Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-04-29
JUDGE WHITLEY DEAD
A LOSS THAT rs A PUBLIC BE-
REAYBMENT.
Tho Career OF the Deceased as Com
gresssnan, Mayor. Judge and In
Other Positions of Public and
Party Service. .l.

ImO OAreer OF the Deceased as Com
gressrnan, Mayor. Judge and in
Other Positions of Public and
Party Service.
Hon, William G.. Whiteley, resident
judge of the supersor court, died at his
home No. GIG West street about o'clock
Friday morning of hemorrhage of the
stomach. The deceased had been in i'll
health for nearly year, and last fall was
prostrated with illness of nature so
serious as to awaken great alarm in his
family and among his large circle of
friends. He, however, rallied considerably
and though he never regained his health,
he was able to be out and to resume his
judicial duties. Between two and three
weeks ago he sat in the Hanby-Talley
capias case, which was the last time his
health permitted him to appear in court.
About two weeks ago he was seized with
hemorrhage of the stomach and these at
tacks frequently required until the
patients death.
Outside of the immediate family but
few of the deceased's friends thought his
condition 80 critical, though there was q
general feeling that he would not recover
from the illness which medical treatment
was unable to dislodge. Consequently
his death was great and painful surprise
when il became known Friday morning.
The flag on the city hall was set at half
mast, and the bell was tolled as tokens of
mourning for the dead ex-mayor.
Judge Whiteley leaves u family con-
sisting of his wife, who was Miss Nancy
p. Elmer, daughter of the late DR..
William Elmer of Bridg eton, N. j., to
whom he was married on June 18th, 1874,
daughter, Margaret Potter, wife aof
Lewis p. Bush, Jr.; and three sons,
Henry, treasurer of the Mccullough Iron
Company; William c., Jr., clerk for the
Mccullough Iron Company; and Charles
Z. E., clerk for the National Dredging
Company.
William G. whiteley was born on the
7th of August, 1919, near Newark, Della
ware, on farm lying between the town
and the p, w. & b. r. r. tracks. This
farm was for many years owned by his
father, Henry Whiteley, well-known
Delawarean of his time, who once held the
position of Collector of the Port of Will
mington.
The greater part of his boyhood days
were spent on Market street between
Eighth and Ninth, where Col. Whiteley,
his father lived. Among his youthful
chums and playmates were George Cor
don, 'Ned" Bradford, afterwards Judge
Bradford of the United States courts,
Daniel Diehl and Thomas Beeson, all of
whom lived in the block, the last two be-
ing apprentices with Hamilton Noblit, son
of Dell Noblit, the centenarian. He
went to Hilles' school, which was
located at the northwest corner of Ninth
and Tatnall streets. Mr.. Beeson, who
was one of his playmates as boy and youth
says he was as agreeable and pleasant
a boy as he ever saw. He was full of fun
"but the boys in those days were not SO
full of malicious mischief as they are
now" Whiteley was reserved and
modest boy, differing in that respect"
says Mr.. Beeson, ''from his chum George
Gordon, who was belligerent and
required but little provocation for a
fight. Whiteley never entered into any
of these boy fights unless the proyoca-
tion was great and lashed him into genu-
inc anger" During most of his years of
minority, he lived in this neighborhood.
At the time spoken of he was q school
boy, and he continued student at school
and student at law until he was admit
ted to the bar, after which his rise was
residence opposite the present Masonic
Temple when the son was Is years of age.
The subject of this sketch was educated
at the schools of his neighborhood, at
Delaware College, and finally Mt Prince.
ton College, from which institution he
graduated with high honors. He entered
the law Office of the late Hon. James A.
Bayard, father of Secretary of State
Bayard, and after reading law for the
prescribed term, was admitted to the bar
for the practice of law in the courts of
this State. This WAS in 1841.
Mr.. Whiteley was successful ut the bar
from the very first, making progress that
was wonderful for young lawyer. He
soon acquired large practice, in which
he was materially aided by the departure
of his preceptor to New York, much of
Mr.. Bayard's business falling into his
hands. For several years he held the
position of solicitor of the Bank of Della
ware.
In politics Mr.. Whiteley was always
an ardent Democrat, and despite his large
practice, found time to take an active
interest in the politics of his State.
In 1S4S he was nominated as the
Democratic candidate for Congress, but
was defeated by Judge John W.
Houston by a majority of 343. At
the Legislative session of 1851 he was ap-
pointed clerk of the State senate, and
after the close of the term he took trip
to California, going by way of the 18TH
mus of Panama. While crossing the
Isthmus he met General Grant at hotel
in Ohagres, the afterwards famous general
having drifted there after the Mexican
war. Colonel Whiteley did not carry out
his original intention of locating in Cali
fornia, and returned to Delaware about
the end of the year.
On january 10Th, 1852, he was ap-
pointed by Governor Ross to the position
of prothonotary of the superior court of
New Castle county. During the summer
of 1856 he was again nominated as the
Democratic candidate for Congress, and
after an exciting canvass, in which Col.
Whiteley took a leading part, addressing
meetings from one end of the State to
the other, he was triumphantly elected
on the tidal wave of Democracy, which,
starting in 1852, swept Delaware from her
Whig moorings and anchored her securely
within the Democratic lines. His majority
was /, ISL over Elisha ID. Cullen, the Wing
and American candidate. He resigned
the office of prothonotary to enter upon
his congressional duties, which he per-
formed in q most satisfactory manner. In
1858 he was renominated and successfully
stemmed the tide of "Know-Nothingi
directed against him, defeating William
II. Morris, the Peoples" candidate, by
a majority of 410. At the close of his
second Congressional term Colonel
Whiteley resumed the active practice of
his profession in this city.
In 1860 Colonel Whlteley was sent as q
delegate from this State to the national
Democratic convention, which met in
Charleston, s. o., on the 23d of April.
He participated actively in the stofmy
proceedings of that memorable gathering
and went with the delegates who, at the
adjourned session subsequently held in
Baltimore, nominated Breckenridge for
President. Colonel Whiteley was also q
delegate to the national Democratic con-
yention of 1876, in 81. Louis, when he
placed Hon Thomas f. Bayard in nomi-
nation as a candidate for the Presidential
nomination.
In 1862, ON january goth, he was again
appointed prothonotary of New Castle
county, and served the full term OF i've
wears, when he was succeeded by Richard
g. Cooper. With this position he retired
from public life until the summer OF
1875. when he was nominated by the
Democrats of Wilmington as their candi-
date for mayor. At the city election, IN
September, he was elected by majority
of 68 over the late Joshua l.. Valentine,
who WAS then one of the most popular
Republicans in Wilmington. He served
III.