Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-23
WASH. HESING DEAD
PROPRIETOR OF THE ILLINOIS
STATS ZE1TUNG
PASSES AWAY SUDDENLY
Stricken by Heart Disease in His Room
at Home While Alone-Deceased
Was One of the Most Prominent
Germans in the Northw eSt-Wes
Postmaster of Chicago.

Chicago, Dec. Washington Hes
ing, proprietor of the Illinois Stats
Zeitung, one of the leading German
papers in the northwest, and post
master of Chicago during the last term
Of President Cleveland, died suddenly
Saturday afternoon of heart disease at
his home ON Michigan avenue. Mr..
Hesing had been i'll for several days
with a severe cold, but was rapidly
| recovering and his death was heavy
shock to his family and friends. Dur
ing the afternoon he was down town
and attended to several business mat
tiers, returning to his residence short
ly after O'Clock. Mrs. Hesing at the
time was out shopping and the last
person who spoke to Mr.. Hesing was a
servant girl whom he met in the hall
| way on his way to his room. A few
minutes after 4 o'clock the girl went
| to Mr.. Hesing's room on an errand
and when she entered he was half sit
his head supported by his hama. He
was breathing heavily, but there was
nothing unusual in his appearance,
and the girl supposing him to be asleep
went out as softly as possible in order
| to avoid rousing him. From that time
until 5 o'clock, when Mrs. Hesing re-
| turned, he was alone in the ROOM His
| vi OF nDt
| room that he was very i'll, and
quickly summoned assistance, but by
the time that medical aid was at hand,
Mr.. Hesing was dead The physicians
declared that he had died Of heart dis
ease and said that in all probability
they could rot have saved him had
they reached him before life was eX-
tinct. Six years ago Mr.. Hesing was
troubled by the action of his heart
and his physicians warned him that
! he must be careful to avoid all excite
ment and vigorous exercise, but being
tc all appearances a man OF robust
health and great physical strength, he
laughed at their advice and made no
hange in his habits of life.
cincinnati May IA, 1S49. He was the
son of Anton c. Hesing and Louise L.
losing. Up to 1861 the young man
| .ttended the city schools in Chicago,
his father having removed to this city
in 1854. In 1866 he tried the entrance
examination at Harvard university,
but failed to pass. Without sending
any word to his parents he at once
took the examination for entrance to
Yale was admitted AND later gradu-
ted with degree. The year follow
! ing his graduation he entered the
University of Berlin and took special
course in political economy and Ger
man literature. In 1872 he began ac-
tive work on the Stats Zeitung Of
which his father was proprietor and q
few years after became managing edi-
tor of the paper. From the time of
his connection with the paper, Hesing
took an active interest in politics and
when but % years Of age he was ap-
pointed a member of the board of ed
ucation and upon his retirement Mayor
Nedi,i offered him a second term
which he declined. AS public speak
er he first came into prominence dur
ing the second Grant campaign in
which he supported Grant in a vigor-
GUS manner. Shortly after 1888 he
left the ranks Of the republican party
and became a democrat In 1893 he
sought the nomination for mayor of
| Chicago, but was defeated by the elder
Carter Harrison. In 1894 he was ap-
| pointed postmaster of the city by
| President Cleveland and held the office
until early in the spring of 1897 when
ne resigned to accept the independent
nomination for mayor, but was de-
feated in the contest following.