New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-28
Pneumonia Proves Fatal to
Manhattan President and
Leader of Democrats
in the Board of Aldermen
Worked for His Education
Elected to Assembly i'm
1893, Senate i'll 1900, and
Was Considered for Mayor

of Manhattan and for years leader of
the Democratic forces in the Board of
Aldermen, died yesterday morning at
his home, 334 West Twenty
street.
Pneumonia, following an attack OF
gallstones, caused the death of Mr.
Bowling. He had been i'll only little
more than a week and had been suffer
ing from pneumonia only since last
Tuesday. At the time he was first
stricken, DR.. H. C. Russell and Dr..
John Wyckoff, specialist of Bellevue
Hospital, we're called to attend him.
He rallied and until last Monday it was
believed that the crisis had passed. On
that day, however. he suffered re-
lapse and Dr. Bert Murday, his fam
lily physician, was summoned from
Vermont, where he had been spending
the summer.
When pneumonia developed DR.. Mum
day summoned all the members of Mr.
Dowling's family and told them the
complication was extremely dangerous.
Early yesterday the patients tempera-
turc reached 104, and only few hours
later he died. His wife, daughter
and sister were at his bedside.
Born in New Orleans
Mr.. bowling was native Of New
Orleans, where he was born in 1865.
His family moved to this city when he
was very young and lived in the Chez
sea district. After attending public
school the boy WAS compelled 10 go 20
work. but he attended Manhattan Col
legc and New Yorl. University at night.
reer destined to make him powerful
factor in the Democratic party.
The first political Office the late 8or-
ough President held carried with it
little indication Of what WAS to come
in later Years He was q process
server in the o1ice of the District At.
,orncy. In 1893 he received MS iirst
Office from the hands Of the people -
ne was elected to the Asse .i.olv. His
record Is 81 ASSEMBLE man resulted II
his choice as leador CT tho 18th
Assembly District and he was
I'm right" wien ran.lAany from then N
,
when he opposed Senator Crazy, TAM
many nominee, tor the District At
t0rncyship.
In 1899 the Labor party offered ,.lr.
Downing thc nomination for City Court
Justice. but he declined it and a year
later Wa elected &c tnv State Senate
from the 1ath Dist1ic' In 100
he was reelected. After ms second
Germ in the Senate he was elected to
the Board Of Aldermen. where h.
served continuously until 1915. when
he was elected president OF that body.
Spokesman for Murphy
During his career in the Board of
tldernen 'he Chelsea delegate was
the recognized Spokesman f. Charles
F. Murphy aNd Tammanv Hall. and in
1916 he was the choice OF that organ
ization to run for President of Che
who bod resigned. His ovcrwhe ming
defeat Of Curran. whom he led b.
more than 81 600 votes. carrying all
boroughs, was the turning pont fer
Tammany At that time j. Was pre-
dicted chat the next Mayor would be
q Tammany candidate.
1t was this remarkable run by Mr..
Downing that made him the logical
choice Of his organization for Borough
President, and there is no question that
he would have been seriously consd-
cred as Tanmany candidate for Mayor
at the next election.
a pioneer in The fight against the
high cost Of living, Mr.. Bowling was
the sponsor OF the terminal markets
plan, aud devoted much of his time TO
seeking other solutions to the problem.
He was rcmorseless opponent of the
MI, ii his
casm in dealing with its advocates is
history.
Master Of Repartee
AS wit and a mastr of repnrtec the
late Borough President has had few
equals in public life. One OF his pet
aversions was efficiency experts. and to
speak of them to him vas like waving
a red flag at 4 bull.
"Eficiercy experts. huh.' he grunted
one day when the Board OF Aldermen
was discussing them. "They put me in
mind OF q Welsh rabbit. It's neither
Welsh nor rabbit. It's just piece Of
cheese"
On another occasion. when the then
Borough President Marcus NJ. Marks
was advocating the erection of
smaller clock on the reconstructed City
Hall tower, Mr.. Bowling roared
Smaller! Smaller. object to it's
being made smaller We don't want a
wrist watch on the tower'
The funeral services probably will be
held on Tuesday from st. Coumba's
Roman Catholic Church. Twenty-hftil
Street, between Eighth and Ninth Ave
nues. The Board OF Estimate will hold
q special meeting on Monday morning
at 1880 o'clock fer the purpose Of
tax ing aDprOpriats action
MIR. Bowling leaves his widow, a
daughter, Florence, eighteen years old
another daughter. Mrs. H. P. Hall. OF
2356 Grand Concourse; 8 son. Frank l..
bowling, jr., twenty-five months old
sister, Miss Margaret Bowling, of SOL
West Twenty-second Street, and a
brother. Joseph j. Dowling
Flags at Halfsta
All the municipal flags were flown at
halfstaf as soon as word of Mr.. BOWL
ing's death vas received by his associ-
ates yesterday. Mayor Hylan issued
the following statements:
II have just learned of the death Of
Borough President Frank L. Bowling.
The news of bis demise has shocked me
very much. The personal loss which
will sustain by his absence from the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment
cannot be expressed in words The
people have lost a faithful. fearless
public official. His tireless energy and
his devotion to duty marked him as a
man whom the people could III afford
to lose.
In this hour CT bereavement w;cb