The Indianapolis journal., 1894-02-23
HENRY S. IVES DYING
The Napoleon Of Finance" Said
to Be a Physical Wreck.
A AWall-Street Meteor Whose Stupendous
Successes and Colossal Failures
Startled the Country.

NEW YORK, Feb. PA dispatch re-
ceved from Cincinnati saying that W. c.
Rinearson. of the Queen & Crescent rail-
way, who has just returned from Tampa
Bay, Fla, reports Henry s. Ives to be a
physical wreck, and sure to die within the
next four weeks, recalled to Wall-street
men the sensational career Of this wizard
of financiers. The news that Ives was so
broken down in health was generally dis
cussed, but no one seemed to know any of
the particulars All approached on the
subject said that they knew nothing of
him, as he had disappeared completely and
all track OF him had been lost Even his
old partner. George II. Staynor, decla red
that he had not heard from Ives for some
time and that he did not know what the
trouble was. -, - .li'.II
Henry S. Ives came into prominence
about eight years ago. He was the sue
cessor of Ferdinand Ward as the most
interesting object of speculative Wall street
Ives had been brought up in the atmos-
phere Of the street, and when he blazed
out the head of the firm OF Ives &
Staynor, men who knew him best predicted
that he would be either a stupendous sue
cess or a colossal failure. He turned out
to be a little of both. No scheme was too
great for this young to tackle, and
he talked millions as glibly as most peo-
pie discuss ten-cent pieces Ives was not
more than twenty-six years Of age when
he first startled Wall street by his opera
tions in Cincinnati. Hamilton t1 Dayton,
by which he obtained possession Of the
road. Morals were at a low ebD in the
street at that time, and while conservative
men suspected that Ives was doing busi-
ness in the bluff style. there were gam
blers who pinned faith in his luck and
dactty. For nearly two years he was
connected with all the big movements in
the street and no operation was of great
enough magnitude to scare him away. Hav-
ing the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton in
his grip, he manipulated the stock in a
manner to suit himself and engaged in
anv number of outside ventures
When the Baltimore & Ohio road was on
the market Ives made arrangements to take
option upon the property. His nerve in
endeavoring to get possession of this enor-
nous property commended him TO the most
hardened of speculators. Richmond Termi-
nal and Richmond & Danville also attracted
his attention, and for months he was the
bright particular financial star worrying
men who were trying to be honest in their
dealings.
Finally the. inevitable collapse came The
firm ct Ives sgrT I under @ re and the
indicted and a number of civil suits were
filed against him. On the civil suits he was
held I'm $25, 900 bail and was confined in LId-
low-street Jail for several months. In the
end the civil suits We're settled and he also
escaped punishment on the criminal indict-
ments. g'
At no time during his trouble did he dis
play the slightest indication OF weakening.
1t was supposed that he had great. deal of
money stored away, and when his complica-
tions were finally adjusted he began to
speculate again. and presumably made
money. While in his heyday he was lavish
spender OF money, and gave princely enter
tainments at his house at Brooklyn and on
board the steam yacht Tillie which he had
purchased from Commodore Starbuck on
credit. In appearance he is of medium
height, rather slenderly built. He has a
good-looking face, and wears dark brown
mustache and slight side whiskers. He is
near-sighted and wears eye glasses. Ives
married Miss Gertrude Sears Nov. 81 1892
BoStonian company.