Evening star., 1934-06-03
'GOV. RO[PH DIES;
ILL FOR MONTHS
lapsed Into Coma 3 Hours
Before Death-PubIic
Servant % Years.
Continued From First Page.)

fought for civil Improvements.
Sunny Jim" first was elected mayor
Of San Francisco in 1911, and served
10 years altogether in that Office.
AS mayor he was at the head of
the preparedness parade In 1916 at
the time a bomb exploded, killing 10
persons and injuring 40 others. Rolph
Immediately hurried to the scene and
directed removal of the injured to
hospitals. Sixteen years later, as
Governor. he refused clemency to
Thomas J. Mooney, convicted with
Warren Billings for participation in
the bombing, despite the pleas of his
close friend. former Mayor James J.
Walker of New York.
Lost Millions in Depression.
During the World War his personal
fortune increased many fold as he
turned out ships for the French gov
ernment. But he lost millions of
dollars in the postwar depression,
many of his vessels going to ruin
on the tidelands.
He first sought the governorship
in 1919, going down to defeat. Again
he sought the honor in 1880 on the
Republican ticket, and won the
election by landslide.
Gov. Rolph usually was outspoken.
and his stand on the lynchings of
Thomas Thurmond and John M
Holmes here last November 26
brought widespread condemnation
and acclaim.
The two men were lynched by a
mob which broke into the Santa
Clara County Jail after the slain body
Of Brooke L. Hart, son of a San Jose
merchant, had been found in San
Francisco Bay. Holmes and Thur
mond were accused of killing the
youth after they had kidnapped him
for ransom.
Gov. Rolph had refused to send
troops to guard the accused men.
What? Send troops to protect
those two guys?" Rolph exclaimed
Il will pardon any one convicted OF
lynching them. The aroused people
OF San Jose made a good job of it
We show the Nation that this State
is not going to tolerate kidnapping. "
Taking a keen delight in aviation
Rolph became known as the flying
Governor" through his frequent use
Of airplanes.
He was a tireless worker and in
sisted on being at his desk during
his last illness despite the warnings
Of his physicians. While speaking
during a shower at Marysville several
weeks ago. Gov. Rolph contracted a
cold, which developed into his fatal
illness
Signed Many Diplomas.
But he insisted on signing State
papers, brought TO him at a Sar
Francisco hospital, and later returned
to his Office to put his signature or
hundreds of diplomas for University
Of California students.
I've got work to do" he told hi'
worried physicians, when they insisted
he remain in bed for a much needed
rest.
Then. last May IS. he finally &C.
ceded to the pleas Of his family and
physicians. and announced his re.
tirement from public life.
"Twenty-three years of arduou
public service, 19 of them as mayo
of San Francisco and approximate.
as Governor, have left me broker
in both health and fortune" he said
The loss of fortune has not trou
bled me greatly or held me back, bu
without sound health I could no
undertake such an activity as fou
years more Of the intense labor of tn,
governorship."
Product Of Mission District.
Born in San Francisco August %
1869. Rolph was the son of pionee
parents. James and Margaret Rolph
and was a product of the city's IA
nous Mission district.
Later in life Rolph accumulated suf
ficient wealth to enable him to live il
the most restricted sections of hi
city and State, but throughout his lif,
he clung to his native section. HI
never moved out of the Mission
district.
On June IS. 1900, he married Mis-.
Annie Marshall Reid of San Francisco
They had three children, Mrs. Johr
P. Symes, Georgina and Jame
Rolph. Sd.
Starting business life as a messen
ger boy with a shipping firm in Sar
Francisco. Mr.. Rolph rose to become {
multi-millionaire.
He won membership in large con
Germ which became Hind, Rolph &
Co. Later he organized and headed
several firms bearing his own name
among them being the Rolph Ship.
building Co. and the Rolph Naviga.
ton g. Coal Co.
While most millionaires were re
puted to have added considerably Il
their fortunes during the World War
Rolph was one who lost money Hi
losses, amounting to about $4,000. 900
resulted from the building of wooder
ships, most of which he was unabl
to sell until years after the war. Thel
he was obliged to dispose of them a
Junk prices. He began to recoup hi
losses in 1925 and in the latter par
Of the next year It was said he wa
about out of the woods"
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