The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24
COLONEL 7. v.
STRANGE DEAD
His Long Suffering Ended on
tuesday.
A PATRIOTIC CAR0LiNIAN
WAS A LEADER ATlTIIE BAR AND
IN DEMOCRATIC COUNCILS.
The CITY ATTORNEY OF WHINING TON
Col. Strange Came Of distinguished Family
and Had Received Many Marks
Of Popular Confidence.
from The P, o)Ie.
lWilmington Messenger.l

wv lheSSeHSGEJ
Colonel Thomas Wright Strange died
at Wrightsville, yesterday morning at
2:35 O'Clock. The announcement of his
death created profound sorrow through
out our entire community, and the
sincere sympathy of all the friends and
acquaintance of Colonel Strange goes
by his death.
About two years ago Colonel Strange's
health broke down and since then he
has suffered greatly at different times
with nervous prostration. Soon after
his first attack he took trip to Europe
under advice of his physician, with
the hope that the ocean air and the
"trip abroad would benefit his health.
lie returned much improved, but soon
'his health became bad again. Last
summer he went to the springs, /. but
found little or no relief, and for several
months he has been AN invalid. being
confined most of the time to the house.
For nearly year he retired from ac-
Tive practice of the law, and has sell
dom been in town. He was, however, in
the city about week ago, and then
expressed hopes to friends that he woul1
get we'll. On Sunday, however, he took
u sudden turn for the worse, and 4
final attack of meningitis ended his
life
The deceased was born August Is,
1865, at the summer residence of his
grandfather, the late DR. Thomas H.
Wright, ON WIightsville Sound, where
the residence of Mrs. f. j. Poisson now
stands. His father was the late Col.
Robert Strange, who was a prominent
member of the Wilmington bar in his
day and a man noted for his urbanity
and splendid gifts. His father was TIT
one time solicitor of the Superior Court
for this district. His mother was Miss
Caroline Wright, daughter of the late
DIR. Thomas I'll. Wright, and sister Of
our towmsnlan, Mr.. Joshua G. Wright,
and of Mrs. Judge o. p. Meares, of our
city. The grandfather of the deceased
was the Hon. Robert Strange, dis
tingliished lawyer, of Wilmington, who
was judge of the Superior Court from
1896 to 1896. when he resigned ON ac.
count of his election to the United States
Senate, where he ably represented North
Carolina for one or more terms.
The immediate relatives of the deceas-
ed now living are his brother, the Rev.
Robert Strange, ID. D., rector of st.
James Episcopal church, of this city, Mr..
Joseph III. Strange, the yolmges.
brother, now residing in New York city,
Mrs. G. Herbert Smith, and Miss jamie
Strange, of this city, the latter being
half sisters. In 1889 at St Anne's Epis-
copal church, New York city. he mar
ried Miss Florence A. Rogers, of Marys-
vile, Cal, and she survives him with
two sons Robert, aged s years, una
Thomas Wright, aged 4 years
The deceased received the ground work
of his education i'm the schools of this
city. He subsequently attended and
graduated from Bingham's Military
School, of this State, took a course in
the Eastman Business College mt
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. and was graduate
of the University of Virginia. where he
was a student with our present De-
moeratic Congressman the Hon
John d. Bellamy, of this city. He aft
erwards attended Chief Justice r. NJ
Pearson's Law School at Richmond Hill,
n. G. land was licensed to practice law
i'm June, 1878. Early after his admit
lance to the bar, he entered copartmer-
ship with the late distinguished Col.
Duncan X. McRae Since the death of
the latter he has continuously practiced
law here, and had the reputation of be.
mig one of Wilmimgton's ablest and most
successful lawyers. He was hard stu
dent of the law, was jealous in the prae-
tice Of his profession, and made the
cause of his clients his cause. He was
laborious and painstaking im preparing
his cases, was a good speaker and an
earnest and impressive pleader before
the bar. He was thoroughly ccnscien-
tiOus, was q man of strong convictions,
truthful and fearless, and of him we
heard one of his intimate friends say
yesterday, "He was one Of the truest
men / ever knew
Colonel Strange took great interest IN
public affairs and had considerable polT-
ical ambition. When Judge Daniel e.
Fowle was Governor he appointed Col
onel Strange judge advocate ON his staff,
with the rank of colonel, hence his title.
He was staunch and answering Dem
oerat, and several years ago was the
nominee of his party for the State Sen
ate. A few years later he was the NOM
inee for the House of Representatives
but i'm both instances was defeated by
his Republican opponent. He has also
been spoken of for the Superior Court
judgeship. He was a delegate do the
Chicago National Convention, and was
the Bryan elector i'm this district i'm the
last presidential election until he gave
way for Mr. b. f. Keith, who was sub
stituted in his place through n fusion
arrangement between the Populists and
Democrats as to- presidential electors.
He has twice been city attorney, having
served in that capacity during Mayor
"a. G. Ricaud's administration, and last
November when the Democrats made the
coup which secured them control
of city affairs from the hands of the Re-
publicans, he was elected city attorney