Evening star., 1940-11-18
Cosden, Former Oil
Millionaire, Drops
Dead Aboard Train
Remnants of Fortune
Of Native Of Maryland
Sold at Auction
Ey the Associated Press.


Ell PASO. Tex, Nov. 18-Joshua
S. Cosden, 50. former president ot
the Cosden Oil Co. of Fort Worth
died yesterday aboard train al
Wilcox, Ariz., en- route to Ell Pasc
from Palm Springs, Calf.
He suffered a heart attack, With
him in the train compartment when
he died was his secretary, William
Hudson.
Only last Wednesday some of the
few remains of his fortune, once
estimated at between $25 10000
and S35 900 900, had been sold al
auction in New York for S66 500.
The property consisted of two S25, =
900 Insurance policies, proprietary
lease on a three-foor cooperative
apartment in New York, three $25,-
900 notes payable to Mrs. COsden
and a Chattel mortgage covering
the apartment furnishings.
The identity Of the purchaser was
not revealed.
COlOrful Figure.
A colorful figure, Mr.. Cosden
tangled with the wildcat Oil IN
dustry in the hectic days Of the
boom in Oklahoma. and rode the
tide of oil into Wall Street in the
20's before crashing on the eve OF
the depression.
Mrs CoSden was reported en- route
to FL Paso by plane from New York
and his son, Joshua S. Cosden. jr-
was reported coming here from Fort
Worth.
Once poorly paid drug clerk il
Baltimore, Mr.. COsden answered the
call of adventure and overnight
wealth in the flush oil fields 0!
Oklahoma. He climbed the socia
ladder until he reached the portal,
Of New YORK S most exclusive circles
Then he crashed through them sc
forcefulIy that when the Prince OF
Wales visited the United States ir
1924 he was a week end guest of the
COSdens.
1t was on that occasion that E
thief entered the house and stole
Sl50,000 worth OF Mrs. CoSden
jewels and made off with gems be-
longing to Lady Mountbatten. an
other guest. valued variously at from
$4,000 to $4,000.
Fortune Declined.
This was the peak of both the
social and financial whirl of the
Cosdens. The pendulum begar
swinging back. The great Cosden &,
Co. through which Game Josh
had built a personal fortune valued
at $4,000 900, declined. and in 1926
passed out of his hands. to become
the impersOnal Mid Continent Pc
troleum Corp.
Villas on Long Island and a. Palm
Beach and Newport were sold, the
Cosden private railroad car dis
posed of, and the family retired from
the public eye while Game Josh
took stock OF himself.
Two years later. in 1928, with
S3000000 that his Eastern friends
trusted 10 him, Mr.. Cosden went
back to the Oil fields for his sec
ond climb up the financial ladder
Establishing headquarters at Fort
Worth, he invested in oil lands. and
developed them and the Cosden OIL
Co., which he had formed, until
they were credited with a paper
value of $15OOO.OOO. At least half
this value had been acquired by
Mr.. Cosden.
Then in 1880, Mr.. Cosden was
taken i'll and for weeks lay in a
critical condition. His company DO
tentially still was strong. It's as
sets exceeded its liabilities, but cash
for current debts was not at hand,
and a receiver was appointed.
Native of Maryland.
Late in 1881 there came new ru-
mors of the presence of Game
JOSH in the oil fields. Again he
made Fort Worth. the scene of
his second venture. the locale for
his third attempt to make a for
tune.
Mr CoSden was born July 8, 1881.
in Kent County, Md. He was mar
rled twice. His first wife. the
daughter Of a Baltimore mattress
manufacturer, bore him three
children. Ottille, Stanley and
Joshua, jr.
They were divorced, however, and
he married the newly divorced wife
oG Charles F. Roeser. another resi-
dent in "oil millionaires' row" in
Tulsa The two families had been
neighbors and close friends.
Mr.. Cosden devoted part Of his
wealth to sportsmanship. At the
height of his career he owned a
string of 80 race horses and was
referred to sometimes as the Sir
Thomas Upton of the turf