The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-22
JACOB WORTH DIES SUDDENLY
iSTRTCkEN WITH HEiRT DISEASE
At mn SPRTNGS.
He Had Bern IN Failing Health for fears
Started aS n Democrat. but Turned
Republican and Held irdisputfd
sway lntll He Broke with Flatt.

can leader Of Brooklyn, dled suddenly IN ms
room Of tie Eastman Hotel here tonight.
Heart failure was given ms the cause OF his
death
The veteran politician and turfman at
tended the races in the afternoon and APP
peared TO be in the best Of spirits. He re-
tired 10 his room early, and was reading a
book when he was stricken.
Mr.. Worth came here two months ago
and brought his racing stable with him.
His horses included Mamie Worth and Dom
Paul Throughout his stay here he spent
most OF his time watching his racers at
work.
Mr.. Worth had been in I'll health for years
He suffered chiefly from rheumatism
He came here in the hope that he would 10
benefited
Jacob Worth who for many wears vas
one Of the most popular and picturesque
figures in the Republican organization
IN Kings county and for some time It's
undjsputed leader. was born in New ork
IN 1893. OF German parentage. He moved
10 BROOKLYN with his widowed mother when
he was six wears old and two years later
was al work in a match factory in the old
Rushwick district He was an apprentice
in n rorewalk at -. but soon gave up this
Job and became an apprentice in the navy
and made trip around the world in one OF
the old warships.
On leaving the navy he returned 10
Brooklyn, and because he was good Demo-
crat in those early days of his career, he
secured employment in the navy yard.
It was here that he first became acquainted
with Hugh Mclaughlin, the veteran Demo-
cratic leader, and in spite Of their sharp
political differences. extending over forty
years. there was never a break in their
pleasant personal relations.
II was in the memorable Lincoln cam
paign that Mr.. Worth cut loose from the
Democracy and cast his lot with the Re-
pubhcans. At the breaking out of the
civil war he went TO the front With the
Excelsior Brigade, composed mainly OF
volunteer freinen. and served as Lieu
tenant and Captain in the Peninsular cam
pstgn. While in the army he was pros
trated with rheumatism. and in 1853 was
forced to resign and return home. He
suffered more or less from the trouble
until the close OF his life.
Mr. Worth's political career began in
1884 when he was elected to the Assembly
from the old Seventh district in Williams
burgh. which was Familiarity known as
. Dutchtown He had such n strong fol-
lowing in the district that he was reelected
wear after year. suffering only four defeats
between 1894 and 1879 Few members
from Brooklyn ever exercised more influence
than "Jakev- Worth as he was Familiarity
known. regardless Of what the. political
complexion the Assembly might be
In 1879 the Republicans nominated him
r. rtrknet TolIttral
Kings county, and although the late Thomas
Riley won out by a majority Of less than
fifty. 1t was generally believed at the time
that Worth was really elected. MIR, Worth
sta rted legal contest for the office. but
soc n withdrew It. his Democratic compet-
tor. it was said, having compromised by the
payment Of a substantial sum.
Mr. Worth served for a short time as
one Of the City Works Commissioners in
Mayor Howel's first term and a. Firs
Commissioner in his second. In the eH-
citing Mayoraty campaign OF 1881 Mr.
Worth opposed the nomination OF Seth
Low. and in the canvass supported Mayor
Howell, his Democratic opponent
he made a bitter speech in the county
committee against the young reformer
OF those days and denounced the move
rnent which resulted in the withdrawal OF
Gen. Benjamin F. Tracy from the race
supported Mr.. Howell in the campaign and
was for some time sfterward under politi-
cal cloud. ~
It is a peculiar commentary on the
changes wrought in politics that sixteen
years later when " came TO nominating the
first Mayor for Greater New York,
Mr.. Worth was one Of the foremost cham
.pions Of Seth Low. even making his famous
break with Senator Platt, who insisted on
tho nomination Of Gen. Tracy.
Early in Mayor Lows first term as Mayor
Of Brooklyn Sir Worth lost his place as
Fire Commissioner and Col. John y Part
ridge who later became Police Commits
sioner for the Greater City. became the
head of the Fire Department Mr. Worth
,oon resumed his activities in the Repub-
hcan organization and subsequently served
two terms in the State Senate from the
Fourth district, besides making an unsuc-
cessful race for Congress agsir1st Archibald
L. Bliss.
Commissioner by Mayor Chaplin AT the re-
quest. H. was generally understood at the
time Of his old friend Hugh Mclaughlin
In the four years he held this Office Mr.
Worth was virtually the leader NJ the Re-
publican forces IN Kings county,
He at first opposed the party rrorganiza-
tion plans in 1892 but finally became one
of their most earnest advocates He gained
complete control Of the county committee
put William J. Buttling at it's head and
RULED the wires which finally landed Mr.
Buttlng in the Sheriff's Office, from which
be retired with a fortune Of 10000 or
more
The brea K between Mr.. Worth andSenator
Plat in the summer of 1897 resulted in the
most bitter factional squahhle which has
ever disturbed the epublicanorganizati
in Brooklyn. II originated.it is supposed,
in the refusal OF Senator Plat to renomi-
nate Gov Black and was OF course intensi-
fed by the Tracy-Do W Mayoralty COM
plcation.
Mr.. Worth came out in frequent state
rnents denouncing the action Of the Senator
and declared his purpose to keep the Brook
lyn organization in line for Low Senator
Platt declined 10 discuss the controversy
with Mr.. Worth, but he took pains to de-
pose him from the leadership Of the organi-
zston by depriving him OF control Of the
county committee
This was accomplished on the night Of
Sept. II at the most exciting meeting in
the history Of that body, when the anti
Worth forcS won by majority Of a dozen.
although before the Patchwork estrpnge-
ment they were in a minority of over forty.
The fight against Worth was made under
the direction Of lieut.-Cov. Timothy L.
Woodruff who has since been the recog-
nized leader OF the Kings county orRani-
Eation.
Whatever the real cause Of the quarrel
with Senator Plat, it proved disastrous 10
the car Of Mr.. Worth az political leader
r. a IL