New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-23
AGED COUPLE FOUND
DEAD FROM GAS
One-Time Rockefeller Foe
and Wife Die in
Lonely Room.
WENT TO DEATH
HAND IN HAND
Mr.. and Mrs. Hiram J. Collins,
Both Past 80, Stunned Ask
ing Aid of Kin.

After wandering penniless from place
to place in search Of shelter on Satur %
dav. Hiram r. Collins, eghty-two years
old and Anna. his wife, one year
Younger, with clasped hands died from
gas poisoning yesterday morning IN a
room which their gentle appearance
had procured for them at 40. 2iI o5tA
street, Brooklyn
In his youth Mr. Collins was friend
OF President Hayes and an associate OF
Samuel J. Tilden. In his early man
hood he competed with John u. Rookie
feller in the oil trade and lost out IN the
fight. His son-in-law owned Frenchs
Hotel, which stood on the site OF the
New York World Building.
All the property the aged couple had
left in the world they carried in a small
grip. There was nothing Of value eX-
cept a bundle of old letters which led
to their Identification. They died with
in two blocks Of the home of thei"
Mrs. Florence cabin, a.
No. 81 57th street.
Despite the distress TO which the old
pair had come in their great age. they
seem to have Stunned applying to their
children for help. About 4 o'clock on
Saturday afternoon they applied 10
Mrs. Elizabeth Oates, at the Doth stree-
house, for a room. They frankly ad-
mitted they had no money, but said the
rent would be paid in a day or two.
Mrs. oates said TO the police yester-
day: Il liked their appearance 50 much
and thev seemed so tired that thought
nothing OF the money and was glad 10
let them have a room. I could see they
we're gentle folks. The poor old gem
tleman was so loving and attentive to
his wife, looking TO see that she would
be comfortable, il made me quite in
love with them.
They STAYED in their room the rest
OF the evening. and / know they had
nothing to eat, poor souls. They prob
ably had had nothing all day
An odor Of gas early yesterday made
Mrs. Oates try the door when she got
no response to her calls. Patrolman
John Ryan burst in the door, and DR..
Gardiner, Of the Norwegian Hospital
said the old people had been dead some
hours. Their hands were tightly
clasped.
Whether they had agreed TO die to-
gether. finding they could go no fur
ther. or whether the gas had been
turned on accidentally after il was
turned out, there was nothing to show.
The police were sympathetic and in
clined to the theory Of accident.
Il was away back in the early COS
that Mr.. Collins tried TO fight the oil
king" In this city, in which he was
horn. he had two businesses-Lockwood
e Collins and Johnson & Collins-bur
was put out of the oil trade IN lS1}.
Later his son, William, now dead, be-
came an adjuster Of the Supreme
Court. Westchester County. and the old
man became his sons clerk. He lived
for nifty years at Mount Vernon. Dur
ing the last year the old couple had
been moving about from room to room
in Brooklyn.
4 son, Hiram. is in the woollen busi-
ness at No. 219 Fourth avenue. this
city. and lives at Sound Beach Conn.
4 daughter. Mrs. F. French, formerly
Of French's Hotel and mother Of Mrs.
cabin. is in Los Angeles. Another
daughter Mrs. q. q. Hardy, lives at
New Rochelle.
Mrs. cabin took charge Of the bodies
md had them removed to her home.
n: :-l& f1x ~, ~ o,,,o ca