The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-01
Railroad Magnate Would not Heed
Warnings by His Physicians But
Kept at His Busi-
ness.
HAD REMARKABLE RISE
Began Work at 81 Per Week as Mes
senser Boy and Became One
Of Americas Railroad
Kings.

United Press Leased Wire Service.]
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.--Alone in the
big mansion on East Sixtieth street,
near Central Park, where he had liv-
ed in solitary state for many years.
Edwin Hawley, whose rise from rail
way clerk to master of millions. was
one Of the most remarkable in recent
history, died today.
A. j. Pelavata and two doctors,
hastily summoned, were his sole COM
panions at his last hours. His near
est relative in the city, his nephew,
did not reach his stricken relative
until he had passed away.
For hours news of the death was
concealed from the public The end
had come SO suddenly that it was
| feared the bear element on the stock
exchange would drive the securities.
! in which he was so heavily interested
far below their value. While the
| body of the financier rested in his
home, powerful financiers were rout-
ed from their beds and hurried to
their offices to make preparations to
"stand by the market So well did
they do their work that the entire
list held steadily, the only stocks to
] sell off being those in which Hawley
was directly interested. and they fell
much less than was to be expected
4 under the circumstances.
Heart disease following an attack q
I. acute Indigestion, was the immediate
cause of death. The real reason, &C
,ording to doctors, was overwork. Fol
more than a year Hawley had beer
ailing but he refused to quit work.
4 when get my railway plans com
pleted I will take a long rest" he
4 said, and the warnings of the doctors
that if he did not rest he would die
], went unheeded. For several weeks he
has been ailing with nervous indiges
tion and this was complicated by al
attack of grippe, which weakened al
already poor constitution.
Hawley was going south tomorrow
to recuperate. His trunks were
packed and his private car waiting
At two O'Clock this morning he awak
ened his valet complaining that h,
!. was suffering terribly. Doctors wer'
hastily summoned and they TEN
porarily relieved the distress but th
over-burdened heart did not respon'
to the powerful stimulants and tw'
, hours later the railway king was dead
Hawley was bachelor His hom
l..H 80 Il, nvn1-
closest friends ever visiting him. Hi
magnificent mansion was furnishe
, richly, but in the severest, simpl
style. as befitted the man who, az
cording to his Wall street associates
, could give the sphynx pointers o
q saying nothing"
: Hawley was the victim of overworl
He was frequently warned by hi
, physicians that his strict attention t
business was telling on him, and ths
. his health was being weakened. H
:, always insisted that he would take
= long rest as soon as he realized hi
= ambition. but he, like other America
:, railroad kings, died with the plan sti
. in contemplation.
The announcement of his death ha
disturbing effect on all of the stock
of the railroads in which he wa
j showing losses after the news of tn
= Hawley death reached the exchang
!. He died at o'clock this morning ;
= his home in East Sixtieth street
: Hawley was taken with sever
attack of grippe two weeks ago, b,
today, however, he was taken wit
pains in the region of his heart, ar
J. before the doctors could do anythir
4. to relieve him he was dead.
AS soon as Hawley died his ass
d ciates were notified, and arranged
Il stocks from bear raid. After tn
. had been attended to the bare a
nouncement of the death was mad
All details were refused at the Ha'
p ley Offices, and at the home it W;
II simply said that heart disease hs
caused death.
Edwin Hawley, recognized f
= years as powerful factor in Americt
" railroad affairs, was born in Chathal
" N. Y, in 1850. When he was 16,
o crowded his personal effects into ;
old carpet sack and came to New Yo
and got job as messenger for Il
Erie railroad at Sd week He wor
ed there until he got a chance to