The Washington times., 1913-01-03
FINANCE AND TURF
LOSE REAL LEADER
BY KEENE'S DEATH
Famous Horse Lover and
Stock Operator Fails to
Survive Operation. 3

NEW YORK. Jan. 2-There was real
mourning in sporting and financial cir
cRs when the death of James r. Keene,
leader in both circles, at 2:15 a. m.
today in a private hospital, following a
serious abdominal operation, became
generally known.
The very last big operation with which
his name was connected-the Hooking
pool-which collapsed because il was
claimed he had "double-crossed" his
associates, and which brought ruin to
dozens Of small investors in The middle
west and East was one of his charac~
teristic deals. He SKINNED the cream
and left the others to take the skim
milk that was left.
Soon after that spectacular operation
out that he was sick unto death. but
he seemed to recover. An opera ton
WAS performed and IL was declared sue
censful This was in the fall Of 1911.
aid keene mad been unable to take any
active interest in business since.
Last Operation Too Late.
Three months ago Keene returned to
America. He went to the Waldorf and
never left his room. Two days ago he
was taken to the private hospital and
yesterday another operation was per-
formed by DIR. James p. TuttIe and DR..
St Clair Smith. 1t was a last resort,
but II was too late.
Foxhall keene, his son, and pride, the
one person who seemed able to rouse
the financfer from his intense absorption
in money getting and the doctors, Were
with. him when ne died. His daughter
and other relatives were notified, but
too late to reach the bedside.
1t was the turf which found his heart.
As a child he loved horses, as man he
idolized them. His greatest joy in life
was in rearing victors for his coIors and
in advancing the interest of the Ameri-
can sport of racing. His sardonic hu-
NOR dropped from him as a mask when
he breathed the air of the track. One
has but to call up the names of Syson-
bs, of Domino, of Colin. to realize what
James r. Keene did for the develop
ment of the turf and for wholesome
sport
Married Virginia Woman.
He passed several years mining.
fIeighting and editing a country news
PAPER and lighting. Going to San Fran
cisco he began speculatihg in mining
stocks. then as always, on the bear side,
and soon piled I'D his first fortune He
iuet Miss Sara Daingerfield, daughter
OF Virginia judge. there and they
were married in 1853. s
a year later the market went against
him and he was soon broke. He owed
500, 900 after the crash, but within a
week he had made a connection with
Senator FELTON,, then just appointed
Assistant Treasurer of the United States:
keene took Felton's seat on the San
Francisco Mining Exchange. Almost
Immediately afterward Keene declared
war on Jay Gould, then the biggest man
on Wall Street. Keene opened his fight
With an attack on Bonanza Mine stock,
then selling at $500 a snare. Gould
could not Withstand the raid and Keene
cleared up S3.o00ooo personally and for
tunes for his friends, running the prices
10 IS a share.
Banker Killed Himself.
During the resultant panic the Bank
of California failed and its, president.
William c. AlIston, killed himself. Keene
reorganized the bank and then went TO
Europe. returning TO Wall Street this
time to fight Gould. The latter soon
stripped the young Englishman, getting
everything, even his famous picture of
the horse fair by Rosa Bonheur. Gould
hung il on the wall saying at the same
time: There is keene's scalp. 1t looks
sood. for he came here to take mine"
But in later years Keene got the pic
ture back. In 1850 Keene had another
coupled up with Russell Sage and Sage
got his ST.. 0o0,O 600. But he came back
again. and in 1893 made an alliance
with Havemeyers and picked up s5.ooa,UJj
in three years. In 1903 he fought Harri-
man and lost, but only part of his for
tune this time, and he soon got most
of II back
man Morgan was afraid of and the
king of them alr' used Keens in his
steel operations in 1901 to boost prices.
This was one of the very few times
that Keene was on the bull side of any
thing.