Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-12-12
DIED FRIENDLESS AND POOR
Alexander Collie, OrC9 KlO8n in
Every European Capital.
History OF the Famous "Biechade
HtnE" ana FRIEND orths
Sauth.

INV YoRK, Disc. 1.-Two mon
were The only mCufnors Mt woodlawn
cemetery yesterday At the funeral ser.
yiccs over tho body Of Alexander
Collie, man who few y0ars ago was
known In every European capital Ia
the Civil war no was noted blockade
runner, who established headquarters
ut Wilmington, n. G. Under the
guns Of Fort Fisher. this blockade
Ring carried on a thriving trade in tbs
contraband articles OF war ana exported
the cotton Of the South.
Collie, who at one Time could have
drawn his check for millions Of dollars,
died almst destitute and bis iuueral OK.
pentes were paid by son Of an old
friend. There Is no name on the colin
plate, for he died under the assumed
name Of George Mcneil.
Alexander Collie's home 10 London,
situated In Kingston Gardens, was
Uno Of princeiy Hospitality. IL was
gOfgoOusly fitted w, had n CoTpe Oi
ments given there were on tue most
extrAvagant AMI lavish scale. THIS
grand establishment was especially
made tho home OF the Confederate
officials ana friends OF tho COnied.
efHcy In England and Mr.. Collie
had often ~ his guests sI. u. s. Senator
J. NJ. Mason, the Confederate commits
sioner TO England, anu Mt. Sidell, the
Confederate representative 10 France.
In Wilmington, N. e., tue hfm leased
one OF tho hRudsOmsst houses In the
city. Following the successful trade
aud speculations during the war,
Alexander Collie q Go. wslt into the
cotton and cotton goods trade and
Oueued branch houses In Egypt
Bfindia, Australia and south Amer.
o.. Operations were begun on
gigantic scale and In An effort to
corner cotton goods IA all the markets
OF tho world. In the early '7O's Collie
4 company made the largest failure
known In the history OF commerce.
His liabilities sUUve his available
assets were Rbou, c40,00O,O0O, tqIiy.
alcnt TO 1900, 900, 900. Alexander Collie,
tho head Of the Loust, who was held
responsible for the failure, had to Zee
away TO the private yacht OF n friend,
In which be sailed 10 Barcelona, Spain.
HE flight from EuglHnd caused an
Immense sensation, anu though pur-
sued by creditors Hud detectives, he
successfully eiuded them. From Spain
no went direct 10 South America, anu
in few years To.appented Al the
White Sulphur Syringe ~ a travelling
III Al.N al VI "A
was there recognized by George Peter
kin Grant, wealthy Englihhman,
who owns handsome eALatv a. the
Syringe.
MIR. Grant kept Collie's secret and he
remained In that Vicinity for several
years. He aiteTwArd went 10 Rich
mond, where, owing 10 his knowledge
Of finances he became associated with
Col Ii. q. PAraons, JameA q. Blaine,
General Butler ana others In tue Rich
mond aud Allegheny Railroad.
Prosperous for time he projected
ether railroads, but misfortune seemed
to follow him and finally he became
again embarfarsed, aud, comparatively
without means, came TO this city.
One OF the strangost things IN con.
neclion with tue "Blockade King"
was that while he lived In oompaTa.
tive poverty In New York his wife was
living ia luxury In London. AZ Alex.
Collie no was supposed to have been
Lost at sea. Ho evidently made some
disposition OF some property In favor
OF his wife ana went TO q life OF oh.
security anu poverty alone.
lie was turned out OF the Harlem
Flat, where no lived several years ago,
ana went to live 1T the Colonial Hotel,
on 10th street. There no was found
by several friends, among Thorn Rich
ard Lsmb, eldest hon OF Col. Lamb Of
Fort Fisher. These men experienced
ulucu difficulty ia aiding him on ac.
count OF his PRIDE.