New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-20
OBITUARY.
WILLIAM f.. DONNELL.

WILLIAM II. DoNNfLL
William f. Donnell. who had b,-n financial editor
OF The Tribune for several years, died suddenly from
apoplexy last evening at the Plaza Hotel, Fifth
ave and Fifty-nnth-st. lie had been in the best
OF health and spirits apparently through the day
and had gone to the hotel about oclock TO dine.
his wife being temporarily out OF the city. The
hotel Is a favorte meeting place for brokers ana
financial men, and Mr.. Donnell was well known TO
the clerks and most OF the employees by reason OF
frequent visits there. He sat down In the Fifty
elghth-st. restaurant Of the hotel and ordered a
table d'hote dinner. He alone. but partook OF
his meal with apparent zsst
When about half way through the courses the
walters observed Mr.. Donnells head fall suddenly
on his breast. II. :. Mower, the superintendent OF
the hotel. was Immediately summoned, and when
he saw that the guest was seriously Ill he sent
for F. A. Hammond onr Of the proprietors of the
Plaza Under Mr. Hammond's directions, Mr. Don
nell removed In the chair In when ne sat 10
the porters' room ard Or. John T. Mum, the well
known physician. who constantly atended Jay
Could in the latter part of his lie, VINO lives III
Fifty -elghth-st.. across from the hotel, was sent
for Mr. Donnell however, never recovered con-
sclo,,sness Mr. Mower observed him breathe con-
vuslvely twice. exi,siing air Instead OF hhahS IT,
which is a usun! symptom OF apoplecuc a''aohS'
DR. Mum arrived quickly. but he SAID tha' ne u"
lieved Mr.. Donnel had died before MS arrNa'.
After n careful examination the physician sald
possIbly a touch OF Brights disease. Mr.. Adams
the clerk OF the hotel identified Mr. Donnef' ana
the body temporarily placed In vacant room
on the first floor OF the hotel The Tribune once
was Informed by telephone ana seVeraI vi '''e ''
FASTENED TO the hotel
coroner Weston meantime hal been sent for
and H.. at once gave "A permit for the removal OIL
the body II taken In charge by n. pa'luso"'
sexton OF the Protestant Episcopal Church al lhe
Heavenly Rest and removed for embalming 10 no
l63 Broadway. The body will be taken TINS MORN,
ing 10 the home OF Mr. Donnell at No s." West
FIfty-slxth-st
There was some delay In getting word To 'he
family OF Mr. Donnell. His two sons harry
and Gustavus. were spending the evening WV
friends and were greatly overcome wheh the news
reached them. The third son. William II no" III
Portland Me- Mrs Donnell Is an Invalid now
staying at Huntington l.. |. Gustavus. the s'co"'
con came IN the hotol late IN tho evening ABOUT
the time that his uncle. @. u. s. Trask governor
OF the Sailors Snug Harbor arrived from staten
Island at the hotel The took possession oil
his fathers effects which had been caretuily se-
cured by Mr. Hammond. the proprietor
The details ~ the funeral arrangements were nov
committed Yesterday The services VIII propapE
b. held tomorrow afternoon, and on SATURDAY ,h'
body will b. taken for burial to Portland Me- MT
William Eliinrwood Donnen was born on October
l. sil In Portland Ne where ms la'n'r ,h rmher
ncnt citizen Of the town was engagei IN the u ,ir
business He graduated from Bowdoih Vn e
in IN" class ~ 60. and soon after acr'p.I rrSno
lion AS aduant ~ the stan Of Majorieneral Joshua
I Chamberlaln which that soldier aiterward Gov
ernor Of Maine Offered him ~nle h'mc on most r n
mate friends such the innate modesty OF hi h
COURTEOUS ana non% ,e from his lbs though that
It brilliant Is amply proved 10y IN" ia.t rr rs
won him brcvcts as captain and major and , an
Hyer AZ The close Of the war ~ col9necy W ncn
Wegim~nt and served under General Chamberlain az
aide-In-camp PROV marshal ana chlet OF 1li o,
nance In the fT'' pN''''" '"''
u,s military service eudel he returned home an, ana
nam A ,c..ov-stuien, being Conrrsssman Keeh
ard then became member OF ,ne ", ,h sye Of
WHEN af,er Ave or six years. was changed % W.
ponneI CO. ,on M IN the n" cty sts Of The rrb
nne Ills familiarity with matters OF imam"
rr,,cb, r. about that he was soon taken from thr
~L reneral reporting and sent into Wall
S,rec, where he remained financial ncwt~r' o
w. IN december 1891 when he succeeded TO that
-" had been married twenty yerr1 ana
i,aJ Ia soc All his cadren. three sons. graduhtel
from Columbia College and emoarkcI on car or
that promise more than ordinary u-.iu'' 49, r.nI
80 a ,t,or AZ Columbia. one student AZ the h'Vi"
dcs Beaus Arts In Paris ana one VIII In IN ,he
~ Iost night and the youngest NJ Portland
whittier he had gone on vislt to ms ri
. rynf h at we AZ ~ captain Track Governor OF
tie sailors sAe HsrhoI on staten ssS s,, order
ami h. careI nothing for club ne All ms aSs'o,a
lions ~ thai Ter grew oit OF MS ''i'E
Military .xp.rienres lie was n member OF IN" TX
nrrtlvc Council - the Alpha Delta fn rhtetnlE,
r.ur.s.u,lng Bowl0u Chapter. OF N" locai AIpni
pslta mi ,luh the University Nh!"Nc IIuo anu
the Loyal Legion. .,,,,,.. ,. ,ha WA
O., might br As wei. 20 let those with whom n" came
In confart during his fifteen years ol S'FNHr u.
Wall street speak lie vas no; IN IN" hbDt ol
airing his heart upon his sleeve. ana 'htrl ut'ir
az nothing FOR ordinary acquaintanc"-hli!s ne h'.'
how.y.r a large number ~ friends. ana they "et"
as I.votealy attached - him as ihcy hHe" MIN -
he attac he'd to them. In all his dealings NJ, Was
llun, straghtforwarl plain spoken ana 'hiNaIr,"S
- hon.-, His integrity was never inlifa'firl, ~
vas meyer suspected In his work he was marVel vusN
m.tholcal and accuracy ~ statement nov 'iapora-
ION vas MS most marked characteristic. ne en-
,,v.l I'm n degree not often Obtained ny men IN hI1
frying calling the confidence OF the men win "hoih
he "a mo n contact. No man ever haI t'hSpn ~
corunain that ne had violated a pledg" OF s'cr'.E
or acted indscree;ly IN ;he publication OF ihlOrHl.
lion derived from him r. this quality In his nora
nature he owed a large share OF the success Wh.cn
he won in his calling Some OF his most briilah
inuru,lisflc achievements were due II the ,pnl-
dence which w II. Vanderbilt and oih"r large
capitalists reposel In him when they selected MN
az IN, medium through which 10 communicate 20
the public their views ana purposes az , cr.,u.s
nerols In the history ~ the street HIS statement,
Of their views IKE his own. were always sisni, ,
,erso lucid and temperate IN manner he det"@t"
hurnhug Of all kinds with Who'll" hearted d'test,
lion and spoke his mind when called upon 20 90
g.. with vgor and frankness that iett hopo'! III