The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-05
PEDIGREE OF DICK CROKER.
A Stsry Related of One Of His Ar
cestors,

cestors.
Considerable discussion has taken
place concerning the ancestry and par
entage of Richard Croker, the chief of
the Tammany wigwam.
The subjoined letter is explanatory:
The Editor of the Cork Daily Herald.
Sir:-Having read the article in your
issue of this day on the BOSS of Tam
many l, as one very closely related
to him, and intimately acquainted with
the family. wish to correct misstate-
ment in it.
Whatever his career may have been.
or whatever his merits or demerits he
is not the ''son of a Cork blacksmith"
I The blacksmith's trade has ever been
held in the highest estimation. but
Richard Croker never followed that
honorable calling. can tell you exact
ly who he is. He is the eldest son of
the late Eyre Coote Croker, Ballyvagh,
near Clonakilty, by his wife, Frances,
sister of the late Richard Welsted, of
Ballywalter, in this county. Eyre
Coote Croker emigrated with his fam
lily to America, and died in New York
in 1881. He was the son of Major
Henry Croker, of Quartertown House,
Mallow, by his wife, Harriet, daughter
and heiress of Arthur Dillon, of that
place, from whom he thus derived it..
This Major Henry Croker was a son
of John Croker, of Ballinagarde,
County Limerick. l am, sir, yours
faithfully,
A COUNTY CORK MAN.
n story is told of John Croker, of
Ballinagarde, the great,grandfathe of
Dick Croker, which the editor of the
Irish Standard heard while riding on
one of Bianconi's mail coaches from
Limerick to Bruff on a fine day in
July of 1891. When jogging along the
macadamized road fine residence
came to view. The lawn was literally
covered with rabbits. 'Whose place
is that?" asked one of the passengers.
THAT is the home of the Crokers," re-
piled another; and then he told the
following story: ''There once lived
here in the eighteenth century one of
the CrOkers, who was q noted charac-
ter. He was Protestant, but good
fellow in his way. He spent his time
in fox hunting and deviltry and cursed
like trooper. Well, at last he got sick
and was going to die. a minister was
sent for to prepare him for the other
world. He came and spoke soothingly
to the old man and told him if he had
faith his sins would be forgiven him.
Croker listened attentively to the par
son Of the Church of England and
seemed resigned to pass in his checks.
He suddenly sat bolt upright in bed
and requested the clergyman to assist
him to the window to take last look
ut his beautiful demesne Reaching
the window of his fine mansion he
gazed lovingly on the scene and in Sob
bling tones exclaimed: Farewell, Bal
linagarde and my lovely gray mare
You are going to better place. said
the parson. L be id but doubt it,
said Croker. "From that day to this"
said the narrator, 1.-THE last recorded
words of Croker are remembered
throughout the County Limerick, and
when any one tells a story that is
hard to believe, the person addressed
usually shrugs his shoulders and says:
L be id but doubt it, said Crok-
err"
Next day, when returning from
Bruff to Limerick and passing Cookers
place the writer was told the same
story by an intelligent school girl who
was on her way home to Glare on
vacation.