The Washington times., 1902-03-06
RUFUS K. POLK dies
IN PHILADELPHIA
Representative Said to Have
Expired in Doctors
Office.
TIE Death Reported to the Coroner by a
Physician Not Known to
That Official.

! gram to washington today announced tne
| death of Congressman Rufus X. Polk. of
| PENNSYLVANIA at the Walton Hotel. this
| city, this morning.
/ At the Walton it was said that Mr..
| Polk did not die at that hotel, but at a
| physicians office. Mr.. Polk had been
/ stopping at the hotel. and complained of
| feeling i'll last night. Later in the even
! ing he left the hotel. saying that be was
| going to see physician. but did not
| state which one. Word was received at
! the hotel this morning that the Repre-
| sentative had passed away in the ply
| sicians office.
Did Net Know Doctor.
The clerks did not know the physician S
! name. All the Information they gave out
was as above, with the additional facts
that Mr.. Polk had registered On Monday
with man who signed himself j. J.
Welsh and had stated that he came to
Philadelphia for treatment for a slight
stroke of paralysis. 1t was noticed that
he appeared delicate and needed medical
care.
Shortly after 2 o'clock this afternoon
Coroner Dugan said that Il physician.
whose name he did not know. had tele-
phoned the news OF Polk's DEATH The
physician. Coroner Dugan added. said he
would report in person in short time
The news of the death of Mr. Polk
came as great shock to his collea CUES
in the House and his friends in Wash
ington
He left here on Friday to go to his
home in Danville to attend the funeral of
a friend. He was accompanied by Repre-
sentative Hall of Pennsylvania. who re-
turned to Washington Tuesday evening.
Mr. Polk stopped over in Philadelphia
to attend to some business and was ex-
pected here yesterday The news of his
death was first received at the Capitol in
a telegram sent to the Sergeant-at-Arms
of the House.
A Native of Tennessee.
Mr. Polk was born in Maury County.
Tenn, and received his early education in
that State. He afterward attended the
Lehigh University at South Bethlehem.
Pa. He was grandson of the brother Of
iIfSlutut james n IOlh-
III health caused him to remove to
Pennsylvania when young man, and he
finally settled in Danville. where his
widow and FIVE children now reside. He
began his career by working in an iron
foundry at $I-25 per day. and in com
paratively short time he mastered the
business and began to amass fortune.
The invention of a process for the man
ufacture of seamless iron pipe. and which
handsome income.
A Small Beginning
His business success began when he had
saved $500 out of his meagre wages. He
purchased at a sheriff's sale an iron foun-
dry for $4,000. giving his $500 as the first
payment. He then organized a company,
and the business was conducted success
fully and Mr.. Polk soon became prominent
in this branch of industry and amassed a
comfortable fortune.
Mr.. Polk was thirty-five years of age.
and during the Spanish-American war he
served as first lieutenant in Company F.
of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Volunteer
| Infantry He was delegate to the last
Democratic National Convention. He
served in the Fifty-sixth Congress and
was elected to the Fifty-seventh by a
large majority.
Refused a Third Nomination.
Because of his business interests he
recently refused a third nomination at
the hands of his party. For a number Of
years he had been a prominent figure In
Democratic politics in Pennsylvania, and
he was very popular with members of
both parties in the House.
The official announcement of Mr. Polks
death was made to the House during the
afternoon by Mr. Green. his colleague
from Pennsylvania, with whom he resided
in Washington. Resolutions of regret
we're adopted and a further mark of
respect the House adjourned after the
Speaker had appointed the following fu
neral committee:
Mcssrs. Henry d. Green. ]. K p. Hall.
c. F. Wright. Howard Mutchler. George
r. Patterson. Charles Dick, J. VI. Riggs,
William Richardson. OF Alabama; Arthur
L. Bates. James R. Young. D. H. Mercer.
W. l.. Spark Mark Smith. of Arizona;
Frank E. Wilson and l.. F. Padgett
As soon as the death of Mr.. Polk was
learned his seat in the House was draped
in black and wreath of flowers was
placed upon it. Mr. Green left yester-
day afternoon for Philadelphia to assist
in making arrangements for the funeral