New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-22
GAS KILLED POOR ARTIST.
He DESCENDED FROM PICTURES ~
POLITICAL BANNERS TO AID
DYING SON
DYING son

4 J. Charles Collins. the artist who painted
Look Out" died yesterday in the Home Hotel
| No. 14S st. Ann's-ave., from accidental gas
| poisoning Look Out is the picture seen III
| art stores and many homes, of laughing boy
/ with an armful of snowbslls, one in MS f'sh'
! hand ready to throw. The death dIscioSes una
| the artist was forced to descend to painting po-
| iiticai banners. Collins seventy years o
Alice Fisher the landlady, snelled gas I'M rug
| tha house and traced 1t to Collinss ROOM Inc
! door WAS closed but not locked, and the "lho""
| nartIv omen Collins was dead in bed doctor
was called but he could do nothhs pul i'li'' ia
Coroner O'Gorman, who SAID the man I'D" "ii
| doubtedly died from accidental poisoning Ine
gas let had an extra cock for gas stove. COL
| Inns had stopped the hole with CORK put hao
| hung his shirt on the end of the jet on Saturday
night and it is believed he turned the gas stove
| stop on in turning the burner stop off.
The coroner looked over the effects of the
| artist There were hundreds of newspaper and
art periodical clippings about his pictures
| Look Out and Spring were praised. and the
clippings told of the numerous and varied copies
of them that had been made and OF the repro
auctions printed and sold Spring is picture
Of an outdoor scene, with 8 boy leaning out OF d
window and blowing soap bubbles.
Coroner O'Gorman much moved by ma
in little box. Five pairs of spectacles lay in
row and each successive pair indicated the
progressive weakening Of the artists eyes, each
pair being of somewhat thicker glass and higher
magnifying power than the last The biggest
pair had glass twice thick as the first
A box of old letters brought out the most
pathetic part of the old mans life. They were
all written to his son, John, jr, consuInptiVe
boy who died in the Catskills. The old man
had managed to save enough money TO send the
boy there All the letters were written in
about year-1SSS-and addressed in endearing
terms 10 the boy and all signed Pop" AS Cor
oner O'Gorman picked them out and looked over
them he ran across a lock of hair every once
in while
Every letter contained encouragement for the
boy The artist would say that John did not
have consumption at all. and you will soon be
all right Don't worry, he often wrote.
I'll soon be up to see YOU JACK he would
write, evidently in response to the boys i'm
portunities, and he added:
It's hard scratching, Jack. | even have to
daub political banners. and don't dare let a bit
of such work go. as it brings in something
Jack my clothes getting so that look like
a tramp. and 1 want to get a new suit before
1 see you. But I'll be there very shortly, Jack
Now they end said Coroner O'Gorman.
See. they began early. and late in the year
they end so know what happened then
Papers showed that the old artist paid - 'o
a week for his board Pawn tickets showed that
the last year hard one. He had pawned
the pictures he had painted for the necessares
of life.
The coroner found copy OF letter Collins
had written the Editor of The Metropolis
some years ago. II spoke of two triumphal
arches erected in Madison Square in the Wash
ington celebration, for which ne had painted
eleven decorative portraits or panels He com
planned that the committee for the city cut down
the appropriation for the work TO the extent OF
So 600 and the contractor. SO cut. In turn cut the
sub-contractor 81 400.
In the deducting ard squa billing" says the
artist Il was not paid Nor do ! expect 10 he
(as the sub contractor Is dead. unless some
Of no DnSEHSSed of sense
Of honor will endeavor to prevent the disgrace
of this great city inviting all creation to a
grand Jubilee in honor OF Washington, 20 march
Under triumphal arches decorated with portraits
which the artist never paid for
The cid man is said to have a daughter
Polly in yonkers Efforts will be made 20
end her