1894
DELAWARE HISTORY
JOHN
EDWARD ADDICKS
John
Edward Addicks, born in Philadelphia 21 November, 1849, to
John
Edward Charles Addicks, Sr, a Philadelphia merchant, and Margaret
McLoud , became a millionaire, was, a suave, impudent, industrious
, single minded person that managed to amass a fortune in the
unregulated world of capitalism, to use to buy his way to a
high political office.
With
his big bank account an a bigger ego he came to Delaware and
announced
he was a candidate for one of two available Senate seats.
Addicks
won
support of a number of Delaware politicians and literally bought
the votes
of
many citizens who were deep in dept by paying the dept. At that time
a citizen could not vote if in dept. The African-Americans, unable
to pay a voting tax ,
had
the tax paid so they could vote. Addicks hired workers to 'assist'
the black
voters
and make sure he got what he paid for. He bought a strong base in
Sussex
County.
Delaware
and national newspapers were against Addicks and reported his
election
would mean political damnation and a more serious moral turpitude.
Many
of his supporters won election to the Delaware General Assembly
but
he
did not get elected. He was age 45 years.
After
having failed to buy his way into the United States Senate his
business suffered setbacks which sapped his funds, money stopped
flowing,
his
backers deserted. Creditors won a judgment against Addicks for
four
million
dollars that led to his disappearance in public view.
1919,
at age 70, suave, impudent, industrious and single minded John
Edward Addicks died in poverty in New York City, was survived by
his first
wife
, Ida Harvey Carr, and a daughter by his second wife , Laure Wattson
Butcher, deceased 1867, by name of Florence Addicks, born 1866,
died in 1942. Addicks also had five brothers and two sisters.
John
Edward Addicks, Jr. is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Abstract:
Wednesday, September 2, 2015, Delaware Coast Press,
Michael
Morgan's Delaware Diary.
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