The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-02-11
EX-GOV. OSBORN DEAD
PASSES AWAY SUDDENLY
AT MEANWHILE, Pa
Was Twice Elected Governor of kansas
and Had Served as Minister to Chill
ana to Brazll-For Forty Years a
Prominent Public Figure. slon

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb. 3. -EN-Governor
Thomas Osborn of Kansas died yester-
day at Meadville, Pa, of hemor-
of only few hours.
He left here a few days ago TO at
tend meeting of the directors of the
Santa Fe Railroad company at New
York, and went to Meadville to visit
his intended bride. Mrs H. NJ. Rich
married in April. She was Mt his
bedside when he breathed his last.
When he left here he was in excellent
health.
Thomas A. Osborn. sixth governor of Kan
sas, ex-envoy to Brazil and Chill, director
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
way and one of the best known citizens of
the state. was not only an early settler in
Kansas, but took a prominent part In pub bile
affairs when Kansas territory was being
moulded into a state, and has filled many
positions of trust in the gift of the state and
of the nation since. He came 10 Kansas
from Meadville, Pa, in 1857, when he had
Just turned his majority and settled at
Lawrence. At that time George w. Brown
was the proprietor of the Herald OF Free
dom and Preston b. Plumb was the fore
man. Brown and Plumb were interested In
the founding of Emporia, and were obliged
to go out there to hold down land and Gov
ernor Osborn was employed to run the.
paper in Browns absence. lie was in edit
orial charge in the winter of 1878, and
reported the proceedings of the Territorial
Legislature held that winter in Lawrence.
In 1858 Governor Osborn went TO Elwood,
Doniphan county where he commenced
practicing law. That year he defeate d Web
Wilder for city attorney OF Elwood. and
that fall was elected county attorney of
Doniphan county under the Leavenworth
constitution.
1t was here he formed law partnership
with Jim Lane under The name OF Lane &
Osborn. which partnership was not severed
until the election of Lane 10 the Senate OF
the United States. In 1859 ne was elected
to the state senate Tor his district under
the Wyandotte constitution, and when the
position of liz uten2nt governor was vacant
in 1862 he was elected president pro TEN of
the senate over John j. ingalls, on the four
tecnth ballot.
Governor Osborn ran against John J. In
gals for lieutenant governor of the state
in the fall or 1862, and was elected In 1864
he was appointed United States marshal
for Kansas by President Lincoln. and in
1867 he was removed by President Johnson
for opposing the PreSi dents policy In 1877
he was nominated for governor of Kansas
and elected. and in 1874 he was reelected
to the position. In 1874 Governor Osborn led
on the first ballot for United States Sena-
tor to fill the vacancy caused by the resig-
nation of Alexander Caldwell and in 1877
he led in the ace for Senator until nearly
the last ballot, when Preston B. Plumb
was elected. That year he was was appointed
by President Hayes as minister to Chilli
where he served four years during the time
of the war between that country and Boil
via II 1881. without h knowledge, he was
appointed by President Garfield to the Bra
lillian mission and remained there until
1885, when the Republican party went out
of power. His services abroad were emf
nently satisfactory he having presided
over the peace conference held on the
United States steamship Lackawana in
1880, to secure peace between Chilli and the
governments of Peru and Bolivia
Governor osborn was married in 1870 to
Miss Julia Delahay. daughter of Judge Del
ahay of Lawrence. During his Term as
governor of Kansas he had purchased
property in Topeka. a1d on his return from
the Brazilian mission he came to Topeka
where he since resided His wife died five
years ago, and he had one son. who has
passed through college and is now reading
law in W. II. RossiEg ons office. The gov
ernor had extensive property interests in
Shawnee county and the city of Topeka,
and was largely interested in the Central
National bank He was at the time of his
death director of the Atchison, Topeka u
Santa Fe railroad Governor Osborn died
possessed of handsome fortune we'll in
I'D