Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-13
Met Death August 81, But
Body Lay in Morgue Thir-
teen Days Unidentified.
ON WAY TO POTTERS FIELD
WHEN SEEN BY POLICEMAN
Elected to Congress Last Fall, But
Had Never Taken Seat Be
cause Of Illness.

NEW YORK. September 13.-''Big Tim
Sullivan. the New York politician, who
rose from newsboy to congressman, is
dead
His mangIed body was identified today
by his stepbrother. Larry Mulligan, after
ft had lain for thirteen days in a local
mo: que.
Sullivan. who was Ill. eluded his nurses
In the early morning of August 81. and
q few hours after was struck and killed
BY a train at Pelham Parkway.
His body was on its way to potter's
field when the chance observation Of P0-
liceman Purified led to its Identification
The transfer from the Fordham morgue
to the one at Bellevue Hospital is the
usual preliminary To inte. ring the city's
paupers and unidentified dead In the pub
.ic buIying ground.
With no Identifying marks on the cloth
ag or articles In the pockets the body
-ay in Foroham MOI que for thirteen
lays awaiting idenuncation. This
morning IL was sent to Bellevue morgue.
inGre was stationed Policeman Purne.d,
who had known big Tim" Sullivan and
Ikcd HIM before his mind became cloud
u. Something about the expression Of
The features stirred Puriield memory.
3y ana by, atIer he had pondered an
isour or SO, Purneld remarked to a re-
norter:
That looks little bit like Big Tim.' .
Identified by Stepbrother.
Peering long at the mutilated and dis
coiored face, the reporter, thought SO too.
Fhe telephone brought big TINS Eas.
Side friends IN groups to the morgue, bu.
none recognized IN the changed features
the man they had known in his prime.
Larry Mulligan, Sullvan's stepbrother
was sumoneo. he looked at the face once
and turned away.
Its Big 1im, he said.
Big Tim met his death two hours or
less after he had wandered out into the
night from the nome or nis brother Pau-
TICK. at Williams Bridge. rhe n.ignb.r-
hood is sparseIy settled there and Sulli-
struck out across the fields for the rail-
road, apparently with the thought in
mind that he would take a tram for New
York and revisit his former cron.es on
the East Side. Pelham Parkway station
lay not far away. 1t Is possible that
Sullivan saw It's light and made Ii his
Immediate destination. In any event his
body was found at O'Clock In the morn
Ing near the tracks by policeman. It
MAS taken to the Fordham morgue.
Mind Clouded for Months.
For many months big Tins" mind had
been under cloud. Elected to Congress
last fall. he had never taken his seat be-
cause of this trouble. A commission
was appointed to administer the affairs
of his estate and to look after his person.
Last May Patrick took him to Europe,
hoping that the ocean voyage and trip
on the continent would restore him to
heath.
When he came back. however. his
- fvx I'D
condition He was taken to the Will
liamsbrg home Of his brother. and three
male nurses were employed to guard
INN. Once he eiuded them and went
back to the East Side. He remained
there but few hours till his nurses
were notified that he was again under
surveillance. On the night he disap-
peared he sat up till O'Clock playing
pinochle. Two of the nurses went to
bed at m. m.dnight. leaving the third to
continue the game. TIE third nurse be-
came drowsy: Big Tim" did not. When
the nurse finally slurnbered big Tim"
vent to his death.
Timothy d. Sullivan-"Big T.m''-was
one OF the best beloved of the genial
Tammany leaders, whose power came
from popularity in the swarming tene-
ment districts that have voted many a
Tammany candidate into Office. His
stronghold was the Bowery. There every
winter he distributed shoes and clothing
UlOuSallQS OF human QerelicIS.
Big Tim was child of the Bowery
He was born In a Leonard street tene-
ment In 1868 and all his life he resid-
ed in the downtown section of New
York. He was one of four young chill
6Ten left fatherless. When he was
eleven years old he was selling papers
on the streets. But he was too am
bilious TO stay newsboy. A year later
he was working in a newspaper press
room
Sullivan was q political power in a
small way before he was OF age. AT
twenty-three he was elected to the
state assembly. There he served con-
Nnuously for eight years.
Ran for Congress Against His VIII.
After tho assembly came the state
Benate. where he served four full two
year terms and part of fifth. Then
he went to Congress. Big Tim" did
Albany. and after a few years in pri-
vate life he was reelected to the state
senate. Against his will. IL was said
he ran again for Congress last fall.
.'Big Tins wealth was acquired from,
many sources. Chief among them were
saloon and racing and theatrical inter
ests. in which his association was ed -erly
sought At o-e time his fortune was
estimated at more than $2.OJO.OO0 but
his satellites and pensioners we're
constantly increasing and during the last
few years his ventures were less sue
cessful
Worry was the last aiiment his friends
could associate with Sullivan's sunny dis
position, but IL was worry, they agreed
today, that finally broke down his keer
mind and probably brought him TO his
death. The death of his cousin, Alderman
Little Tim Sullivan. was the first blow
The treschery OF one of his trusted
friends cost him, IL was said. S1OOUOO
Then came the death OF his wife. He
first showed signs of breakdown In Au
gust. 1911, and although since then there
were occasional flashes of his old vii
bis health steadily declined.
Never Took Seat in Congress.