The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
MISSOURTS MONTE CRISTO.
FATE DENIED COL. BLESS
PRAYER BY FIVE YEARS.


Fathers Death In Germany
Fifteen Years in which TO Enjoy II.
MACON, Mo, Sept. i6.-Macon's Monte
Cristo died just as he said one year ago
that he would die. In talking with a friend
who had been reminding him that his cease
leas energy might throw him on a sick bed
he remarked a trifie sadly:
sWhen my time comes It will find me In
the harness. My life will go out like the
crack Of q pistol. How 10 / knowI Weu'
there are some things a man knows that
he can't explain"
For ten booming years Col. F. W. Blees
was the centre around which all things In
theee parts revolved. He wa the town
II he thought a street ought to be paved
the city officers would get together and
order it paved. They knew It was money
In the towns pocket to do whatever the
German suggested.
He had a hand in nearly every enterprise
OF in the city. The largest
military academy in the West was estab-
lished here and personally managed by
him.
Not long after the war with Spain the
Government sent an officer OF the Regular
army here to see IL all the great things
told Of the Colonels big military academy
were true. This officer was 40 impressed
with the Colonel and his school that he got
the Government to send here two OF the
largest guns taken from n OF the Spanish
battleships smashed at Santiago.
The military academy, conservatories and
athletic grounds, comprising some 800 acres,
used up about $500 goo Of the Coloners
inheritance from his German parents, but
that was a mere bagatelle in comparison
with his other Investments. He bought
the main hotel. the opera house, built a
carriage factory at a cost OF $3.50 900, put
UP a bank and a number Of Office buildings,
erected a large and comfortable German
manor home in the residence district erected
q stable that the country people are always
mistaking for a church, invested $1,000 o
In a shears factory and operated an ex-
tensive farm near the city.
1t was natural that a nan with 40 much
ready cash and with such a willingness to
use It should become the victim Of the
~impecunious. People with all sorts OF
propositions beeieged him. At first he
yielded to their opportunities, but later
became known as a hard proposition for
grafters.
Then there were law suits, some entirely
without a shadow OF merit. The litigants
relied upon the Colonel's good nature to
settle rather than to appear stubborn. In
some instances he did settle. In all Of them
he tried to effect an amicable adjustment.
The final action brought against the
Colonel, and the one which was greatly dis
turbing him at the time Of his death from
heart disease, was instituted by relatives
in the German Empire. It was for $50 200
a legacy alleged to nave been left to Marie
AuIer, a niece Of Maria Blees, Col. Blees's
mother.
A United States Marshal waited in Macon
all Of last Saturday to serve the papers
upon Col. Blees, who then was lying dead
In his room at the Southern Hotel In st.
Louis. The complainant and her husband,
DR.. Julius Auler, alleged that Col. Blees
surreptitiously and without the knowledge
Of the compliments took the legacy from the
safe and invested it in property in Macon.
. The matter had been worrying Col. Blees
considerably Of late. In all OF his dealings
the Colonel had been found straightforward,
honest and truthful; and his friends here
think that il he has taken any money belong
ing to the other heirs the act is at marked
variance with all other acts OF his life.
Wltn JDO LLLA1il VI SOAs OtOC6 ANV
IN Macon automobiles, carriages and vehi-
cles Of all sorts were strung out for two
blocks along the railway yards. As the red
coffin box was carried from the express
car to the hearse every man own the long
file removed his hat.
The day OF the funeral was by official
proclamation made a holiday in order
that everybody might attend 1t. All the
fr~aternal orders, the old soldiers, the city
administration and the school children
formed in procession ahead Of the hearse
and carriages. Ie was the last tribute
OF the people to the man who had practically
made their town.
No one here has ever been able to gauge
the extent Of Col. Blees's fortune. Il had
been variously estimated at from $40, 900, 900
10 SIS. 700, 900.
In the early days after he had entered
into possession OF it he spent prodigious
sums In charity and in the entertaining OF
hia friends. He travelled in private cars
from one end Of the land to the other. On
one occasion when on his way to Europe
he took as his travelling companion a clerk
In one OF the Chicago hotels just because
the clerk had by some tactful courtesy won
his admiration.
He wal constantly indulging in unusual
e~nterprises. He chartered a railroad train
10 bring some OF his friends in st. Louis to
Macon to take Thanksgiving dinner with
him, the condition being that the run should
beat all previous records up to date and
should hold for ten years.
Chris Smith, a veteran e~ngineman, did
the trick and earned the money for the
road. The Colonel could have got q special
out OF st. Louis to this place for $500, but IL
cost him 81 600 with the added condition Of
arecord run.
The Colonel set great store on the value
Of his time during business hours. He had
hours a-plenty when a friend called on him
socially, but when he was occupied on a
business subject the moments were as
money.
He was summoned before a notary pub
lie once to give a deposition. The legal
rate for a witness before a notary is 81 a
day. The Colonel was cross-examined for
two hours and the lawyers thanked him
for his courtesy in attending the hearing.
who pays1' asked the man Of millions,
O. be picked up his hat.
The lawyer who had summoned Col.
Blees blushed and fshed into his pocket
book for q dollar, which he timidly held