The Washington times., 1915-09-22
ANTHONY COMSTOCK
D|ESIN HIS CRUSADE
Labor and Worry incident to
War Against Vice Brings
Fatal illness at II Years. /.

NEW YORK. Sept. 27.--Anthony Com
! Suppression Of Vice. known tife world
over through the controversies that
have followed his crusades against
books. pictures. and plays that he
deemed improper. died last night at the
age Of scyenty-one years. after an Ill
ness Of ten days which developed into
pneumonia. -, ~
His illness was brought on by over
work and overexcitement. resulting from
his fight to retain, his position a. q
postoffice inspector. which he had held
since his appointment by President
Grant In 1873. ana from his successful
efforts to convict william Sanger Of
having violated, the criminal code by
giving away a copy Of "Family Hmita.
Ion.'' written BY his wife. Margaret
Sanger. '2'
On September 10 Mr.. Comstock took =
heated part In the court proceedings IN
the Sanger case, which ended after q
fine Of Slio had been imposed on SAN
ssd.r sd " fSH BsrRm.n ana EIissSesh o' aurisy %
Flynn, and others. chiefly anarthists
Mr.. Comstock. who. in his excitement.
had talked without permission Of the
court. was allowed to speak before the
ne had been told that he would be shot
unless he dropped the prosecution Of
the case. The day after this scene in
court Mr.. Comstock was Ill OF an In.
termittent fever. which finally caused
pneumonia. ..E. -.' .s....
, While few people have attempted 70
criticise Mr.. Comsuck for his efforts
to suppress books and pictures mani
festly intended to be sold chiefly for
their iicentious character. he had been
OF the forty-three years Of his career
as crusader because of the differ
ences Of opinion oser what constituted
the dividing line between indecency
and art. 49,. ID. .--... ...',- r.. -.
The fact that blanks occur in the
! cacio." and Of many modern and an
cient classics Is due to Mr.. Comstock.
He has protested against the appear
ance OF many plays here. notably
asos8. S.rnsId shaw aa.a and
! the long line OF humorists and sa-
tirists who have exercised their tall
ents on the noted secretary of the So
cisty for the Suppression Of Vice.
b,1d WhsfS re-. puelie opinion and the courts
wrong in finding evil In what purport-
cd to be art. the controversy WAS the
finest Of adrerNsing. september
Morn Is the most recent instance. In
May. 1913. Mr.. Comstocs threatened
the original by PAU Chabas on ex-
hibition. The arrest was never made,
but the public soon got q chance to
decide whether September Morn" was
Art or not. because hundreds Of thou
were on sale in stores In every part
Of the United States In a few weeks.
Up to 1914 Mr.. Comstock had caused
the arra!gnment in State and Federal
ssher Gs .py wsr. Ss wseH
the extent Of s2N.la.0 and imprison-
ment to the total Of 5ss years. eleven
ena Snd sa' ssv:.
lars In fines were added In 1874 and 1915.
Mr. comstock was born: at New
Sansan. edns.,ad Conn., o. i:.. on Nay & I lsA He US
Ss% s..n Has sssoo SsoS' IN nnS m st sss
his brother, Samuel. had been killed
ct Gettysburk. Anthony volunteered TO
take his place an served until the end
OF In snf isss Tab +. cam. to New York With
,s.Go in his pocket ana got a Job a.
porter in a dry goods house. In 1872.
after he had risen to be . salesman.
II. h19 nSdsnt s hca aHea a
his fellow employees with indecent
books, learned from them that they
had obtained them from . sort Of Cir:
culatinS library IN Center street, ana
on March 2. l6c. arrested the dealer
The first few days Of the campaign
! used up all Of his own money. but the
late Morris X. Jesup took an interest
in the work and gave him $3.50 with
| which to continue his investiga ations
After Mr.. Comstock had brought to
light the volume Of traffic in prints d
matter of the lowest kind. the Society
for the Suppression OF Vice was organ
ICED. and It advocated the passage Of
| stringent Federal laws closing tho mails
and ports to the business. It was pass
ed. and two days afterward he was ap-
pointed a special postoffice inspector
without salary.