The sun., 1907-04-14
FRIEND OF TIE POOR BURIED.
HUNDREDS FOLLOW FRANCHTS
BODY TO TIE GRAVE.
a Poor Boy when lie Came Here Years Ago.
italian Made Money by ShreWd Real
Estate Transactions and Gave Freely
but Quietly to Relieve the Needy.

Estate Transactions and Gave Freely
but Quietly TO, Relieve the Needy.
The members Of the Italian colony Of
Greenwich' village and other residents
OF that section OF all nationalities turned
osit in the rain by hundreds to do honor
Ia Giovanni Franehi. friend of the poor"
wDose funeral was held yesterday morning
from the Church Of st. Anthony, on Sullivan
street near Houston. The italian phil
anthropist, whose charity has known no
racial bounds since he settled in the old
Ninth ward nearly fifty years ago. died
Of q stroke of paralysis on Tuesday night.
Since that time his home at 2l Macdougal
street had been the mourning place Of those
Z whose poverty had not appealed to his
! generosity in vain.
The funeral services had been set for
10 o'clock yesterday morning, but long
before that time the string Of carriages
bearing the philanthropists friends num-
bered nearly three hundred and stretched
through past Prince, Spring, Broome and
Houston streets and for several blocks
ION each Of the side streets, blocking all
traffio in that section during the hour OF
the funeral services
Giovanni Franchi's body was borne to
( Calvary Cemetery in a casket Of statuesque
I bronze. costing more than s.. 500, notwith-
standing that the philanthropist had told
his son, August, that he wanted only the
simplest kind of a funeral. He asked that
money be spared from the funeral expenses
20 be used for the aid Of the poor in the
neighbofhood, whose pleas for help he
feared might meet no response after he
had gone. His five daughters and his
son felt that his generosity in his lifetime
called for the richest casket they could find
The life OF Giovanni Franchi has been
like the life OF many other successful men
who accumulated fortune by their BUSH
meas acumen and then give vast sums in
personal charities every year and do this
philanthropic work so quietly that their
good deeds are known only to their almoners
until after their death. He was born sew
enty years ago IN Psrmigiani, province OF
Genoa, Italy, and when he was barely old
enough TO travel he started outfor America
alone. convinced that he would succeed
y ssSSS 5 5sTS ssu MEs SllS Siss !tSiM.
ward. which at that time contained many
Irish and American families, but few Ital-
iahs. As an Italian he was not welcomed
at first, but he soon convinced the other
boys Of the neighborhood that he could be
as good an American boy as the next one.
Franchi saw early in his youth that almost
the only gathering places for the youths OF
the neighborhood were the winerooms,
some Of which were conducted in a way
calculated to injure the habits and morals
Of all who frequented them: Franchi
bought one Of these places with his first
savings and so changed it's character it
became one OF the points Of interest for
the summing parties Of two decades ago.
made money p,Sy rapidly. With bis FIR first Profits
he bought another place, and both these
winerooms were again sold after he had
so changed their character that the pur-
chaser gladly kept up to the standard set
In this way Franchi branched out into
the real estate business, and by his wise
transactions made money rapidly. Some
years ago he became convinced that prop
6rty in West Hoboken was bound TO in
Grease rapidly in value so he invested nearly
an his available cash in that suburb. He
attracted other investors to that section by
organizing various industries there, and
backing them with all his means until they
were running successfully.
One Of these was a silk mill occupying
two city blocks, which netted him a small
fortune when he sold it.. II Is said in West
there still stands in his name. He was a
heavy owner of real estate in Manhat-
tan and in other boroughs OF the greater
city.
franchi has been the puzzle OF many other
rich men Of the neighborhood who could
have dealt as generously with the poor as
himeeK IL they could have seen where their
Eeheroslty would avail them anything.
When he was becoming a power in Gresn-
wich Village, both through his wealth and
through his great hold on the residents Of
the neighborhood Of all nationalities,
Franchi was appealed to by political leaders
Of all parties to ally himself and his friends
with them, promising him political prefer
nnent that would do much to make his name
hunored outside the boundaries Of the
section which already honored him.
& Il want no political honor" he always
told them. 4 will do what can to relieve
the deserving poor without any hope Of
reward and don't care to ever have any
one aid feel that he must do something
for me in return"
It was freely said in the neighborhood
Of his home last night that no one who
asked Franchi for aid and was worthy Of II
was ever turned away. Widows threatened
with dispossess proceedings told Franchi
their troubles and were helped. Many
churches in the neighborhood. without
regard to creed, often got his aid without
aAking for ID. He gave the first dollar
for the church from which bis funeral was
held.
Franchis wife. Amelia, who Is now "a
years old, has encouraged her husband
Ia bis charities and is held in no less esteem
than her husband. One Of his five daugh-
ters, Bella, is a graduate Of the Baltimore
College OF Dentistry.
MOYER-HAYWOOD PARADE.