Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1910 — SUDDEN DEATH OF THOMAS C. PLATT [ARTICLE]

SUDDEN DEATH OF THOMAS C. PLATT

Former United States Senator Victim ot Bright's Disease. Former United States Senator Thomas Collier Piatt, Republican leader of the state of New York for years and Intensely interested in the Republican party from its organization in 1850, died unexpectedly in his apartments, 138 West Eleventh street, New York city. He would have been seventyseven years old if he had lived until next July. The direct cause of Mr. Platt's death was acute Bright’s disease. With Mr. Platt at the time of his death were Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Platt, Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Platt, Harry Platt and Dr. Outerbridge. Mr. Platt had been at his office as president of the United States Express company, Rector street, until Wednesday last. On that day he took a Blight cold and while he did not exactly sink, he seemed to feel that he should remain at home. Thomas C. Platt’s father was William Platt, a lawyer, who practiced at Owego. His mother was Lesbia Hinchman of Jamaica, L. 1., of a family with a revolutionary record. Thomas C. Platt attended the public school and academy in Owego and in 1849 entered Yale college. His scholarship was good but he was obliged to give up his course because of illness. Being forced to abandon his plan of completing his full collegiate course, Mr. Platt returned to Owego, and started business as a country druggist, forming a co-partnership with Frederick K. Hull, under the flrm name of Platt & Hull. In 1854, when he was 21 years old, he married his cousin, Ellen Lucy Barstow, daughter of Charles R. Barstow, originally of Stockbridge. Mass. Miss Barstow then was 17. They had three sons, Edward T„ now treasurer of States Express company; FruLx H., a member of the law flrm of O’Brien, Boardman, Platt & Littleton, of which former Supreme Court Justice Morgan is the head, and a director in the express company, and Henry B. Platt, vice president of the Fidelity and Deposit company of Maryland. The mother of these boys died at the Fifth Avenue hotel Feb. 13, 1901. i A political writer some time ago thus cited what he considered the three great events tn Platt’s career: I Alliance with Conkling tn fight on Garfield and their Joint resignation , from the senate. Fight for the gold standard plank in the St. Louis platform in 1896. Forcing the nomination of Roosevelt for the vice presidency, an act which made Roosevelt president.

According to his son Frank, Platt did not leave a fortune of more than 1200,000. He never was a moneymaker, his son said. The Mae Wood suit and scandal at the time of his marriage to Mrs. Janeway, the unhappy ending of his second marriage in 1907, and the exposures in the insurance Investigation brought to a gloomy close the remarkable career of Senator Platt, but did not break the spirit of the old man.