The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-05-17
SUDDEN DEATH OF
EX.-G0V. FLOW ER.
TAKEN OFF BY ATTACK
OF ACUTE INDIGES-
TION.

ernor Roswell P Flower died tonight
| at 10 80 at the Eastport Country club
at Eastpo:t, Long Island Mr.
Flowler was taken i'll early in the day
with severe attack of acute indi-
gestioa. In the afternoon symytons
Of heart failure set in, and he grew
steadily worse until The time of his
death.
Mr.. Flower has been a sufferer
from gastritis for a long time, with
every now and then an acute attack
For a month or two past he had been
a regular visitor at the Eastport
Country club in the hope he would
find some relief in the outing He
appeared in robust health yesterday
morning, and this morning when be
arrived at Eastport. where he intend
ed to remain until Monday, his health
was apparently excellent The at
tack from which he suffered today
came on suddenly, was OF more
severe type at the outset than any be
had previously suffered from.
Frederick S Flower took charge
of the remains, but no arrangement
for the funeral has yet been made
The body will probably be trans
ferred to Manhattan tomorrow morn
ing.
Roswell Pettibone Flower was
born 10 Theresa, Jefferson county.
N. Y, August Z, 1885 His father
was born in Oak Hill, Green county,
n. Y and his ancestors were from
Connecticut. Roswell was the sixth
of the nine children, and when his
farther died he was years old He
worked with his brothers on
two farms his mother owned, and
spent his time between school ses
sions IN the hardest kind Of labor.
Mr.. Flower came to New York in
1869 to take charge of the estate of
Henry Keep, whose widow was Mrs
Flowers sister. Mr. Keep owned a
great many railroad and other stocks,
and during the monshs before bis
death he spent much time in instruct
ing Mr.. Flower about them. Having
thus gained an insight into Wall
street and it's methods, Mr.. Flower
formed in 1870 the firm of Benedict,
Flower & Co, in which he joined E
C. Benedict and Il Fl. Truman.
This firm was dissolved in 1872,
when Mr.. Flower was ill for several
months Not long afterward be Or
gsnized the banking firm of Flower
& Co., which has since been a power
in Wall street Mr.. Flower always
was Democrat.
In the early seventies he helped
Samuel j Tilden to develop the ia.
nous organization which exposed
Tweed and enjoyed many other tri-
umphs
Mr. Flower was chosen chairman of
the Democratic State convention 10
1877, and in 1881 he defeated VIII
liam Waldorf Astcr for congress after
hot campaign in the Eleventh dis
trict He refused denomination.
He was elected governor OF the State
in 1891
In the cholera epidemic in the late
summer of 1892 thousands of passen-
gers arriving from Europe were quar-
antined on shipboard down the bay.
Ae an emergency measure Gov
Flower bought with his own money
the Fire Island hotel, in the name Of
the State, and ordered that the pas.
sepgers be sent there
slr Flower took up Brooklyn Rapid
Transit less than two years ago, buy,
ing FROM 10000 to $4,000 shares at
about % when the capital stock was
only s25, 100000. he absorbed
many subordinate lines. among them
the Nassau Electric company, and IN
creased the capital stock 10 s45,o00.-
600, and by his extraordinarily sue
cessful manipulation put the price up
to 1871. His holdings in Brooklyn
rapid transit alone. which cost him
two years ago little more than $780,
00U are worth at today's market price
more than $3,0V0.GG0.
Mr.. Flower was one of the founders
of the Federal Steel Trust, whose
stock already issued is $99, 1877 500.
Good authorities estimate that Mr..
Flowers profits in the last IL mouths
in Wall street have exceeded $40,
600. 600 He had become in that
time the acknowledged speculative
leader in the financial markets OF the
United States.
MIR. Flower married Sarah VI /.
Woodruff, a daughter Of Morris NJ
Woodruff, of Watertown, on Dec. 26,
1859. Three children were born, OF
whom only one survives, Emma Ger.
trude, who is the wife of John B.
Taylor MIR. Flower had been for