Las Vegas optic., 1913-09-13
TIM SULLIVAN KILLED
BY A RAIL Way TRAIN
NEW YORK coNeREssMAN's BODY
LAY IN. A MoReuE THIRTEEN
DAYS

livan, the New York politician who
rose from newsboy to congressman,
is dead His mangled body was iden-
titled today by his step-brother, Lsr-
ry Mulligan, after il had lain for 13
days in a local morgue. 5g5 ii
Sullivan, who was i'll, eludedr his !
nurses in the early morning of August
81, and few hours later was struck
and killed by train at Pelham park
way.
With no identifying marks on the
clothing or articles in the pockets the
body lay in Fordham morgue for 13
days awaiting Identification. This
morning it was sent to Bellevue
morgue. There was stationed Peter
Purified, a policeman, who had known
big Tim" and liked him before his
mind became clouded Something
about the expression Of the features
stirred Purfield's memory.
Bye and bye, afteE he had pondered
an hour or so, Purified remarked to
a reporter: "That looks a little bit
like Big Tim
Peering long at the mutilated and
discolored face, the reporter thought
so too. The telephone brought "Big
Tins" East side friends in groups to
the morgue, but none recognized in
the changed features the man they
had known in his prime. Larry Multi
gan, Sullivans step-brother, was sum
moned. He looked at the face once
and turned away
"It's Big TIM" he said.
Sulliyan's body was on its way to the
Potter's field when the chance obser-
walton of Policeman Purified led to It's
Identification The transfer from the
Fordham morgue to the one at Belle
vue hospital is the usual preliminary
Ito interring the citys paupers and un.
identified dead in the public burying
ground.
big Tim" met his death two hours
or less after he had wandered out into
the night from the home of his broth.
! er, Patrick, at Williamsbridge The
neighborhood is sparsely settled there
and Sullivan had but a dollar in his
pocket. He struck out across the
fields for the railroad. apparently with
the thought in mind that he would
take a train for New York and visit
his former cronies on the East side.
Pelham Park way-station lay not far
away 1t is possible that Sulli-
van saw its lights and made it his
immediate destination. In any event,
his body was found at o'clock in the
morning near the tracks by police
man. 1t was taken to the Fordham
morgue.
For many months big Tins" mind
had been under a cloud. Elected to
congress last fall, he had never taken
his seat because Of this trouble. A
commission was appointed to admin
lister the affairs Of his large estate
and to watch over his person.
Last May he was taken to Europe,
in the hope that the ocean voyage and
trip on the continent would restore
him to health. When he came back,
however, his friends saw little i'm
provement in his condition. He was
taken to the Willlamsbrldge home of
his brother, and three male nurses
were employed to guard him. Once
he eluded them and went back to the
East side. He remained there but 2
few hours till his nurses were noti-
fed and he was again under surveil-
lance.
On the night he disappeared he sat
up till o'clock playing pinochle. Two
of the nurses went to bed at midnight,
leaving the third to continue the
game. The third nurse became drow-
sy. "Big Tim" did not. When the
nurse finally slumbered, big Tim
crept noiselessly out of the house and
went to his death.
Timothy Sullivan, big Tim was
one Of the best beloved, genial Tam
many leaders whose power came from
popularity in the swarming tenement
districts that have voted many a Tam
many candidate into office His
stronghold was the Bowery. There
every winter he distributed clothing
to thousands Of human derelicts
big Tim" was child of the Bow
cry, born in tenement in 1868. All
his life he resided m the downtown
district He was one of four young
children left fatherless, and when II
years old he was selling papers on
streets. A year later he was working