Evening star., 1902-05-05

Representative Otey.
was quite unexpected. Heart disease and
diabetes were the causes.
Major Otey had been appointed by Speak
er Henderson a member of the committee
to escort the remains of Amos Cummings
to New York and had notified the speaker
that he was too i'll to attend Friday night
his condition became serious, and Satur-
day it was apparent that his life was in
danger. His wife and relatives were about
his bedside when he died
Action of House of Representatives
The death of Representative Peter j.
Otey of the sixth Virginia district
was announced in the House today
and an adjournment taken at once
out of respect to his memory. Reso-
lutons expressing regret and sorrow were
offered by Representative Jones of Virginia
and agreed to. after which committee of
fourteen was appointed to attend the fu-
neral of Mr.. Otey to be held at Lynchburg
Thursday. The committee was named as
follows: Representatives Jones, Swanson,
Rixey, Hay, Lamb, Rhea and Flood of Vr-
ginia.; Hepburn of Iowa; Myers Of Louisi-
ana; Jenkins of Wisconsin; Lanham of
Texas; Olmsted of Pennsylvania; De Ar
mond of Missouri, and Mccall of Massach
setts. The committee will leave Washing
ton Thursday in a special train over the
Southern road. Two desks were draped In
black and covered with flowers when the
House met. One was the old familiar place
occupied by Representative Cummings,
whose public funeral was held in
the House yesterday, and the other was
that of Representative Otey DR.. Couden,
the chaplain, in his invocation dwelt upon
the double affiction that had come upon
the House and prayed for the family and
friends Of Mr. Otey.
Surely, Thou has laid heavy hand upon
u.s. prayed the blind chaplain in his in
vocation in the House today.
'Our cup of sorrow was already full, but
Thou has touched another member of our
congressional family and born his spirit to
the realms beyond He will be missed. for
his kindly and genial disposition and buoy
ancy of heart had won the affection of his
colleagues and friends, and his earnestness
industry and devotion to duty their respect
and confidence
Action of District Committee.
AS soon as the House adjourned the men,
bers of the committee on the District or
Columbia met to take suitable action on the
death of Mr. Otey, who a member
Of that committee Mr. Mudd, Mr. Jenkins
and Mr.. Sims were appointed a special
committee to draw up suitable resolutions.
They submitted resolutions which were
unanimously agreed to- The regular Thurs
day meeting of the committee was post
poned until Saturday.
The resolutions stated that "the COM
mittee on the District of Columbia, had
learned with profound sorrow of the sudden
and unexpected death of it's late collea que.
Peter J. Otey Of Virginia, who served as a
member of this committee, with credit to
himself and state. He trelcss work
er in the interests of the people of the Dis
trict of Columbia, able, honest and courte-
Gus. His valuable services will be missed.
His place will be difficult to fill
His absence will be sincerely felt by
this committee, for we realize that good
man has left us. AS he led a good life, we
sincerely trust he will rest in peace"
In Committee on Claims
Mr.. Otey was the ranking minority mem
Der of the committee claims, and at a
special meeting of that committee called
this morning Mr.. Graft recalled at length
his associations with Mr.. Otey and said
that in all of the time that he and the de-
ceased had been associated in the commit
tee claims and the subcommittee of
the same no unworthy purpose was ever
disclosed in anything Mr.. Otey ever did
His was a generous spirit" the chair
man said. He could not resist the appeals
to his generous sentiments. He was alb
sorbed, too, with timely topics, and though
he was identified with the confederacy he
was lberal-minded. patriotic. and no cause
ever suffered at his hands because the
claimants were connected with the north
during the war. He was a faithful, modest
man, true gentleman
Mr.. Foster Of Vermont indorsed the re-
marks of the chairman and said he con-
sidered Mr.. Otey true friend and thor
oughly delightful companion. Mr. Thomas
of Iowa said the deceased bore a generous
fair spirit, and while he often differed with
him in the subcommittee discussions Mr.
Otey was always fair, and receded from his
position gracefully and submitted to the
Judgment of the majority. Mr.. Weeks of
Michigan said that outside of his own asso-
ciates the Michigan delegation he did
not have better friend in Congress-
Tributes of regard and esteem We're also
delivered by Messrs. Storm, Schrm, Gold
fogle, Kitchin. Reid and Trimble.
Mr.. Graft suggested adjournment out
of respect to the memory of the deceased,
and submitted resolutions which declared
that in the death of Peter J. Otey, a rep
resentative of the state of Virginia. the
committee on claims has suffered a great
loss in being deprived of the valuable SER
vices of Mr.. Otey as member of the COM
mittee, and sincerely testify to his generous
spirit, integrity, unaagging industry and
ability, and that the members Of this com
mittee individually all feel that they have
lost in him friend and a liberal, broad
minded co-worker."
Major Otey's Career.
Major Otey was born in Lynchbure in
1910, and was graduated from the Virginia
Military Institute. After graduating he be-
came a civil engineer. In 1861 he joined the
confederate army and participated in the
western campaign eliminating at Donel-
son and Shiloh. Mr.. Otey returned with
his command after that campaign was
over and entered the army Of northern
Virginia. remaining in the infantry branch
wounded at the battle Of New Market.
where cadets Of the institute won fame
When his wounds had headed he returned
and commanded brigade under General
Early at Cedar Creek.
Hr. oaey was wen known in the south as