New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-10-09
Anthrax Germ
On Brush Kills
Michael Farley
Former Representative Dies
in Bellevue Hospital Z
Hours After He Was
Admitted to Institution
Cut Himself i'm Shaving
Wife Arrives Too Late From
Atlantic City to See Him
Alive; Was 81 Years Old

Seven hours after he had been admit
ted to Bellevue Hospital, Michael F.
Farley, former Representative in Con-
gress, died yesterday afternoon of
anthrax, said to have been contracted
from a new shaving brush.
Mr.. Farley was taken to the hospital
in an automobile at 10 o'clock in the
morning by his physician, DR.. Bert Mum
day, of 1922 West Twenty second Street.
Almost Immediately upon being assigned
to bed in the contagious ward, the sick
man became unconscious, remaining so
until he died. His brother, John M. Far
ley, of 73 Eighth Avenue, was at his
bedside.
DR.. Bruce B. Preas and DR.. Albert
Russell, house physicians, administered
anti-anthrax serum to the dying man,
but without avail.
Fails to Respond to Treatment
The disease had reached malignant
form, it was said, before his arrival at
the hospital, and he was too weak to
respond to the usual anti-anthrax
treatment This treatment consists of
Injections of a serum discovered by
DR.. Douglas Smyers, chief of the Belle
vue pathological service and an expert
on anthrax.
Mr.. Farley's wife was notified at the
Hotel Stanton, Atlantic City. She ar
rived too late to see her husband alive.
Mr.. and Mrs. Farley had passed the
summer together at their country
home at Mamaroneck, and had planned
to pass the winter at the Hotel Holley,
SO Washington Square. Mr.. Farley
had been living for several weeks in
bachelor hotel at 302 West Twenty
second Street, corner Of Eighth Ave
nue., while his wife was in Atlantic
City.
A. Loman, a halter, of 235 Eighth
Avenue, last night told how Mr.. Farley
first noticed signs of the disease.
friends to the Danbury Fair in my
car Thursday morning." he said II
didn't notice anything wrong with him
at first, but after we had been driving
about two hours saw a small pimple
on the left side of his neck. l asked
him what was the matter and he said
that he had cut himself shaving the
day before. He said 1t didn't bother
him.
When we returned from the fair
that night it was just the same, but
the next morning it had begun to get
bigger, and his neck was swollen. He
also said that he was suffering some
pain. l begged him to go to the hos
pital, but he refused. On Friday night
he finally consented to go to Dr.. Bert
Munday at 322 West Twenty
Street. DR.. Munday bandaged his neck.
Face Badly Swollen
"This morning he could hardly walk
from the pain and his face was badly
swollen. l tried again to make him 70
to the hospital but he went to see DR..
Munday first, and Dr. Munday put him
into taxicab and took him to Belle
vue."
Mr.. Farley, it was said, bought new
shaving brush last week, and noticed
after he had used it time or two that
a rash had broken out on his face. On
Thursday he consulted DR.. Munday, who
advised that he go to Bellevue, where
there are facilities for treating the in
frequent cases of this rare disease.
Mr.. Farley represented the Chelsea
OATH District in Congress from 1915
to 1917 At one time he was president
of the National Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton, and up to the day of his death was
an active worker in the ranks of Tam
many. He divided his time at home be-
tween the residence of his brother and
that of a sister, Mrs. Cornelius Raby,
of Grove Avenue, Mamaroneck. He and
Mrs. Farley also lived for several
months at the Hotel HoIlcy, in Wash
ington Square. He was ffty-six years
old.