The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19
VAN BUREN'S NIECE
DIES IN POVERTY
Helen Fowler, Woman Promo.
ter, Formerly Wealthy.
Found Dead.

Helen Van Buren, Fowler, so years old
died yesterday from heart failure in
Tiny room on the top floor OF the nine
story apartment house at "a Eas, Tween
ty-seventh street. where she had told fell
low tenants that abe was a niece of Mar
tin Van Buren,. once President OF the
United States. The room she had occu-
pied for the past two years was COM
monty used for the servants OF we'll TO do
tenants on the lower floors being
rented out other wise to needy roomers for
$40 a month.
Miss Fowler. although possessing
wealth and Influence In former years.
died in straitened circumstances and with
! scarcely friend in the city. so far as
could be learned yesterday she left no
property of value beyond few small
articles OF furniture She was said to
be well connected In Washington.
According to the history she gave those
in the house her relationship with Presl-
den Van Buren, had brought her a posi-
ton in the post Office at Washington
when she was II years old. At the capt.
tai FOR nine;een years. she said. she bad
been on friendly terms with Presidents
Cabinet members and Congressman. She
said that she had free entry to the homes
and tables OF the countrys most promi-
nent people, bur that at was all different
! now"
While at Washington she gained a
! thorough comprehension OF the law. par
| ticularly with relation TO business. When
she left her position at the capital she
started out on her own resources as a
/ business promoter. She prospered for
many years and invested money extern
| svely.
During the Spanish American war she
was an ardent Red Cross worker. Later
she came to this city. Until she moved to
| the East Twenty seventh street apartment
house she lived at the Martha Washing
ton Hotel. No one at the hotel could re-
member how long she had had room
| there. but IL was believed to be for more
than five years.
She seemed to have lost most OF her
$780, 900 fortune In a company formed to
exploit an advertising feature. Up to the
last, however, she had not lost faith In the
concern. and expected to represent 1t at
the Panama Pacific exposition. where she
hoped To recoup her fortune. II was said
that recently she had been selling stock
for a New Jersey corporation known az
the Burton Cooperative Stores.
She had no callers and kept very much
10 herself. The other tenants. however
attested to her wide learning and alert
intelligence. Until week ago she hac
always appeared we'll and energetic
though frail in physique. Then she began
| to fail.
Yesterday at 10 A. NJ. Edward Irving
superintendent OF the building. heard hei
moving about in her room. apparently II
good spirits. An hour later when h'
pa ssed her room he heard no sound. Coins
in he found her lying unconscious on the
floor beside her folding bed. as though she
had fallen out. He summoned an am
bulance from New York Hospital but sh,
was pronounced dead by DR. Stevens upor
his arrival. Her small desk was Uttered
with business papers upon which she hac
been engaged up to the last.
II was thought at first that her body
would have to be taken TO the Morgue. AT
no funds were on hand to bury her Their
II woman friend telephoned TO Miss
Fowler's cousin, Frank Campbell. presi
dent OF "A bank and a large propert,
holder at Bath, n. Y. He said he woulC
pay all funeral expenses. and the bod!
was then taken to the undertaking estab
llshment OF william j. Minor at 4O'
Fourth avenue.