The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-19
Ex-MAYoR ABRAHAM S. HEWITT

Mr. Hewitt, who had been in feeble
health for some months, was attacked
with obstructive jaundice on January
8, and from the first it was realized by
his attending physicians, Dr. E L
Keyes and DR.. E. L. Keyes, jr., that
there was practically no hope of the
aged patients recovery. On the follow
ing Sunday it was thought that Mr.
Hewitt could not survive the night, and
the members of his family were sum
moned to his bedside, but his wonderful
vitality kept him alive for week long
er On Thursday Mr.. Hewitt rallied so
strongly that some hope was entertain
ed that he might recover. but on the
following night relapse occurred and
it was then evident that the end was
not far off A slight improvement was
noted on Saturday morning, but late
that night the physicians notified Mr..
Hewitts son, H. Cooper Hewitt. that
death was imminent. and the other chill
dren Edward r. Hewitt Erskine Hew-
lit, Mrs. J. 0. Green, Miss Sarah Hewitt
and Miss Eleanor Hewitt. were sum-
moned and, with their mother, remain
ed by the bedside until the end.
The funeral services, which will be
conducted by Bishop Potter, viii be held
/ in Calvary church, of which Mr.. Hewitt
was a member, on Wednesday.
Abram Stevens Hewitt was born in
/ HaVerstraW. N Y. July 81 1922. He Sc
public schools of New York city, and
i by a special examination obtained one
of the free scholarships at Columbia,
/ and was graduated in 1912 at the head
of his class. He supported himself dur
! ing his college course by teaching and
! coaching students at the college, and
after gradua ton he remained at the col
/ lege as an assistant professor in math-
T Il
was studying law,andin 1845 was admit
ted to the bar. He soon gave I'D the
/ practice of his profession on account of
! impaired eyesight and became associa-
ted with Peter Cooper in the iron bUsi-
ness. The development of the business
from a small beginning to its later
greatness was practically the result of
/ Mr.. HeWitt's efforts. In 1852 he went to
England to learn the process of making
| gun barrel iron. and at a heavy loss to
/ his firm furnished the United States
/ government with material during the
| civil war.
The introduction of the Martins-Sie-
mans, or open hearth process for the
+ due to his Judgment. No serious labor
troubles ever affected their works, and
/ in time of commercial depression the
furnaces were carried on at q loss rath-
er than add by suspension to the dis
/ tress of the community. The plan of
the Cooper Union was devised by its
own trustees, with Mr.. Hewitt as their
active head and as secretary of this
board he directed its financial and edu-
cational details, bestowing upon it for
more than a quarter of century an
amount of labor exceeding the duties OF
some college presidents.
/ He left the Tammany, joining the
Irving Hall society, and was one of the
organizers of the county Democracy in
1879 He was elected to congress in
1874 and served continuously with the
-E ATr
Hewitt was an advocate of honest f.
nancial legislation, of a moderate and
discriminating tariff reform and was
a frequent speaker on subjects connect
ed with finance, labor and in the de-
NelOpmeut of national resources Ii
October, 1886, he was nominated as the
Democratic candidate for mayor OF
New York city, and at the subsequent
election received 60 $50 votes, against
/ 62 40 for Henry George and so. .435 fol-
THEODORE Roosevelt. His management
of the municipal government was
1 marked by its rigid enforcement of the
laws and holding the heads of the var
ious departments to q strict account
ability. Mr.. Hewitt was chairman OF
the Democratic committee in 1876
Columbia university gave him the de
gree of Ii. D. in 1887, and he was tins
/ president of its alumni association il
Of the American Institute of Mining
] Engineers. and his retiring address Ol
/ "A Century of Mining and Metallurg!
in the United States attracted mucl
favorable criticism from experts Hi
report on Iron and Steer at tn
i i Worlds fair, held in Paris in 1867, me
: with great approval and was widely re
published at home and abroad.
It was in politics that MT Hewitt
first attained nation wide reputa tion
and at no time during his career wa
r there ever q breath of scandal attache'
to his public service. He was know