The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-24
mann or "noNhsg ,oHN" FRENCH.
Noted Builder and Onicial In brooklyn
-Buneoed Out of 81, 900 Recently.

Former Aldcrm,n John French o' brooklyn.
Familiarity known rs Honest John French.
died suddenly OF angina I~crt1ri' resulting
from an attack OF g%astrlti., about Ii3O
o'clock yesterday morning. At his nome. iO0
Clinton avenue. lie attended a meeting OF the
Board Of Trustees o. the Seney Hospital on
Thursday afternoon. and was Frustrated on hIs
return home, lie wa. in nj. eiEhty-slxth year.
About ten years ago lie retired from actlve pur-
suits. Ia December last he was made a victim
10 the extent Of 5000 Of n Lunco gam" by two
sharper.. who played upon his sympathetic
disposition. one Of the .harper.. who rep
resented himself ns son OF tho late
Charles Pratt, who was long one Of
Nj. Frenchs clos. friends. entieed him INTO a
room in upper Fulton street. where the other
swindler va. installed ~ the agent for an
enryclopelia book concern In the. BOGUS
drawing for priyee which followed. the man
calling himself Pratt lost $4,000 and Mr.. French
Of oHo" Fl, dead %'fyrG..in"I1 10 s "f "' doss
town to a bank and. drawing the full
amount Tor the supposed .on. 4. soon rs
became clenr that he had been dupei. hut the
hunroets had taken to flight beioIe the police
got on Their tracks. W.. French va. much w.
turbed by the occurrence and II Is believed that
II seriously affected his health.
Mr.. French was born at Lewes. England, and
came TO this country with his parents when ne
was II years old. The family settled. first In
Flushing, l.. l.. and dfterwarl in Jamaica:
While At the hitter place young French walked
to BrooHlyn each day to his work ~ a mason.
Ia 1872. a'tcr his marriage to NJ 50 Sarah
Nushmure, OF II empsteai, l.. J., he settled In
Brooklyn and in a few years became a master
builder. Among tho buildings which he con-
81 uc'ed were the Academy OF Music. the Long
Island Historical octet building. the Young
Mems Christian Association build InG. and the
hIG DEPARTMENT store o. A. p; Matthews Sons.
He was an ardent REPUBLICAN, and took an
activc interest in politics, lie served IN me
Board oi Ald.rmen IN lNIN. and. although. tho
iody was Democratic, was chosen ia President.
II" wa, oh ,irmah OF The committee which had
charge o. the construction ~ the new Municipal
Building nnd which ~.distiusuished itself hy
keeping the Coz, Sl7 below the s2OU.00O
approximation. liz was the first City Works
tommissioner under the one head system.
He was competed durinx the Val with the
Christian Comm ission, For tifty years he has
been one Of the most prominent LAY men in the
Methodist denomination He was first con-
nected with tn, old Sands Street Church.
anil then with the York Street Church.
Later he assisted in organizing the Hanson
llacN Church and WAS connected with II I'LL
the clos. Of his lie. cryingastruste steward,
Gas, Ieader and sunday school superintendcnt.
He was Treasurer Of the .Seney Hospital. He
was a director in the Long Island Trust
Company. Three sons. John Wesley French.
lr. 1homasR French and Frank Foss French.
and a daughter. Mrs. William Mayo Little,
survive him The funeral services will be held
at the Hanson Place NJ. +. Church on Monday
afternoon