The Portland daily press., 1895-10-09
MALONE DEAD.
Close Of a Picturesque and Unique
Political Life.
DEATH THE RESULT OF A STROKE
OF PARALYSIS.

His Afiliation With the Republican Party
Cost Him and His Family Social Ostra-
cism and Financial Loss-He VIII Be
Famous "Mahone Site"
Washington, d. c., October Seen.
Malone died at one O'Clock p. m. Mrs
Malone, her two sons and daughter were
at his bedside when the end came. The
remains will be taken to Petersburg, Va,
tomorrow morning
William Malone has been rather
picturesque but hardly a prominent
figure in Washington life since his
election to the Senate in 1881 as a read
juster to succeed Robert G. Withers,
Democrat He has remained here almost
constantly since the expiration OF his
term of office in 1887. having no apparent
business engagements, except that OF at
tempting to sell the government large
piece of ground as the site for the pro-
posed new overnment printing office.
He has lived all these years at John
Chamberlain his son, Butler. being his
constant companion. The sight of the
queer old man, with his long white beard
white SLOUGH hat, ruff1ed shirt and high
heeled boots, sitting at breakfast at noon,
has been a familiar one to pedestrians on
Fifteenth street.
At the time Malone was in the Senate
he was reputed to be rich man, but of
late years his fortune has been frittered
away in bad speculations and law suits,
until his friends have begun to regard
him as being in very strained circum-
stances During the last two Congresses
Malone, with the aid of Don Cameron
and other influential friends in Congress-
made desperate effort to get an appro-
priation for the purchase of his property
in the hope of saving himself from bank
ruptcy A determined fight was made by
the opposition, composed chiefly of the
owners of other building sites, and the
closing weeks OF both sessions of the
past two Congresses have been made
fight over the 'sMahone site. - In spite
of the fact that the committees of both
the Senate and the House and a large
majority of representatives were strongly
opposed to the Malone site, an amend
ment was added to the sundry civil ap-
preparation bill last session providing for
it's purchase.
The Malone Senators were loyal, but
in the dead of night, in the privacy of
the conference room, the amendment was
stricken out under the threat of the
House conferees that if it was not done,
the entire bill would be defeated. When
the news reached the outside corridors,
the Senator and his son, who had hardly
taken time to sleep or eat for the past
two days, got into their rickety hack,
and without a word of complaint, went
back to Cham berlain's. game to the last.
WELLMAN'S REVIEW.
Says Walter Wellman in the Chicago
Times Herald: When General Malone
cast his lot with the Republican party in
the Senate change like that of a
devastating food CT recurrence of the
glacial epoch swept over his home. his
family, his social position, his business.
From that moment he was as completely
ostracized in Virginia as he would have
been had he committed crime. His
former associates spoke to him in the
streets but did not snake mis- nand Or go
to his office save when necessity left no
alternative. No one that cared anything
for the opinion of society crossed his
threshold, over which SO many had just
before been proud to step. From the
midst of social activity most incessant
and delightful, General Mahone's family
suddenly found themselves strangers in
the midst of those who were once their
friends The grass grew in the path lead
ing to their door, The army of servants
found no company to wait upon. The
many guest chambers were untenanted.
Mrs. Mahone's friends of lifetime cut
her in public. Miss Mahone's companions
appeared to forget her existence. The
Senator's business affairs fell under the
same blight Everything in which he
was interested was Stunned by the men
who had formerly been his associates and
partners For time his residence in
Washington and service in the Senate
made these blows fall less heavily. 1t
was thought that time might soften them
and remove all rancor, that the ostracism
would break down through sheer in
justice. Instead, it has survived all the
passion of the times, has outlived all the
questions then under discussion, and has
continued till the present day.