The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-12-02
FRICK, FAMOUS
FINANCIER, is
POISON VICTIM
Man Whose Fortune Is Esti-
mated at $20O,OO0,O00 Dies
at New York
PTOMAINE POISONING
Was Power in Steel Corporation
and Continually Fought
Carnegie
PTOMAINE POISONING

!
ptomaine poisoning early in Novem-
Der. He had nearly recovered from
this when complications developed,
He was 60 years old.
BORN ON FARM
The career of Henry Clay Frick has
| formed one of the most fascinating
chapters in the romance Of industry in
the United States. At ten, boy on a
farm in family Of only ordinary
means. he was, at sixty, man of 50
many millions that his fortune like
those of Carnegie and Rockefeller, was
largely matter of guess even to
himself. 1t has been said he was
worth more than S1OO,0OO,000, perhaps
as much as $2OO,00OOOO.
Mr.. Frick built up the greatest coke
business in the world, and acquired
such vast interests in steel that he was
also one of the principal mganates in
that Industry, and in rounding out his
career he became known rs one Of the
worlds greatest collectors of master
paintings E.r
ALMOST ASSASSINATED .
Through the Homestead strike OF
1892. Mr.. Frick came into national
prominence. Differences had arisen
between the Carnegie Steel Company
and its employees oyGr wage sca!"
eliminating in a strike involvin;,
thousands of men; the calling out OF
the National Guard and the prOclama-
tion 0: martial law. 1t was at this
period, July, %, 1892 that Alexander
Eerkman. a New York anarchist, tried
to assassinate Mr.. Frick. Berkman
warked into Frick's office, drew a, re-
volver and fired. the bullet lodging in
;'Mr. Frlck's neck. Mr.. Frick was shot a
RArkman. During the encOunted Mr..
Berkman. During the encounter Mr.
Frick was stapbed three times, but be
downcd his assailant and held him ul;-
~ the police arrived. Rerkman was
tried and sent to the Western peniten-
iary in Pittsburgh for twenty-one
years
1 Thirteen days after the attack Mr.
4 Frick walked to his office unattended
and resumed tho direction of the greaf
strike which continued until November
i21 OF that year. Mr.. Trick was un-
moved by the violence, the protests OF
the public or the distress Of the faml-
lies Of tho strikers. He won and never
ihcgrudged the price Of victory.
RIVAL OF CARNEGIE
I In 1903 times became hard and
United states Steel dropped to low
level. Mr.. Frick then bought ever
thing he could in the way of st"c'
stock and when the excitement wa,i
over 1T was found he had acquired
enough to be a power in that concern.
His first move was to dethrOne Mr..
Schwab as President but w. z. Corey.
another Carnegie man. succeeded
Schwab. Then Mr.. Frick attacked
Corey and succeeded in having him re-
moved, Mr.. Farrell. Frick's friend
was finally made President of the
great corporation.
The breach between Mr.. Frfck and
Mr.. Carnegie never fully healed. A
small instance of it was seen in Pitts
burgh, where Mr.. Carnegie Nhuilt :,
large Office building, naming it aftes
himself, next door to which Mr.. Frick
built another building twice AS large
and named it after himself. Mr.. FricA
incidentally, became one Of the largest
holders Of real estate in Pittsburgh
: In New York Mr.. Carniege built. a
magnificent home and some time later
!. Mr. Frick built an even more palatial
+. residence. on the site of the old Lenox
! Library between 10th and list streets
: on Fifth avenue. 1t was here that ht
provided for picture gallery which is
ore of the largest if not the largest
private gallery in the world 1t con
tains some of the most valuable and
famous paintings by Velasquez, Ram
brandt, Gainsbcrough and other mas
J ters. Many Of these canvasses arc
said to have cost Mr.. Frick several
hundred thousand dollars each.
: On December II. 1881. Mr.. Frici'
was married to Miss Ada Howard
Childs of Pittsburgh. Four children
were born to them; two boys and two
girls. Mrs. Frick, one son and ono
daughter survive.