The San Francisco call., 1896-06-11
RETURNED HOME
TO MEET DEATH.
Captain ]. N. Knowles Sue
cumbs to a Stroke Of
Apoplexy.
ROMANTIC EARLY LIFE
For Many Years Was Com.
mander of Famous Boston
Clippers.
ONCE LOST IN. THE SOUTH SEAS
He Was the Trustee of the Merritt
Trust, and Complications May
Arise.
ONCE LOST IN. THE SOUTH SEAS
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, |

OAKLAND OFFICE DAN FRANCISCO GALL,
908 Broadway. June 10.
Captain Joshua M. Knowles expired
suddenly at his home on Jackson street
this afternoon. Death was totally unex-
pected, although Captain Knowles was
suffering from a severe cold. A stroke OF
apoplexy, which came on about l o'clock.
rendered the captain unconscious, and
one hour later he died.
On Saturday last Captain Knowles
started for trip to Alaska. Hardly had
the voyage commenced when the captain
was seized with severe cold, which so
alarmed him that he ordered the steamer
Jamie, in which he was large owner, to
return to port. The Jamie arrived last
night and Captain Knowles came directly
to his home.
Captain Knowles has lived in Oakland for
many years, where he has been known as
a capitalist. He was a stockholder and
director in the Contra Costa Water Com
pany, but his business has all been tran
sacted in San Francisco, and personally
he was very little known this side of the
bay in a commercial way.
The deceased was formerly a sea cap
tain and was well known in shipping cir
cles. The last ship he commanded was
the well-known Glory of the Seas, which
is still afoat, and was the hundredth
vessel built by the Boston firm of Donald
Mckay.
While on voyage the deceased was
wrecked many years ago ON an island in
the South Seas. Owing to a defective
chart his ship was lost. Leaving portion
of his crew on the island he took the long
boat and went to Pitcairn Island, where he
buried $1,000 worth of treasure. As there
was then very little communication with
the island Captain Knowles again set sail
and made Samoa. When he reached San
Francisco he had been given up as dead
and partial administration of his estate
had taken place.
The captain first came to this coast as a
consignee of several Boston ships and he
afterward became their agent. Still later
he was Interested in whaling company.
He settled in Oakland twenty years ago
and has lived in the old family home OF
| the Merritts, which he purchased from
| the estate.
! Mr.. Knowles wife and six children sur
vive him. They are: Mrs. Harry Gordon,
Mrs. II. II. Adams, and Hattie. Matte,
Ruth, Alice and Thomas Knowles. Mrs.
Knowles and several of the children were
at the bedside of the captain when he
died.
Captain Knowles was one of the trustees
! of the Merritt estate, and Attorney Fred
! Stratton said this afternoon that the sue
censorship would depend upon the terms
of the trust deed. If the deed specified
| that in the event of death of trustee
| some other person shall succeed to the
Office then such person must take the
vacant position. In the absence of such a
provision the Superior Court has the
power to appoint the successor. The
trust provided that S500,000 in property
was to be held for the nephews. and from
this they were to receive their income.
| The great defect of the trust was that nc
power was given to the trustees to sell in
| the event of the property not proving re-
| muneratlve.
| Captain Knowles was born in Massa-
chusetts and was 66 years of age.