The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1897-10-22
a CRUEL HOAX.

On Sunday morning last Philadel-
phia paper printed supposed dispatch
from Morristown dated the 10Th inst,
which read, Congressman Mahlon Pit
ney died this evening from typhoid fever
which attacked him several days ago.
The funeral will be held on Tuesday af-
ternoon and interment will be in Mount
Pleasant Cemetery" to which was APP
pended sketch of his life. This seems
to be the origin of the report that spread
throughout the State that the Congress-
man had died, and many kilograms and
letters of coincidence were received by
Mr.. Pitney's immediate relatives.
No one has been designated as definite
ly responsible for the rumor, but some
one is subject to severe criticism. Many
of Mr.. kPitney's friends in state and
nation mourned fora day or more loss
that, were the report well founded,
would have been heavy. Perhaps the
deed was the work of some 'tyellow
journalism reporter. or over Jealous
penny-a-liner. 1t was a thoughtless,
useless and cruel piece of work. The
joy of the Congressman's friends over
the falsity of the dispatch goes a long
way toward forgiving the inexcusaDle
carelessness of some one.
The sincere letters of sympathy from
men in all walks of life are touching
tribute to the high esteem in which Mr..
Pitney is held. The following are few
of the comments made upon the affair
by the press:
''The people of this State were shocked
on Sunday to read of the death of Con
gresham Mahlon Pitney. Happily, the
report proved false one and Mr.. Pitney
still lives, and is destined. we believe, to
take front rank among the Republican
statesmen of New Jersey.-SdLenl Ma
tionat Standard.
It now seems that Congressman Nah
Ion Pitney of Morristown, N. j., not
only will live to read his own obituary,
but will also be the only living man in
whose honor the American Flag over the
Capital in Washington has been fioated
at half-mast. A Philadelphia paper on
Monday printed an obituary of Mr.. Pit
ney. instead of a biography, thus scoring
one scoop at least, and the Acting Ser
geant-at-Arms at Washington lowered
the flag at half-mast. When Vice Presi-
dent Hobart was asked to name the
pallbearers for Mr.. Pitney he wired
that the Flag be hoisted to the ball
that the Jersey Congressman was not
dead, but steadily improving .-Neto
York Press.
We have no idea who is responsible
for the published notice that Congress-
man Pitney had died, but the fact that
the day and hour of the funeral were
named shows it was done deliberately.
The flag on the Capitol at Washington
was placed at half mast until Vice-Pres-
ldent Hobart telegraphed that Mr.. Pit
ney was not dead but improved in health
He has had slight attack Of typhoid
fever, but the BANNER is glad to an
nounce that he has recovered sufficiently
to sit up in bed Morristown Banner.
Representative Pitney, of New Jer-
sey, has recently enjoyed the sensation of
reading his own obituary in the news
papers and having the flags on the Capitol
atWashington dropped, on his account, to
half mast. It is to be hoped that this mel
ancholy foretaste of funeral honors has not
dampened the ardor of the young Con-
gresham for further public distinction.
Mr.. Pitney is representative of useful
and growing influence, whose disappear
ance from politics would cause sincere
regret, both in his own State and at the
National Capitol. -Neao Yorh; Tribune
Bulletin at P. M. To-day
Mr.. Pitney is doing nicely. No
serious result is apprehended. His i'll
ness is described as a mild case of ty-
phoid fever. The fever has not yet run
its course, and until it has, it is a diff
cult matter to estimate how soon the
Congressman will be out. His physician,
DR.. Pierson, says there are no complica-
tions, and none are feared. Mr.. Pitney
has excellent care and nursing, and his
recovery, therefore. will be just as rapid
as the nature of the illness will permit.