The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-24
Spent Over Four Million Dollars n
Year in BenevOlence, but Was an
AutOcrat in Business.
OWNED OVER 5000 DWELLINGS
BESIDES BACHELORS HOMES" AND
"wIDOwERs' RETREATS"
All Built for Use of His WOrkmen-
Also Contributed and Maintained
Hospitals and Orphanages.

BERLIN, Nov. 23.-The first assumption
that Herr Krupp, the great gunmaker
whose death was recorded yesterday, COM
mitted suicide is yielding to precise aud
abundant testimony to the contrary. Pro-
fessor Binswanger, physician of the high
est reputation, was in the apartment ad-
joining Herr Krupps sleeping room when
he was stricken on Saturday morning and
DR.. PAIL, Herr Krupp's family doctor, also
was in the house. They summoned several
other physicians and it is regarded as be-
ing beyond belief that all of them should
have connived at concealment of the
cause of death, which they ascribed to a
stroke of apoplexy. induced, they add I'M
officially, by mental excitement, from which
Herr Krupp was suffering.
Herr Krupp's medical history for several
years past indicates that he was In deli
cate health. He was asthmatic, had a
weak heart and was subject to fainting
spells. He fell to the ground unconscious
while in Genoa several years ago and again
while at dinner at hotel here eighteen
months ago. He had been warned to avoid
overfatigue and worry. He was at Ham
burg Thursday last and at the Hamburger
Hof it was observed that he was in
highly nervous condition, and scarcely in
control of himself. His condition account
ed for the presence of two physicians in
the house at the time of his death, one
of them being Professor Binswanger.
Mrs. Krupp was sent for from Jena. She
is suffering from a nervous malady, but
was brought tc Essen in a special train,
arriving there this morning. The funeral
has been fixed for Wednesday. Chancellor
Won Buelow, all the ministers and a great
number of other officials, following the ex-
ample of the Emperor, have telegraphed
their condolences to the widow. Herr
Krupp leaves two daughters, who are at
school, one named Barbara, aged seven
teen, and the second named Bertha, fif-
teen years old.
Herr Krupp's favorite study was to think
out schemes for improving the well-being
of the lower classes, which he applied
practically to what called labor col
onies." He assented seemingly to most So
cialistic principles, except that he held
tight to the wage system, averring that the
wage-earners were not yet sufficiently de-
Veloped or Self-controlled to regulate for
themselves just system of division of
profits. 1t is mentioned as an odd chance
that man who applied social reform ideas
in so extensive way should have been
crushed by Social Democratic newspaper,
which. however, regarded his measures to
amehorate the condition of the laborers as
not touching the question of economic in
justice.
Herr Krupp's father started the system
of modern dwellings for the workingman
as matter of expediency, and Herr Krupp
himself appears to have developed them
from conviction and in accordance with his
ideals. He owned 5,469 dwellings, EACH to
whatever group 1t belonged. being con-
structed with variations in the architecture
to avoid monotony. Each house had
mental gardening; the outside coloring and
the interior decoration gave a certain aes-
thetic unity. while there was plenty of
space and light
tutions, some of them rather singular,
such as bachelors homes and "widowers'
retreats" Besides convalescent hospitals
and orphanages, he had a pension fund
for his employees amounting to $4125,O00.
He contributed last year, as required by
and gave voluntarily $4.0S0,000 to other in
surance funds. Notwithstanding his beney-
olent interests, he was an autocrat in the
management of his concerns. He was al
most unknown by sight to his workmen and
rarely visited the works or even his Offices
He spent several months every year on
the Island of Capri and managed his gun
works, rolling mills, iron mines and ship
yards by letters and kilograms.
Unlike his father, Herr Krupp took no
interest in the technical side of his bust
ness, yet in fifteen years he had more than
doubled the fortune which he inherited
Since their foundation the Essen factories
have turned out 1900 pieces of artillery.
Herr Krupp resented being called the
Cannon King" and he said that half of
all the output of his works was civilizing
products, such as railway and merchant
ship material and structural steel.