The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-04-11
TOM |. JOHNSON IS DEAD AT 56
TIFIFLiNDS EX.MAYOR LOSES
IONG FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Worries Incident 10 His Political Cam.
paigns and His Fight for His Hobbies.
Particularly Three Cent street Gar
Fares. Had Undermined His Health.

ClrvEJANp, April lo.-Tom l.. John
son. four times Mayor Of Cleveland
died as he slept at SAT o'clock to-nig ght.
He had been ill for two years.
His end came as his family sat about
his bed at the Whitehall They had ex-
tected death since Mr.. johnson was
drugged into fitful sleep Monday night.
Mr.. Johnson's last conscious words were
said at 2:3o o'clock this morning
"Oh. feel so good he murmured. his
hrs just tracing the words. Il had such
pleasant dreams; everything is all right;
feel so happy"
Mr. johnson lay in the borderland
between life and death for twenty-four
hours The coma which preceded death
was the sign that cirrhosis Of the liver
and Bright 8 disease had run their course.
Mrs. johnson, herself i'll with grief;
he two children. Mrs. Elizabeth Mariani
and Loftn Johnson. and Mrs. Ioftin
johnson we're the family group at the
bedside With them were Dr. Oscar
Thomas. two nurses. n. d. Baker. Mr..
Johnsons closest friend; A. B. Dupont.
HE cousin and Jim Taylor. Mr.. johnson g
valet.
While funeral arrangements have not
vet been made the body probably will
lay in state for day and public se rvice
viii, be held. The interment probably
will be made in New York. where MIR.
Johnsons parents and his brother are
buried
The illness which killed Mr.. johnson
had been sapping his vitality for nearly
four years The last attack began March
IS The story of his life was written. Mr..
Johnson was ready to die. he had given
his farewells. put his affairs in order ard
re lay placid, welcoming release from
his pain.
L hope | can die" he told his nurses
sunday night before he sank into fit
fll slumber, and he whispered to his
physician that he did not want his life
prolonged by artificial means
For hi. hobbies. his extraordinary
activity. his genius for advertisement,
mis- political ambition and for at one
tine at least-his personal popularity
Tom l.. johnson was known from ocean
n ocean. He was comparatively young
man when he died. but there were few
de days in his So years Hustling and
irving tn figure out what other pc ople
we're going to do before they got ready
To do it aged him. as he himself once said
in an interview.
He was a puzzle to most people. even
his close friends. They could never
Understand how a man who had made a
large fortune by the exploitation Of street
railroad properties. whose interests we're
bound IN 30 closely with conservatism
IN business and finance. could dabble
With socialism and single taxism and
Bryanism and a dozen other isms that
Tom L, Johnson was particularly fond of.
His long and pertinacious fight to force
the street railways of Cleveland to give
three cent fare with transfers gained
him more notoriety perhaps than any Of
his performances. but it was lost finally
las, November, when johnson was beaten
by a Republican for the Mayoralty.
He took the defeat hard That and
financial reverses which had greatly
reduced his fortune seriously affected
his health His failure to be reelected as
Mayor Of Cleveland ended his political
career His fortune had dwindled from
perhaps SO 600 600 10 a small sum. He
announced cheerfully enough about a
year ago that he was broke.
Tom L. Johnson vas born in Scott coun-
" Kentucky, in July, 1854. His parents
Z k..A
ever called him anything but Tom l..
lie was big and breezy and Tom l.. fitted
Inn much better than the more diRnified
appellation. When he was a small boy
his parents moved to Staunton, Va,
and there he formed the first monopoly
~ his career In those days there was
only one mail a day to Staunton and
Young johnson secured the privilege Of
handling all the newspapers and periodi-
Gals that came to town, He got Is cents
lnr the daily papers and rs cents for
Illustrated publications and cleared SSs
N very short time on that speculation.
y was the first big money he had ever
handled and it gave him his start in
ne With that capital he went to Louis
ne and went TO work for the street
indianapolis, got an interest in the old
street railroad company there and in a
year or two became it's manager. Be-
'9re he was % years old he owned con-
rolling interest in the stock of the COM
pany and was worth half million.
Next he tried Cleveland, bought an
interest IN a one horse street railroad
me IN the outskirts OF the city, made
money out Of il, consolidated IL with
another line and within year was the
master of trunk line system. His for
t1he grew rapidly He acquired iron
''uhGFes and street car lines in other cities
ana went in for politics. With his brother.
aipert l. johnson, he owned at one time
me old Nassau Railroad in Brooklyn.
which was sold to the B r. 7, system
'9f all u was worth.
IN 1883 as a free trader and single taxer
hN ran Tor Congress in the Cleveland dis
Ulc' and was defeated. He tried again
IN I'9 and was elected easily Two years
'a''r ne was reelected by the surprising
l'Htalty oi 5000 in Republican district.
ne was rst elected Mayor of Cleveland
10 l"ll and served four successive terms,
''uTihS ON January |, this year. after
i'' d"i"d' IN the three cent fare cam
ho'Hn in hs fight against the street
'dIl"ad company IN Cleveland he used
u D.. d Tts a. "A. IL.