The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-22
ANTHONY COMSTOCK |. FAMOUS CRUSADER AGAINST VICE, DEAD

Summit, N. J., Sept. zz.-AnthOny Comstock died here at his home in Beekman road, at 8.15 o'clock last evening. His death was caused by pnuemonia, which developed a few days ago during1an illness in which he had suffered from an intermittent fever for ten days.
 Apparently realizing this morning that his end was near, he summoned to his bedside a stenographer from the New York offices of the Society for the Suppression of Vice and dicA tated to her memoranda having to do with the continuation of the business of the society," of which he was sec retary and special agent, for many years-an office which he filled with such devotion to duty that he became known throughout the country.
 MT. Constock, who was II years old, was taken ill while he was here on his vacation in August. He re- turned to work at his offices at 40 Nassau street, New York, however, but again fell i'll and had to come here. His wife, Mrs. Margaret Com stock, and his daughter, Adele, were with him tonight when he died. pr. John Burling had been in attendance at least twice .. day.
 Was Veteran of Civil War
 Anthony Comstock was born in New Canaan, Conn.,, on March '. ,1844. He was the son of Thomas Anthony and Polly Ann Lockwood. He received his education in district schools, an academy in New Canaan, and the New Britain High school.
 . In December, 1863, he joined the Seventeenth Connecticut Volunteers and served in the, civil war under Gen. Gilmore in the Third Separate Brigade, Department of the South, July, 1865. From the battleaelds of the civil war he returned to New Y ork city in 1867 to pass through various stages of work before he found his real battle in life--the fight against vice aand, obscene literature, as he saw it; a crusade against the atrocious in literature and the base in business activities which made him a national character, and one Of the best known igurest of his time. ,*j
 Before he made his first arrest of vendors of obscene books. lon, March 5. 1873, he worked as porter, stock clerk and salesman in wholesale dry goods houses. from 1887 to 1878. In 1873 he became seer etary and special agent of the Society for the Suppress sion of Vice. He held that position until his death.
 In addition, he was appointed a spe,
 
 ment on March 5, 1873- He held this position. which is now known as an in spectorship, and served the govern nent without pay until January, 1907 During that time he made more than $500 arrests and, according to figures published, he seized more than 155 .toins of obscene literature and other printed matter.
 Activities Grew In Service
 
 out makers of prints and to act against them, to seek policy shops robbing the poor of their pennies and to move against them, andAto hu1nd down lot. teries laying tribute upon a dozer states, green goods men heecing vic tfrr1s from rural districts and gamblers racetrack.
 What he accomplished in his at tacks on these various iniquities hal been shown by the laws and statute books. The act of Congress of 1873 [ with the amendment of91876. making it a felony to send obscene mattel through the mails, was drafted by MT Co1nstock. In his office was drawn aT the amendment to the revised statutes of the nation that furnished a basis for prosecution against various fraud. ulent schemes, the bill which drove the lotteries from the country and many other laws.
 His work didn't stop with the United States, for he put in fnotior legal machinery which apprehendet criminals in Amsterdam, Budapest and Rome.
 His enthusiastic endeavors brough him many. enemies and more publicity than falls to the lot of the average 1 crusader, for he was often the targe' for attack, physical and Verbal. His Life was threatened more than once l and he knew what it was to be sci upon and beaten in the open high l ways.
 Some of Comstocl<'s Raids In 1897 Anthony Con1stock and one 1 of his agents seized 15o copies of Ga briele D'Annunzio's book, '"The Trl- l umph of Dsath,' in a New York office 1 In 1906 he> got patrol wagon and | raided the rooms of the Art Students 1 league at 215 West 57th street, carry | ing off all of the copies of the June ] number of the magazine published bS the school This number of the mag. azine contained many art studies, in cluding pictures of nudes. His most