxford street Brooklyn. His fatal Illness
followed an attack OF grip. Friday week ago
he caught severe cold Saturday 1t had de-
veloped into grip and he was confined to his
home. He was attended by DR.. Paine and by
his son, DR.. J. +. Richardson, and his sons as
sociate. DR.. f. M. Sharp.
The Illness developed into pneumonia on
Wednesday. and DR.. Flint Of Thirty-tourth
street. this city, was called in consultation.
Some one OF the physicians was in constant
attendance at his bedside from that time on.
but he never rallied and he died Yesterday
morning at 3 o'clock. lie was conscious up to
the moment OF his death.
Mr.. Richardson might be called q unique
character in Brooklyn. He was known by
almost Every man. woman. and child In the
city. He went there comparatively poor man
Ia 1867 and at the time OF his death his for
tune was estimated 10 be in the neighborhood
OF s5. 10000 He made It all in rect railroads.
IIo was n son OF John and Sarah Richardson.
He was born in Berkhams stead Hertfordshirc.
England, Dec. r. 1872. His father was q
farmer. The son went to school until he was
ten years old. He didn't like farmer life. and
his father apprenticed him to John H. Garman.
who was then an eminent barrster, with offices
in Lincoln's Inn. London. He had been there
only a year when his mother died, and his
father decided to como to America. They
sailed on the clipper ship Sovereign. Sept. -.
1894. They went to Gambler. o. 1t took a
week in those days to make the journey from
New York. Young Richardson thought he
would like to go into tho newspaper business.
ana the Mt Vernon, o.. Republican was looking
Tor an ofllco devil II took him. lie served
two years, and then returned to Gambler.
where he Joined the. Baptist Church; aud on
ChTftn i 1my i S he Was tnap we
and Tyler, Richardson was X years old and
he was considerable Of a talker lie went on
the stump. That gave him liking for politics
He got place AS clerk in the Hudson street
and after ycnr's service no went to making
ard repairing umbrellas. That didn't suit him
hns ae snd
be started it he was married to Miss
Mary Freeman daughter Of James hes
Interest Sim in politics. lie was rrohi6itionist in
$50 md he helped TO organize the Grand
warded with the place OF First Grand Worthy
AssoeiSts He took great pa n :, too In the the
which led to the formation OF the Republican
sas member d Se% G Sf is F Hs sss
year ipslloWine. when there was tie in the s
iS$sS.. Then FL N he was sitseksd by severe
editor OF the, Albany Lrcnng .iouna., The fol-
SSssr S United ssses ms Rany
too small town FOR him now. Thurlow Weed.
daY after he had resigned from thn
what he expected to do for his living. Richard
sons s p GSseDt
superintendent Of the Dry Dock East Broad
way and tho battery Railroad Company to him.
the day, Of his death he prospered as street
railroad magnate. Two months alter entering
President His management increased the
business OF the road from 5000 to $1,000 day.
wHen he got a forty"year lease Of the old Brook.
lyn and Jamaica Railroad for u song. He
moved to Brooklyn, In 1872 an old mortgage
foreciosed He, bought it in and organized
what is now the Atlantic, Avenue Railroad
Albany and he had knack OF getting char;
ters for almo anything no wanted; He wanted
for about every street in south Brooklyn. He
built Railroads on those that he cared to, and
lie still had a ankerins Tor politics. In
1870 he was elected to the brooklyn Board q
aldermen He wHs ,o reelected in iSI2 In n 1873
Republicans and was defeated Then he said
he wasn't cut out for politician, and that he
would devote his tima to railroadinG, and he
did. There were plenty of men who didn't Ike
him. One was Thomas Kinscla, a brooklyn
name Mr. Richardson always hated He was
once tried by the officers of the church OF WHICH
he was member on an accusation that he
had been guilty OF "unholv walks" in that
he had had railroad tracks laid in Flatbush
avenue on n sunday. The work was done to
avoid an injunction, which 1t was known
would be issued the next day. At the trial he
proved that the tracks were not laid on his
personal order. One Of Mr.. Richardson's hoh-
bies was that all his employees should have
good Thanksgiving dinners and he always
provided the turkeys for them. Mr.. Richard
son leaves a widow, three sons and daughter