The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-07
Former Senator From Empire Stale Had [e3n h Feebe
 Health For Years
WAS GREAT POWER IN
 POLITICS IF NATION
Was Twice Sent to the United states Senate-BurfaI Will Take Place nt Owega-FuneraI fo Be
 Held Wednesday

New York. March 6.--Thomas Collier Platt, formerly United States senator from New York, and for many years a national figure in republican politics, died at 3:d5 o'clock this afternoon in the apartment of MT. and Mrs. Gustaye Abee, on West Eleventh street, from whom he had rented three rooms for the last four years. Mrs Abele had been his nurse. pr. Paul Au- | terbridge, his physician. said tonight the cause of death was chronic and acute Brights disease. The body was removed tonight to the home of Frank H. Platt, his son. and will be taken on Tuesday to Oweso, N. Y, the senator's birth place, where it will be buried. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at the Presbyterian church in Owego.
 The end was startlinsly sudden. An hour before the senator died his two sons Frank and Edward. with their families and his widowed son. Harry. with the lat ters daughter. Charlotte, and son, Her. man, had left the house. after their usual Sunday visit. The senator said at that time he felt very well and thought he Al o'clock he was taken with a faintng fit and Dr. Auterbridge was hurriedly called The family was notified and returned in haste. MT. Patt recovered from his first lapse. but sank into unconsciousness again at 3;3o and died 15 minutes later. The relatives were all at the bedside.
 Only last Wednesday Senator Platt was at his office downtown. For several years he had been in feeble health and lately the use Of his legs had almost deserted | him. but his condition until today was not looked upon as more serious than usual, although physician called upon him daily. Thursday at breakfast the senator had momentary fainting spell, but rallied quickly. A year ago his fec beness was markedly accentuated and his life was des2ared of for a period but with remarkable vitality he recovered and went about his business as usual.
 Dr. Auterbridge said tonight the vital | ity of his patient was truly unusual. In spite of his fecbleness he took an active interest in affairs and refused to neg feet his business until dictates of nature imposed a rest. He was out of bed at [ o'clock every morning and always early at his office
 No pallbearers have yet been named. In fact all the family were so prostrated by the suddenness of the senator's death they were unable to discuss it in any manner for tho public.
 Was Power in Politics
 Thomas Collier Platt. the Easy Boss" of earlier and brighter days. was fo- many years not only the republican | leader of his state, but figure in na- tional politics shoulder to shoulder with men of such rank and reputation as the late Senator Matthew Stanley Quay Of Pennsylvania. Both men were of ex- ceptional intellectual attainments and both loaned them with signal success to party organization. Quay died still a power; Patt outlived his time and felt himself in late years out of touch with the moving spirit of events.
 | In Twenty Years in Congress" James G. Blaine described Platt as "a business man of great personal popularity. He has an aptitude for public affairs. and Is man of strong influence in his state. He is no debater. but has strong common sense and a quick Judgment of | men, Yet, with all his native judg- ment. wide experience and skill as an organizer. 1t became the fate of Piatt to win remembrance more for his associa. I | did of his own initiative.
 | Twice in his life Platt was the center | or the national stage-once when he resigned with Roscoe Conkl1ng from the United States Senate. and was in stantly named Me, Too Platt, and once when he induced Theodore Roosevelt to run for vice president with MeKinlcy very much against Roosevelts better Judgment and in the face of his re- peated declarations that nothing could | induce him to accept the nomination. There could not be a better instance of Platts skill in persuasion and manipu- lation or of the iro-y that moclsed his ripest wisdom. Mckinley was shot. Roosevelt became president and the days of Platts domination in the state lapsed into senility. His bodily strenRth declined rapidly. He made a second marriage which ended in the courts, and was sued by Mae Wood, formerly a clerk In government employ, for d. Vorce on the strength of third mar rage never proved to have taken place | The episode with Conkling, which was not exceeded in public excitement. ssv the newspaper files of that date. by an event in the civil war, was as follows: | Went to Senate In 1881
 | Platt was elected 10 the Senate in 1aSl
 He and his colleague Conklng became embroied with President Garfield in . bitter controversy over the appointment | of William H. oRbertson to be collector of the port of New York. The nomina- ton was distasteful to the New York or ganizaton and both P1att and Conkling refused to confirm it in the Senate There upon President Garfield withdrew all oth- CT New York nominations made at their instance, among which were those of Stewart l.. Woodford to be United States district attorney and l.. r. Payne. re- gently remembered as an "accelerator of public opinion, to be United States mar shal Finding themselves in a hopeiess deadlock Patt and Conklng both re- signed Conkling was caught in the great blizzard of 1888 and died of exposure. Platt was supposed to be frozen out or politics. Nothing of the sort-he turned his attention to building up influence in