The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-08-07
Former st. Joseph Attorney and
Promoter a Victim of Som
nambuiism.
HE ONCE POSSESSED WEALTH.
Was a Friend of Ingersoll, Barrei,
and MarlOwe, and Spent
Fortune i'm En-
tertainment.


yesterday morning from the second story
Of house at No. DOB Market street Craig
Is supposed to have been asleep at the time
of the accident. as he could give no account
OF 1t afterward. save to intimate that his
| case was one of somnambul'sm. Both arms
were broken. the skull was fractured. there
were contusions about the body along with
severe internal injuries.
Mr.. Craig was born in st. Joseph. Mo-.
about thirty-nine years ago His father
was the late General James Craig at one
time Congressman from the at. Joseph
district. General Craig was one of the chief
movers in the direction OF transmissouri
railroad construction. having to do with
the building Of the steel bridge at Kansas
CITY and the development of the Hannibal
and ST Joseph Railroad.
James Craig. Jr.. was a favorite son. He
had every advantage of education and
travel After his college days he went to
Europe. living for some time in Munich
where he entertained many Americans most
generously.
Upon the death Of his father. Mr.. Craig
succeeded to considerable property, but un-
fortunate investments along with bad man.
agement in some instances. to say nothing
Of an open palm. reduced the amount rapid
ly. In the boom period OF fifteen years
ago Craig was known in st. Joseph and
Kansas City as a daring young investor and
promoter. There was a time when ii ap-
peared that he would achieve great success
as developer OF the trust idea. For man.
aging one deal he secured a fee of several
thousand dollars. all Of which went the way
Of his inherited fortune.
Was a Famous Entertainer.
The city Of St. Joseph has a lively and
not unpleasant recollection of young Craig
He was one of the most famous entertainers
in that town Of lavish hosts. On one occa-
sion. a good many years ago. he gave a
dinner to Wilson Barrett, the English actor,
that almost set the pace for the town.
When Mr.. Barrett was in need of finan-
cial assistance. in the days before THE
Sign Of the Cross had made a fortune for
him. Mr.. Craig was one OF his stanch
friends. Among the dead mans treasures
was a cablegram from Barrett thanking
him for a heavy loan and explaining that
the amount was even then on its way back
to America Craig was wont to use this in
stance Of the business integrity OF Barrett
as a proof that all the acting profession.
which he loved too well, was Of the same
fine fabric.
Well Known In New York.
Much of Crais's time in the eighties was
spent in New York. where he was well
known In large and somewhat important
circle. One of his best friends was the
late Colonel Robert IngersoIl. from whom
Craig had many pictures affectionately in
scribed. Even when Craig's fortunes were
somewhat impaired, he always managed to
plan and execute an entertainment for
Colonel 1ngersoll when the famous orator
came into the West.
Craig was one OF the early admirers Of
Julia Marlowe. to whom he sent many
dozens of American beauty roses in the
course of the seasons.
Eight or ten years ago Craig sought to
be Mayor Of St. Joseph. He was a Demo-
crat. which meant that he had a heavy
Republican majority to overcome His
campaign was conducted with all the Law
ishness that might be expected at the hands
OF a wealthy young man without knowledge
of the value OF money. He employed speak
ers. carriages. dinners and halls almost to
the capacity Of the time Of the canvass
He was doing very well in his prosres.
toward election when unfortunate speech
at Tootles Opera-house took many votes
from him.
The speaker. a New York friend Of the
candidate. had approached the conclusion
OF his address.
"And. let me tell you. fellow-citisens.
he shouted. your next Mayor is as well
known In the Hoffman House In New York
as in the Pacific House Of your own city"
I'VE don't want a New Yorker for May
or" yelled one OF the opposition. and from
that time the political fortunes of the
young man were on the wane
Resembled James Whitcomb Riley.
Mr.. Craig bore strong resemblance to
the poet. Whitcomb Riley. whose work he
knew py heart. Craig could quote most
everything written by Thomas Bailey
Aldrich. William Ernest Henley. and Dante
Gabriel Rosetti. not to speak of volumes of
vagrant verse and sentiment that crowded
his mind. He was as full OF schemes as
Mulberry Sellers. and many Of them were
as dificult to realization as the famous
plan Of selling eyewater to the Asiatics. He
built railroads and bridges. founded trust
companies, banks and land schemes by the
dozen-on paper. In the lively days OF the
Western boom some Of them realized but
the soberer methods Of later days found
these plans somewhat visionary
Craig's rooms in the course of his resi-
dence in st. Louis have been variously To-
Gated, but generally in the tenderloin dis
trict. where. surrounded by scores of
pictures-mainly Of actors-he entertained
with as much OF the real spirit Of hos
pitality as he ever showed in other and
more favored days. An abnormal imaeina-
tion and excessive liberality took Craix's
fortune from him. but. through uninter-
rupted losses and backsets. he remained
cheeringly optimistic.