The Anaconda standard., 1896-03-06
THE DUKE IS DEAD
Once the Richest Man Of Tombstone
and Died in a Poorhouse.
He LIVED LIKE A PRINCE
With Water at Five Cents a Gal
Ion He Bathed hree Times
a Day I'm Ari-
xona.

lie used to be called The Duke o
tombstone" when an Arizona settle
ment marveied at the recklessness o
man who bathed three times a day
and water cents a gallon at that
Euwin Field in those days changed hi,
white flannel suit whenever the small.
est blemish in the way of dust was no
ticeable. and rode behind a pair OF
horses that were a sensation in a com.
munity where burros were the highes,
type OF draft animals But Ed Fields
is dead and gone now. He died In the
poorhouse the other day. And yet a,
one time he owned a large part OF the
CITY OF tombstone and a mine worth
more than a half million dollars.
DR.. Joseph III. Green OF Chicago. the
Times-Herald says, knew Fields in
Arizona and had assisted him from
time to time during the last three
years I'm Chicago.
Il went to Tombstone. Ari.. I'm
1873. said DR.. Green. and Fields was
there before me, although the town
contained but 75 people at that time.
he was squatting on some mining
property. which was not supposed 10
be of much value. But the town grew
TO $4,000 and he owned two-thirds of
the townsite, so that his rents increas-
ed until they gave him an income of
over 1000 a month.
The mine which he owned was
called the Gilded Age and proved TO be
a rich property. Fields title 10 IL was
a little shaky. but he was backed by
Boston and New York capital. and I'm
the end secured a perfect title He
sold the mine in 1881 or 1889 for 5000
900 I'm cash, every cent of which went
TO him. After the town grew and
F1elds amassed his wealth he assumed
a mode OF life that made him the
most conspicuous character in the
west
He was known everywhere as the
Duke OF Tombstone on account of his
gorgeous manner in which he carried
his establishment. He rode behind a
handsome pair OF bays and kept a ne
gro valet: He dressed during the sum-
mer in white flannel and changed suits
three times day. When water was
selling In Tombstone at cents a gal
lon he took three baths a day. and
broke bottle OF Florida water In ev-
cry bath. He started as a nine-days'
wonder and was the most talked of
man in the country
Il left Tombstone and settled I'm Chi
cago. One day during the worlds fair
period a seedy looking individual step
ped into my Office. and I recognized
Edwin Fields. asked what ne was
doing. and he told me, with a mourn
ful smile, that he was store man at |
the southern hotel His salary, he |
said. was n4 a month. Where had his |
money gone? Well. I asked him that |
one day, for I could not understand |
how man that never drank, never |
played cards or gambled 20 my knowl- |
Edge. could have squandered a cool |
million OF dollars, which amount he /
certainly possessed at one time.
He told me that he had lost most of /
MS property I'm speculation on the /
board of trade. and had then taken 10 |
he bucket shops, where the most OF /
his money had taken wings. He was
II one time. even with his pittance of
/ salary drifting TO the bucket shops
n the vain endeavor TO retrieve his lost
ortune. He lost the most of his mon
" in ST. Louis but carried on his
'peculation both In that city and In
II do not know his birthplace, but
ie was an eastern man. and was well /
He had a sister living at
Ohio. brother at Far
eys, N. M, who owns a big sheen
anch. and another brother who owns
IN immense cocoanut plantation in the
samoan islands. Such was his pride.
n his perverseness. that he would new
n ask aid from them"