The Washington times., 1906-06-27
End Comes at Maryland
Farmhouse at EiGven
O'clock This
Morning.
SUCCESS OF LIFETIME
ENDED IN CRASH
Hundreds Suffered by Col
lapse of Fortune That
Game in His Old
Age.

%OAAAC III AAlO Ol4
Age.
ANNAPOLIS Nd. June 27.-
Thomas E. Waggaman, of Washing
ton, died at II o'clock this morning.
He had been suffering with an ag-
gravated attack of facial cancer, and
died at a small farmhouse seven
miles from Annapolis, where he had
been for several months.
Thomas Ennaus Waggaman began HE
business life in this city as a collector
OF bad bills, with nothing but his energy
as his capital, and he made a success OF
this line OF work He next took I'D the
collection Of rents. and, passing from
that. drifted into the real estate bust
ness.
Failure Followed Success.
His success al this was so phenomenal.
50 gigantic, that when he failed. two
years ago, his liabilities were more than
100000. his real estate holdings were
the largest held by any yuan in the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and, even the day be-
fore ne made his assignme ent, his credit
was never questioned.
When he did fail. ne ascribed the col
lapse 10 The fact that he was land poor.
He held immense tracts of land inside
he city aad in the suburbs. and on ali
this he continually paid interest. While
he paid this large interest. the value
OF land in washington remained station
arr and he dsd not realize on his hold
srrcr h. h-a
Indeed. Jp TO the very last. he hoped
and felt confident that the land values
in Washington would go UP so that he
might realize the returns that he had
counted on.
0verYhelnet With Censure.
When Mr. Waggaman failed. ne was
overwhelmed with a storm OF censure
and abuse from the thousands OF peo-
pie whom his collapse had impOverish-
ed. He was ceusUred in no uncertain
terms because. up 20 the day OF his
failure. he had accepted money from
the poor. the sick and the inhrn, the
savings OF 'fetimes. the intended means
TO support the last years OF lives well
spent For these sums he gave his notes
which became practically worthless
when he failed
savings Of the poor when he knew he
would soon fail and thus be unable 20
REIN bursc those who made him the Gus
tooian OF their money. His treasurer
ship OF the Catholic University gave
him great hold on all those Of thar
faith. and they were a large majority
OF those who lost through his failure
Many Persons Suffered
After the announcement Of his assign
r~Tn ~ @.r-5
those who had lost through MIN. There
We're stories Of widows in,poverished. OF
old ladies travelling abroad and abruptly
summoned home by the news that their
all had been swept away, OF orphans re-
duced TO want, and Of men Of no in
considerable wealth reduced TO strait
ened circumstances by this immense
business tumble
In the course Of events an indictment
was found against Mr.. Wsggaman, but
il was never pressed. as the cancerous
growth on his face had already shown
itself and he was known TO be doomed
man.
But in the last months OF his life it
was demonstrated that he had savesf
from the wreck Of his fortunes not a
cent Cor himself, for his wife, or for
his children He had spent in seclusiOI.
on the banks OF South river. near
Chesapeake bay. his brother. John F.
Waggaman. providing all the needs OF
life for him and his family
Married Three Times.
Thomas E. Waggaman was married
three times. and had twenty-five chill
dren. eleven Of whom now live. His
widow. mother Of SIX children. was a
Miss Waggaman. OF New Orleans. a
distant cousin OF Mr. Waggaman She
has been his constant nurse and at
tendant during his terrible illness. on
the banks or South river.
In addition to being a man Of large
wealth prior 10 his failure, Mr. Wag-
Eaman was noted as a person OF art
Georgetown home was noted throughout
the country After his assignment, the
treasures of this gallery wereput up at
auction in New York but did not bring
as high prices as had been expected OF
them
Of an Old Maryland Family.
The waggaman family figured con-
spieuously in the annals OF Maryland
more than $50 years ago, at which time
Capt Ephraim Weggaman, who had
settled in Worcester county. was COM
missioned sheriff Of the county 1t is.
therefore. peculiarly appropriate that
John F. Waggaman should own a hand
some country home on the banks Of
South river. and that Thomas L. Wag-
f,aman should have retired TO the
opposite shore OF the river TO spend his
last days on the soil which his anceS-
tors had so long known
Mr.. Waggan'a5n died in his sixty-sixtn
year.