The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-12-26
4 BLOCKADE RUNNER /
HE GAINED A LARGE FORTH
DURING THE WAR BETUpp,.
THE STATES.
HIS LIFE LIKE A TILE OF RONlIl
Fled From England to Escape A.,
and Began Life Anew in Americ,
Under an Assumed Name-Jo..
His Fortune Specializing.

Two men were the only mourners at ~
Woodlawn cemetery yesterday at tbo \
neral service over the body of Alexans
Collie, man who a few years ago H.
known in every European. capital !,
the Civil war he was a noted bloch.
runner, who, established oparto,.
W Imlngton, ~! q. Under the guns Y
Fort Fisher this Blockade KIM
ried on a thriving trade in the eo, ai
band articles of war and exnortaa u
cotton of the South. The house which "
established at Wilmington was an SI.1
OF luxury. Never did champagne All
SO freely, never was hospitality ms1
lavish than in the home of the "Rloc i,un
hlng." There the leaders of the Sors1
ern Contederacy met to take counsel y \
gether 'ei VI
Collie, who at one time could bo =
drawn his check for millions of dop
died a few days ago almost destit
and his funeral expenses were maid
the son of an old friend. He died n.
the Colonial hotel, in One Hundred asSll
Iwenty-hfth street. on November ~,
But for the fact that through soM N.Y.
friends he had been able to collect n smsIA
amount on an old bill he would bs,i
been unable to pay his board bill.
Ihere IS no name on the coffin nlat
for he died under the assumed name
George Mcneil. ''
MADE MONEY FAST.
Wilmington, n. c., was noted in MI
Civil war for its blockade runners an
famous Fort Fisher, at the mouth H.
cape Fear river, commanded then nv 4,
young Virginia officer, Colonel William
Lamb, was the favorite gateway into thay
harbor Among the English houses wbSk
were engaged in blockade running. anal
owning by far the largest fleet of splendid
steamers, was that of Alexander COlie
~ Co., the reputation and high commer
cial standing of which was Mt tba ', ,;m,
world wide. Their vessels were the In.
est, feetest and best equipped for thp
service for which they were designed
eluding the United States blockadipr,
cruisers.
Alexander Collie's home in London. sit.
uated in kensington Gardens, was one
OF princely hospitality. 1t was gorgeous
~ htted up, had corps of liveried ser
ants, and the entertainments, given there
were on the most eXtravagant and lavish
scale. This grand Establishment was o.
peclally made the home of Confederatp
ofhelals and friends of the Confederacy
IN England, and Mr. Collie had often as
his guests eX-United States Senator j. N
Mason, the Confederate commissioner 70
England, and Mr.. Slidell, the Confederate
representative to France. In WHINING
ton, n. G., the firm leased one of the hand
soonest houses in that city. 50
CJC 4 Nru,TC r.rr--
Following their successful trade and
speculations during the war, Alexander
Collie IL Co. went into the cotton and
cotton goods trade, establishing branch
houses in Egypt, British India. Austria.
lia and South America. Operations /;
were begun on a gigantic scale, and in (
an effort to corner cotton goods in all
the markets of the world. somewhere in E
the early los, Collie made the largest
failure known in the history of com.
merce. His liabilities above his avail \
able assets were f40000,000, equivalent <
to S200,000,000.
Alexander Collie, the head of the ;
house, who was held responsible for the y
failure, had to flee from England, and
he was spirited away to the private
yacht of a friend, in which he sailed to <
Barcelona, Spain. His flight from Eng
land caused an immense sensation, and
though pursued by creditors and detee
tives he successfully eluded them. From
Spain he went direct to South America
and in a few years reappeared at the
White Sulphur Springs as travelling
artist-George Mcneil by name. He |
was there recognized by George Peterkln
Grant, wealthy Englishman, who owns
a handsome estate on which he built
beautiful residence about two miles from
the springs.
Mr.. Grant kept Collies secret, and be
remained in that vicinity for several 4
years. He afterward went to Ricn \
mond, where, owing to his knowledge,to Of \
finances, he became associated with the 4
late Col. H. G. Pasons, James G. Blalne
General Butler and others in the kle1,
mond and Allegheny railroad, which
river and Kanawha canal in Virginia I,
and which had for its roadbed the tow Il
path of the canal. (,
DIED IN POVERTY. N
Prosperous for a time. he prOJectea y
other railroads, but misfortune seeme
to follow him, and finally he becam
again embarrassed. and, comparative
without means, came to this CITY,
One of the strangest things in come
ton with the blockade king was tns
although he lived in comparative poyeri!
in New York. his wife was living ID u
luxury in London As Alexander CONE
he was supposed to have been lost at Sea
He evidently made some disposition u
some property in favor of his wife anu !
went to life of obscurity and poVerp
alone.
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