Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-11
HOW GROW LOST HIS MONEY
HIS FRIENDS GRIEVED AT RE
PORTS OF BLACKMAIL.
James T. Du Bots Tells of the I'm
poverishment of the Statesman and
Aid Given by Mr.. Carnegie.

Friends of the late Galusha A. Grow, ex-
are grieved at the publication Of reports
that his death was fastened by a band of
swindlers, who are alleged to have levied
blackmail upon him. At the time of his
retirement from Congress in 1902, Mr.. Grow
was moderately rich man for one of his
quiet tastes living in his own home at
GlenWOod, Pa. He was paying taxes on
$50, 600 personality outside of his house
hold a few years ago, and his investments,
including good securities are known to
have exceeded 100000.
His will. which has just been probated,
shows that he had practically nothing left
when he died March 81 last. Mr.. Grows
neighhorS were surprised to learn these
facts, and the gossip among them gave
rise to the report that Mr.. Grow had been
swindled in his old age.
Statement by Mr.. Du Bots.
Mr.. James T. Du Bots of the Department
of State was a warm personal friend of Mr..
Grow and was appointed his sole executor.
He has just returned to this city after at
tending Mr.. Grows funeral at Glenwood
and looking after the affairs of his estate.
A Star reporter called upon him this morn
ing for Information in regard to the pub
lished reports that Mr.. Grow had been the
victim of blackmailers in the closing years
of his life.
Mr. Du Bots said he felt a delicacy in dis
cussing the matter for publication, but he
had no hesitation In saying that Mr. Grow
became impoverished about two years ago
through the decline in value of certain rail-
road investments he had and also through
the 'ingratitude of some persons whom he
had generously assisted and who had taken
advantage of his old age-he was over
eghty-to obtain large sums of money from
him." Beyond this Mr.. Du Bots did not
care to go, and said that he had nothing
to say with regard to the blackmail story.
Mr.. Du Bots said that during the last five
years Mr.. Grow had been writing work
entitled Fifty Years of Congress. The
manuscript of this work is in the hands
of Mr.. Du Bots for editing and publication,
and he says it is an interesting history of
Congress from the time Mr.. Grow first en-
tered that body up to the expiration of his
last term Representative-at-larg from
Pennsylvania.
Aided by Mr.. Carnegie.
Although not generally known, it ap-
pears that when Mr.. Grow lost his small
fortune about two years ago he was placed
on the private pension list of Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie. The latter first became acquaint-
ed with the fact that Mr.. Grow was in
straitened circumstances about two years
ago in the course of a conversation with
Mr.. Dubois, with whom he was taking a
drive in this city.
Mr.. Carnegie said he considered Mr.. Grow
a public benefactor and a friend of hu-
manity. and that he had accomplished
very great service to the people of the
United States in securing the passage of the
homestead law. 1t was for these and other
reasons that he arranged for the payment
of 5000 year to Mr.. Grow for the rest
of his life.
That sum was fxed upon as being sufi-
cient to enable the aged statesman to con-
tinue to live in the same comfort that he
had been living in since his retirement from
Congress. 1t Is understood that the amount
was fixed at the suggestion of Mr.. Dubois
who probably knew more about the condi-
ton and circumstances of Mr. Grow than
any one else.