Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-22
DEATH CLAIMED HIM
William W. Browne, Eminent Colored
Man. Passes Away.
4 WELL-KNOWN BANK PRESIDENT
Deceased Regarded as Splendid
Specimen of His Race.
1NTERMENT AT RICHMOND

Funeral services over the remains of Will
| liam Washington Browne, the colored bank
president of Richmond. Va, who died here
yesterday afternoon of cancer, took place
at IL o'clock this morning, at the Metro
poitan A. NJ. Z. Church. The body was
| taken on a special car over the Chesapeake
| and Ohio railroad at 2:2O o'clock this after
noon to Richmond. Interment will take
place Friday in that city.
| The services at the church this morning
were largely attended. The following min
| listers took part in the services: Presiding
Elder Hunter, Rev. 1. L. Thomas, Asbury
| A. NJ E. Church; Rev. ]. A. Taylor, Shiloh,
and Rev. DR.. H. Brooks of the Nineteenth
Street Church. Many members of the
United Order Of True Reformers, of which
| the dead man was the head, attended and
| took part in the exercises. The different
| ministers made addresses on the life and
character of the deceased.
The body was accompanied to the Penn
syINanla station by ali escort composed of
ME mbers of the order named, headed by a
| brass band Twenty-Five members Of the
| Zeal order of True Reformers went with
the remains on the special to Rich
| E1ond. The pallbearers We're c. n. Green
| Lindsay Winslow, A B. Winslow, Philip
| Gaines George w. Smms and W. A. Bowie.
| The deceased came to Washington to
1
| Panied by his wife. He stopped at 2114
| Pennsylvania avenue, and engaged the
| services of Robert w. Brown, the colored
| physician, who called into consultation DR..
| Ford Thompson and others. Death came
| yesterday afternoon at $50 o'clock.
| The dead man was well known as a
| splendid representative OF the colored race.
| The Cause of Death.
| The malady which caused Mr. Browne
| death began with small swelling on his
| right arm near the elbow. This was dis
| covered last Friday, and Drs. George, Ross
and Stoner pronounced it fbrous tumor
! and removed it. But the disease proved to
| be cancer 1t extended up the arm, and
| Drs. Hunter, MCGUIRE and Geo. B. Johnson
were consulted. They advised amputation
| Of the arm, giving 1t as their opinion that
| Mr.. Brownies life could only be saved in
| that way. The patient positively declined
| to allow his arm to be taken of. He said
| he thought he would recover, but if he
| must die he preferred to leave the world
| with both arms
In September Mr.. Browne left Richmond
| and went to Winchester, Va, where he
| hoped to recuperate. but instead of grow
| ing better he grew worse. He then went
| to Philadelphia and was there attended by
| a specialist, who, like the Richmond sur
| geons, advised amputation, but without
avail From Philadelphia he went to
Mount Holly, N. j., to be treated by an
| other specialist, and on the I'd of December
| he came to this city and placed himself
| under the care of DR.. r. w. Brown. He
| was the guest of DR.. G.. Wathney, the
| dentist, for week or ten days, but pre-
| Stunning that he would be ill for some time
| he rented temporary residence on Penn
| sylVania avenue, where he eventually
| breathed his last. Mr.. Brownies suffering
| had been intense for months, but being a
| man of wonderful fortitude, he never COM
| planned About two weeks ago he mae his
| will, and while leaving the greater part OF
1 Ii fov i1v ha 1tGro
several worthy charities, leaving. with
| other such requests, Virginia farm to the
colored "Old Peoples Home
| The deceased leaves. besides his wife,
| two adopted children. Mrs. Browne at
| tended her husband throughout his illness,
A Remarkable Man.
| Mr.. Browne was one Of the remarkable
| men of his race, and will go down in his
| tory as one of it's best benefactors. He
| was born a slave in Habersham county,
| Ca 1S49 and was pure-blooded African
At the age of six he was sold to master
| who took him to live in Rome, Ga. Here he
| was again sold, this time to a master in
| Memphis. Tenn, who trained him for a
race rider. When the war broke out
| ward he got through the lines, and at
Cairo, ILL.,, he enlisted in the United States
| navy. He was afterward made gunner
| on the gunboat National In 1864
he joined the army in the infantry
| branch of the service and was mustered
| cut in St. Louis as a sergeant major at
| the close of the war. He was in a number
| of battles and his war record was honor
! able throughout.
Browne attended school in Wisconsin for
| a year two. and that was all the edu-
cational advantage he had. But he possessed
| a quick and StudiouS mind and it is claim
| ed for him that few Self-made men were
better made than Browne. He was an
Industrious and thoughtful reader. and his
| mind was stored with useful knowledge
| Mr. Browne joined the Methodist Church
| and soon afterward was ordained a min
| lister. For many years he was popular
| preacher and temperance lecturer in Ala
| bama and Georgia. During the troublous
days of the ''Ku-Alux'' period Browne
| was to the front in Georgia and agi-ated
| earnestly against the Khan" 1t is said
| his life was often threatened and price
| set on his head, but being fearless man
he never relaxed his efforts for the cause
! of humanity. While living In Alabama ne
was married.
Made Head of the Order.
In 1877 he was elected grand secretary of
the organization from which was evolved
the now widespread Order of United True
Reformers. In 1881 he was elected for life
grand worthy master Of the Grand Foun-
tain of United True Reformers, and opened
Ills headquarters in Richmond. Browne OBJ
tanned charter for the order from the cir
cult court of Richmond. Among features
OF the organization was savings bank di-
| vision. This was Mr. Brownies pet scheme
and it has been marked success. IN 1859
he got a charter for the True Reformers
Bank from the legislature of Virginia. He
| was it's president and, it is said, proved
| to be a natural financier.
He was greatly esteemed by the repre-
sentative white people of Richmond, who
recognized in him a true and helpful leader
of his race. The bankers of Richmond
| without exception, rendered Browne the
benefit of their experience, and gave him
every encouragement. 1t is a noteworthy
fact that his was the only bank in Rich
mond that did not decline to pay currency
over the counter during the panic of 1893
| This bank not only cashed the checks
| that were drawn on it, but 1t frequently
| cashed checks on other banks. And when
| the paymaster Of the public schools needed
| money to complete his pay roll, Browne
| came to the rescue and advanced the need
ed currency.
Abandons Pastoral Work.
When Mr.. Browne first removed to Rich
mond he was pastor of Methodist church,
but finding the work of that order and the
bank over which he presided must have