The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-24
COL, RICKEY. dies OF POISON
sol THERN P0LITJCIAN TAkEs
(ARBOLIC ACID.
Death At First Ascrfbed to Heart Disease
The Friend NJ Most Of the Mig Demo.
cratic Statesmen. but Rest Known
~ the Inventor 0f the Cip.Rtckey

|
Of gin, lines, settler and ice which bon
his name. died yesterday morning AT
boarding house at ~ West Twenty -fftf
street Of carl,olic acid poisoning.
| This was shown when an autopsy wa,
! performed late Yesterday afternoon anc
a lot Of the acid found in his stomach. How
| or where he took the acid IL a mystery
His lips. tongue and throat were no,
burned in the slightest degree. and had {,
not been for the fact that a bottle Of the
acid two-thrds empty was discovered Id
the pocket Of his coat his death would no,
have aroused suspicion. II
His family said that Col Hickey had been
using the acid as a mouth wash. and they
were unwilling to believe even after the
autopsy that he had = ommitted suicide
Col. Hickey for the last three weeks had
been under the care Of physician and
nurse. While he had not been in good
spirits bis friends and family denied that
he had ever. threatened to commit suicide.
His doctor visited hin, YESTERDAY morning
ana found nm 50 mewhat better. After
breskfasting with his wife and daughter,
he walked out AS was hia custom and had
drink AT the Hoffman House. II was
learned. however, that he also went Z o a
drug store opposite and purchased the acid.
saving he wanted II for a wash.
Policeman Riordan saw him about 1890
o'clock leaning against the fence halfway
down the block on Invent fifth street
Riordan. who knew him. started to help him
home. The policeman had got him as far
as the door OF his home when he fell in
commissions Just rs the nurse opened the
door. He was carried to his bed uncon-
sscous, and before DR.. Fitch could reach
him he was dead
Policeman Riordan found the bottle OF
acid. and the police reported the fact 10
the Coroner's ONCE along with Or. Fifch's
statement that death seemed to be the result
If heart disease.
way, but he decided late yesterday after
noon to have an autopsy made. DR.. Weston
said that he found In the stomach quantity
Of acid about the equal Of that missing from
the bottle and that it was strong solution
while Col. Hickey had . had heart =.
said DR.. Weston. -there IL no doubt that the
acid caused his death. How h took II I
can't say. but II would seem a. though IL
must have been in whiskey or through
tube .. o..
Col Rickey's friends were very much
shocked when they heard the result Of the
autopsy. Mrs. Hanchette. his daughter,
said that while her father had been much
depressed she could not believe that ne had
killed himself Col Hickey six months
ago received $4,000 as a compromise Of
suit with Frank Huntoon. his partner In
mineral water business, and had other
property which made him well on
With him when he died were his wife,
his daughter, Mrs. Abby Hickey Hsnchette
Of Saginaw; His son. Hyde Hickey, Is in
Oregon. The body was taken last night to
Fulton, Mo. the family home.
Col. Hickey had political prominence
Of a peculiar sort. For twenty years no
nf hA 10
party had lacked his presence. he was the |
intimate friend OF the leaders If the party, |
and yet he never would accept nomina- |
ton or an Office Of any sort
Col. Hickey was Al years old He came |
NJ Irish percentage. and was born in Wis
ronsin, although he claimed Missouri as his
home the most Of Ibis life. He studied law
In the office OF Chief Justice Miller OF the
Supreme Court at Dubuque, Ia. and then
'ederate Army under Kirby Smith. and at
he end Of a years service was captured
md psroled. He went back to ST Louis
md became specuhator and politician.
irifting from there to Washington. in
he last ten years making his home in this
'ity.
Hickey, who vas Colonel by courtesy,
vas a close friend of Senator Vest, ". j.
stone Of Missouri, and Silver Dick" Bland.
md launched the Bland boom for President
y dinner he gave in st. Louis before the
hicago Convention and fought hard for
,lsnd. When Bryan was nominated he
ought just "a hard for him and was one
{ Bryan's close friends. |
As political bettor Hickey had few 4
q,lals TOR man OF his means He always
ook tho Democratic end OF a bet. On
1eveland's second election he ataked almost |
very cent he had and won S50.0o0. His |
eis on Bryan the first time the latter ran
ggregaied. 40 his friends said yesterday.
rs, 600, and besides losing this he lost az
,uch morcc by being on the wrong side I
the market then. Despite this, he was 1
Ist rs confident when his friend ran again.
nd bet almost as much.
He was a noted political prophet II
as said of him AZ the Hoffman House
that he once offered TO bet that | I
2 could name man that would be nomi- Z
ated and elected Democratic Governor OF
hio that nobody in the crowd had ever
Ex Congressman Jack" Adams and Ed ! 4
okee put up e?O0) against 500 that he |
'uldnt. II ives eight months before the I
invention. but hickey named Campbell. !,
zen ,nheard OF here, and Campbell was a
He won and lost several fortunes in Wall
rect. Only two years ago he cleaned ur |
200 and sailed for Europe to have
,od time. He was an inyeterafe poker J..
ice refused TO hold a man for Violating !,
q law against playing games Of chance !.
hon the prisoner said ne had been playing 4
th Joe Hickey. NO man who PLAYS =
th Joe Hickey plays a game Of chance
n his ruling "a
Il was a. the inventor Of the Gin rickey :.
at most people knew him. II Ia said +
at he never laid claim TO the honor. but
= friends did for him. and there IL no q
ubt that. while the drink may have been | !;
old Missouri connection. Il was Hickey 1.
10 first made IL known here. u
Col. Rickev was o leader In what Ia known J =.
the Hoffman House crowd" composed y,
men like himself, many Of them South | IL
ners and all feryid Democrats. He Was Il
most as well known at the Waldorf until &
e night in 1909 when he mixed u up with =,
pit. W. II, Wheeler. a promoter, and, "
er punching the latter, was knocked n
wn. II
Mr. Boldt ordered both men never to rs
ter the hotel again. but recently n il r.
ed. ~ .-.It Is
-ol Rickey at the time Of his death ia r
d 10 have been fairly well on. He repre- :"
tied interests at Washington which paid !,
n well and he owned q lot Of property q
,re. a. one time. His home In Galway
inty he called the Kingdom n
. a. A. =. :. 1. y =. y. ..ssg - :, u !. = :.