The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-03
COL. GEORGE BLISS DEAD.
p1SyED AWAIT AT HIS SUMNER
uONE IN RHODE ISLAND.

vh,ch Resuited In Dnath-Hts Career NJ
a.. mar ana In Public Ltre--A Repubiican
s,airnrt In Poutics-Ipcidcnts or his Lire.
~N,pRAeASs.rT PIER, r. l., Sept. 9.-Col.
a.orce Bliss OF Now York died at his country
siacs In Wakefield carly this morning. Col.
pIss became weaker yesterday and for part Of
N. afternoon and evening was unconscious.
inst before midnight he recognized Mrs. Bliss,
.ho was at his bedside. Then his hearts action
rev fainter, and in q few minutes death en-
,ued. 1t WAS q quick collapse after o tedious
illness, At his bedside woro Father Prender-
at OF New York, DIR. Quimby, his family ply
,dsn, who has been with him constantly for
t- several weeks, and Mrs. Bliss.
COL Bliss fatal illness was caused by an at
,.ck Of grip last March. 1t left liver trouble.
mo body will be taken to New York this
evening. and the funeral will take place at the
church OF 81. Francis Xavior in New York on
saturday. Later tho body will DO taken to
springfield, Aass'' ior interment IN tne family
lot there. -
George Bliss was tall and vigorous, his eyes
vsre piercing, his nose largo and prominent,
md ND his head, was surnophted By a bushy
growth OF curly hair which had turned nearly
White many years ago and geSs him the name
S%pinsdeid, Mass, of a Puritan family. His father,
S,oSsS E 81 S,, Tss O M. ., .SS SSs.tkh SSyin men s.s 81
a member OF the State Legislature for several
iernis and q leader In tho development and con-
roads. He ticd in 1873, leaving q considerable
Srtune. Col. Bliss received as his share $780,
100. The elder Bliss had only ohe other child,
the wife OF George walker, our Consul.Genera
m PARIS for years.
George Bliss graduated, from Harvard in
1851, and after taking, a law course came to
ms city TO practice his profession. One OF
lis fathers early friends had been Edwin ID.
Morgan, q native Of the same part Of Massa-
sngsst of New York state in 1863. he made the
,on OF his old friend his private secretary.
Young Bliss WAS OF great value TO Gov. Morgan
bat he offended Thurlow Weed and other lead.
ss and when Mr.. Morgan was rcnominated
and reelected two years later. Gov. Morgan
pivate secretary.
The civil war was brewing then, and when it
S SS. st Il t h sPFPin Fss. fd isoi was See op affirm; Weo
General OF the State. 1t was part OF his bust.
ness to provide transportation to the front for
sppoin;ed as one OF his assistants to look after
his work. with the rank Of Colonel. .
After the war Mr.. bliss held the place Of
uiet for four years. These were the only i'm
pOstant public places which he filled, but his
influence was never absent in politics. In
the scheme which became a law. whereby United
States supervisors were appointed to supervise
III cteCJOllS AZ NnltA ulellOtTo Vi OOukTtSb
were chosen. The law was condemned as Of.
isting an active means for political oppression
and has been repealed.
years in the Eleventh. Assembly district and
was one OF the original membors Of the Union
League Club. He was married twice and no
raves a widow, but no children. His first
wife was OF Springfield, and when they were
married she belonged to the Episcopal Church.
Catholic faith and became q most devout mem.
Der Of that Church. At their house At 81 West
Thirty ninth street she had q private chapel
mass was celebrated there. Many priests q
high fenown oficiated there. including Cardi-
nsl MeSioskey. Mrs. Bliss devotion to The
life and Affairs. Col. Bliss had been originally
. Puritan and Q Presbyterian, Aftorward he
1 1ssrs 'f Ss %as g on Eni = no@ih 1n ' ms u S of tf fSt
Church, and exhibited little interest in the sub
Not long before Mrs. Bliss death. in the
early part Of 1884, she persuaded Mgr. Capcl.
H~anersley and other members OF New York
ahringine over her husband:
Il was q fight OF mind and Of argument and
i "a sSs and on pf ip junior 1 50. h hs Was cS SaDi il,si
INTO the Catholic Church. In that same year
the Italian Government converted all the real
bonds, and the American College at Rome was
threatened. Col. Biiss urged upon and per.
suaded President Arthur to protest against in
Guiding this institution In the execution Of the
decree, and under the Instructions OF Presi:
dent Arthur our Minister, Mr.. Astor. succeeded
In having 1t exempted upon the ground that it
was used exclusively for the benefit Of Ameri-
can citizens.
In the State Constitutional Convention Of
1884 Mr.. Bliss Joined with Mr.. Coudert In a
vigorous defence Of the Catholic charities Of
the State which were threatened, and pro
vented any adverse action. In recognition
q. these services the Pope received Col.
Bliss at q personal conference carly in 1898,
and q little later In that year conferred upon
him the title of Commander of the Order of ST.
Gfegory the Great. The decoration Of the or
der which Col. Bliss received in June; 1895,
consists Of q red ribbon with q yellow border.
nom which Ii hung o green wreath, and from
tls In turn Is suspended Q rcd Maltese cross,
whose raised edges land knob points arc Of
god: About the centre Of the cross 10 a gold
oand bearing the words" GregoriuS Magnus,"
Gd within is a circle with o blue ground, upon
which appears q picture Of St. Gregory, worked
Col. Bliss's second wife was a Miss Casey of
this city. In the earlier years Of his law prac-
dee he was a partner of John L. CadwAlader.
Al the time OF his death he was the senior
member Of The firm of Bliss d Schiey, his part
nr being Mr.: William N. Schley. Among the
writings Of Col. Bliss are "a Treatise on the
Law OF Life Insurance, with Q Chapter on Acct
dent Insurance." published in New York In
1872; New Court Rules of the Now York
Courts" 1881, and '"The Charges Against Mr..
Blaine, Examined by q Republican" New York.