The sun., 1909-06-28
MARTY KEESR DEAD AT u.
had BEEN CUSTODIAN or THE
CITY HALL SINCE 1881.
As Deputy sheriff He Arrested Ross
Tweed-Fought Through the Civil
war and Did Valiant Services In the
Draft RlOts-Funeral Tom orrow.

war ana Did valiant SefNiee In the
Draft RlOts-Funeral Tom orrow.
If Martin j. Reese had lived until to-day
he would have celebrated his seventy
second burthday. He was born on June
-. 1897, in brick house that stood in
Grand street at the corner Of what was
then called Laurens street and later was
called South Fifth avenue and which now
is part Of West Broadway. But he died
at 2:3o o'clock yesterday morning in st.
Johns Hospital. Long Island City. of
bronchial trouble. which because Of his
advanced years he was unable to with
stand.
His half brother. Edmund Rogers, was
with him when he died. Some Of the
Reese children and grandchildren had
been about his bedside until late Satur-
day night, and they left the hospital
for their homes with the assurances from
doctors and nurses that Mr.. Keese did no,
seem to be in immediate danger OF death
His body was taken yesterday to Eickel-
berger's undertaking house, at ss4 Eighth
avenue, where the funeral will take place
on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. The
Rev. DR.. William Geer of st. Paul's Chapel
in lower Broadway, will offioiate and the
interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery
There will be a memorial service under
the direction OF Noah l.. Farnham Post.
G. A. R., at the undertaker's tonight
The last time Marty Reese left his quar-
ters on the top floor OF the City Hall be-
fore he was removed to st. Johns Hospital
was to attend campfire OF the post about
a month ago.
Every day since Mr.. Keese's illness
became serious Mayor Mcclellan has sent
messenger to inquire how he was getting
along. Few Of the Getty officials up to a
late hour last night had heard Of his death
and even his old friends among the vol
unteer fremen did not know that he was
dead.
John R. voorhis. Superintendent of
Offices, Lighting and Supplies. called at
the City Hall last night to learn about the
funeral arrangements. but 30 far as Mr..
Keese's children knew last night no action
regarding the funeral has yet been taken
by any of the city officials or the volunteer
tiremen's society. Of which Mr.. Reese for
long time was president.
It's almost two years now since Mr..
Reese Qet's call him Marty Ne ese,
Mayors, Borough Presidents-evenP Presi-
dent Lincoln on one ever to be remem-
liked the name)-it's two years since
Marty explained for the first time to
an interviewer from THE Sun why he
found il more difficult each day to climb
the iron spiral staircase that twists up
through our beautiful City Hall to the
apartments just under the cupola that
Marty. had occupied ever since he became
custodian Of the City Hall almost thirty
years ago.
Il used to watch almost every rivet,'
Marty said then, "as they drove them into
these skyscrapers around City Hall Park,
and the higher the skyscrapers went the
prouder was Of Manhattan he
indicated with gaunt hand Newspaper
Row and the great gray pile that rises
sixteen stories on the triangular plot
formed by Nassau and Beekman streets
and Park row where, when Marty first
rode pigs in the park. stood the old Brick
Church With its sloping banks OF turf and
the tiny graveyard.
Il was proud Of the high buildings when
they first began, as all New York was
proud OF them, but now when get old
enough to have sense I'm sorry they ever
put them IN up ,; 1t ;,a!ns was prettier years ago
square, buildings that were dwarfs COM
pared even TO that"
He indicated the old reddish brown
hank building on the southwest corner of
Broadway and Park place the building
on the second floor OF which Boss Tweed
had his offices in the DAYS before Marty
Reese took an active part in the beginning
Of Boss Tweed's downfall-for 1t was
Deputy Sheriff Marty Reese. you remem-
ber. who on December 10. 1871, took
stage up to the Metropolitan Hotel in
Broadway at Prince street and climbed
UP to suite l1+-1Is and arrested the very
bad boss.
Before they built the skyscrapers.'
Marty went Nn. tine light and air could
ret in at the park trees and that's why
felt 80 much friskier then-because the
air was better. Now the skyscrapers
seem to crowd down on me more and more
each day IA I come back from the funeral
of one Of the bows. Honest, feel a. il
they were crowding down on my chest
when l climb up to my rooms here, and
that makes me stop TO cough and to take
a rest when I'm only half way up. Be-
fore the tall buildings made the square
SO stufry could run up here two or three
Marty hadn't been able to do much active
work since fresh colds and advancing
years caused him steadily to lose his fight
against the asthma that made him
stop to cough and TO take rest when
but for almost threescore and ten .years
before that Marty and the activities OF
Manhattan were one.
As fireman his record began with the
days when as a little tad he ran with the
% Engine gang" when % Engine was
ouartered in what was then called
anthony street and is now Worth
street. As youth he was foreman OF
Matthew Brennan Hose Company 90.
about the time that Tweed was foreman OF
Big Six; and while Tweed was dropping
lower in the sight Of the old volunteer
fremen Marty was growing higher until
on proud day he became president
of the Volunteer Firemen Of New York.
He fought through the civil war. and
alth ough he was shot through the groin
al Bull Run he never would accept a PEN
sion. For almost q week he went without
sleep or a change Of clothes while he
helped to fight crazy mobs on the streets
of Manhattan in the draft riots Of 1853.
He was with Col. Ellwsorth. the first
martyr at Jim Jacksons Marshall
House at Alexandria, Va, when the en-
en,lsiastic boy Colonel went down the
Potomac to bring back an simpudent.
Confederate Hag to Mrs. Lincoln and
was killed.
Also Marty fought fires in New. York
for years Again, he at least tried to
fight under another boy commander,
Gen. William Walker whom the gray
eyed' filbuster attempted In the sos
with an -army" Of forty to build an EN-
pirc And Marty not only arrested Tweed,
but Tweed's notorious lieutenant. Slip
perry Dick Connolly, as we'll. And 80 you
see that even though Marty's activities
during the last few months necessarily
had been almost nil, he did live while