The sun., 1912-07-23
lie M0ULT, THE FLORIST,
DEAD BY HIS OWN HAND
Lover of Flowers and a Help to
Lovers Who Didn't Know
Their Language.
GRlENED SINCE WIFE DIED
Kept Up Bowcry shop After He
Had Branches Uptown
for the Fashionable.

There was note of sadness along the
Bowcry yesterday when word came down
from The Bronx that Adolphe lie Moult.
the florist whose shop at 2O2 Bowery has
| long been the source of much romance
in that supposedly unsentinental thor
oughfarc. had committed suicide at his
home, ?iO Echo street. IN a III of de-
spondency by slashing his left wrist and
inhaling gas through rubber tube. He
was found dead in his bathroom. He
had been grieving over the death Of his
wife.
Ie Moult had lived among and loved
his flowers for nearly half century and
the people of the Bowcry loved him not
only for his flowers but for himself
His fame. however, extended far beyond
the confines Of tha Bowcry, and though
he chose to maintain his principal shop
there he established branches far up
town and his fashionable patrons We'd
with the Boweryitcs in their admiration
for him.
He was only 10 years old when he started
in business as "A i'orisi and opened stall
IN Tenth street not far from fiilh avenue
in the late 'J,s. lie knew the language
of flowers and many blusning swan
learned from MIN Just the kind of posies
10 send 10 his best sirl at exactly the light
time. The girls didn't always know
precisely what message the flowers con-
veyed until they consulted Adolphe
and the florist often said he believed that
the information he gave them made
smoother the matches OF many a pair
Of lovers.
1t was still in the '80s that lie Moult,
always an aimirer of the beautiful, de-
ri,l.,l hu p.,x ia, ia Ia Ia
more popular than II Was AT that time
and introduced the fragrant blossom to
the fa-hionabies of New York lie made
regular trips to Kockland Lake. where
he gathered pond iilIe, ny the thousands
and kept his stall we'll stocked with them.
II wasn't long before the sweet smelling
blossoms became all the rage and the
florists income rapidly increased.
lie Moult moved his shop ITO "a store
under Wallack'S old theatre in Broadway
and there added many theatrical folks
10 his list of customers. He personally
selected the posies. covering the notes
in hundreds Of bouquets which found
their way 10 the popular actresses of the
day and he took Srear delight III making
up the dainty boutOnnieres that Lester
Wallauk used TO wear.
Once Oh "a challenge ke made floral
igure of Harrigan of Harrigan and Hart
fame which was shot up through "a trap
The audience believed the actor had
really made his appearance and the
florist got "a S2vH roll in place OF the 500
promised in case he fell short of making
his floral dummy sufficiently lifelike to
fool everybody.
Le Moult was called upon TO make
floral pieces for the funerals of many
prominent men and he always insisted
tha, the blossoms selected should bring
out in fitting way the chief character
istic- Of the dead. Il was with this idea
in view that he made for his wife u floral
hay of red and white carnations and blue
violets which she caused to he placed
ON the castet of Gen. Mcclellan.
He furnished the floral pieces ordered
by the Board of Aldermen as the city's
mark of respect al the funeral Of Horace
Greeley. The Aldermen didn't think
of he flowers until late in the night before
the funeral and Le Moult was kept busy
until just before the cortege started
arranging the blossoms with a loving
hand.
Although he was friend OF every
kind OF highly cultivated flower mos, iy
priced by fashionable folk and Others
who occasionally like to be extravagant.
he had a decided preference for the wild
flowers of the fields and mountain side