Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-07
BOSS TOM PLAI1
DIES SUDDENLY
FORMER POLITICAL BOSS OF NEW
YORK EXPIRES UNEx.
PEcTEDLY.
CHILDREN WERE AT HOME
FOR WEEKLY VISIT
Had Been An Invalid for Some Time
Death Duo to Acute Brieht's Disease
Had Part in Many Big Political
Deals of the Republican Party
Details of Demise.

New York, March 7.-Senator Thorn
had known personally and intimately
every president since Lincoln, as well
as most men prominent in national poll
tiles during that time. Some Of his
views of these men are summed up
in a private conversation a few days
before his death and made public here
today for the first time:
The party leaders whom have
known" said Senator Platt, "well,
regard Lincoln as our greatest pres
ident; Grant our greatest warrior and
pea cemaker; Mckinley the most low
able; Arthur as the most princely;
Hayes and Garfield as the most gra-
cious; Roosevelt the best organization
governor the party ever had; Black the
most stalwart; Odell the most forget
full; Norton the safest; Hill the peanut
politician; Hughes the tyrant. Quay
was the cleverest politician the coun-
try ever produced. Blaine was an ideal
Americana Thomas B. Reed was the
most expert parliamentarian congress
ever saw"
New York, March Former Unit
ed States Senator Thomas Collier Platt,
republican leader OF the state of New
York for years and intensely Interested
in the republican party from It's or
Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock in his
apartments, 1913 West Eleventh street.
He would have been n years old If he
had lived until next July.
The direct cause of Mr. Platt's death
was acute Bright's disease. For a
number OF years he had suffered with
palsy of the legs, which necessitated
his occupying q wheel chair most of the
time. Within the last two years, tho.
evidences of Bright's disease had be-
come apparent to his physician, DR..
Paul Outerbridge. On May 30 last this
disease became so apparent that Outer
bridge believed his patint would die on
that day
Mr.. Platt, however. recovered, and
was able to attend the marriage of his
grandson. Livingston Platt, son of
Frank p. Platt, and the happiness Of
the ceremony seemed to give new life
to Platt. He took up a temporary home
at Freeport, l.. l., then went to Atlantic
City, remaining there until election day.
This, by the way, was the first time he
had not voted in Oswego for fifty
years.
At Office Until Wednesday.
Later on Mr.. Plett went to Lake.
wood, N. j., remaining there until late
in January, when he returned to his
apartments in West Eleventh street.
where he was constantly attended by
Gustave Abel. formerly custom
house employe and one of the numer
Gus hundreds of men whom Platt as re-
publican leader OF his party had ben
efitted.
With Mr. Plat at his death were Mr..
and Mrs. Frank P. Platt. Mr. and Mrs.
Edward T. Platt, Harry Platt. and DIR.
Cuterbridge. Platt had been at his Of
flee as president of the United States
Express Company until last Wednes
day. On that day he took slight cold,
and while he didn't exactly sink, he
seemed to feel that he should remain.
He hadn't any idea that he was about
to die.
Center Of National Stage.
Twice in his life Platt was the center
of the national stage-once when he
resigned with Roscoe Conkling from
the United States senate, and was in
stantly nicknamed "Me Too" Platt, and
once when he induced Theodore Roose-
Welt to run for vice president with Nc
Kinley, very much against Roosevelt's
better judgment and in the face of his
repeated declarations that nothing
could induce him to accept the nomi
nation.
There could not be better instance
of Plartt's skill in persuasion and man
ipulation or of theirony that Knocked his
ripest wisdom. Mckinley was shot,
Roosevelt became president, and the
days of Platt's domination in the state
lapsed into senility His bodily strength
declined rapidly. He made second
marriage, which ended in the courts.
and he was sued by Mae Wood. formerly
a clerk in the government employ. for
a divorce on the strength of a third
marriage never proved to have taken
place.
The episode with Conkling, which
was not exceeded in public excitement,
says the newspaper files of that day.
by any event in the civil war, was as
follows: Platt was elected to the SEN
ate in .1SS1. He and his colleague.
Conkling. became embroiled with Pres
ident Garfield in bitter controversy
over the appointment of William FL.
Robertson to be collector of the port
of New York.
The nomination was distasteful to
the New York organization and both
Platt and Conkling refused to con-
firm it in the senate. Thereupon Pres
ident Garfield withdrew all other New
York nominations made at their in
stance. among which were those OF
Stewart L. Woodford to be United
States district attorney and Lou F..
Payn, recently remembered as an "ac-
ceierator OF public opinion, 10 nc
United States marshal.
Finding themselves in a hopeless
deadlock, Platt and Conkling both re-
eiouad ConkIiuR was caught In the