Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11
Remains of Thomas Bracket Reed
Will Be Inferred in Portland,
His Former Home.
DIED SUNDAY MORNING
No Ceremony of Any Kind at the Cap
ital-Burial Service to Be Simple
Many Distin Ruished Callers Elk.
press Their Sympathy with
the Family.

Washington, Dec. 7.--Ex-Speaker Tho
mas B. Reed died at 1910 o'clock a. m
His condition had grown worse rapidly
during the earlier hours OF the night, and
at 1915 o'clock the Attending physicians
realized that their distinguished patient
was near his end Salt infusion and
oxygen were used, but without avail.
The remains of the Hon. Thomas
Bracket Reed, former speaker of the
House Of Representatives who died early
this morning, left this afternoon for
Portland. Me, his former home. whore
the interment will take place Tuesday
afternoon. They were PLACED aboard Il
special train leaving Washington at $50
O'Clock and running as the second section
or the Federal express, scheduled TO ar
rive at Portland tomorrow. Accompany
ing the body were Mrs. Reed, the widow,
Miss Catherine Reed the former speaker s
daughter the Hon. Amos l.. Allen, Mr..
Reeds successor in the House of Rep
resentatives. Asher C. Kinds, Mr.. Reed )
parliamentary clerk while speaker and
Augustus G. Payne of New York, a life
long friend. At Mrs. Reeds request there
were no ceremonies OF any kind hoic
and al Portland they will be of a simple
character.
During the entire day there was a
stream of sympathetic callers at the
Feed lay awaiting removal TO the rail-
road station. They incluued President and
Mrs. Roosevelt, members of the cabinet
the Senate and House of Representatives
and diplomatic corps. Many persons in
private life also called Neither Mrs
Reed nor her daughter saw any of the
visitors who simply left cards 1t Was
not generally known that the body OF
the deceased would be taken fru,l TIE
city to-day and President Roosevelt mad
invited Mrs. Reed and her daughter to
be his guests at the White House pend
ing its removal which invitation under
the circumstances they were complied
to decline
The body was enclosed in a casket with
heavy oXydized extension handles ana on
the top was a solid silver plate on which
had been engraved the following simple
inscription
Thomas Bracket Reed, October 49,
1859. December I, 1907
The casket remained at the hotel until
about 4 o clock in the afternoon. when it
was brought down stairs and lifted into
the hearse the undertaker's assistants and
the employees OF the hotel acting as body
bearers. Then, without ceremony or dis
play of any kind, it was removed to the
railroad station. On the casket rested two
floral offerings one of them from the
widow and the other from Mrs. Roose-
welt.
Mrs Reeds offering was large wreath
OF violets. American beauty roses and or
chids sprinkled with lilies of the valley
while in the box which came from the
White House were an assortment of white
and pink roses with maiden hair ferns
loosely thrown together, for use on the
caskst when the interment is made.
SKETCH OF MR.. REED.
Thomas Bracket Reed was born in
Portland, Me, October Is, 1893. He receiv-
ed his primary education in the common
schools Of that city. and was graduated
at Bowdoin College in 1860 taking the
prize for excellence III English compo-
sition. Until 1864 Mr.. Reed was engaged
In teaching and the study of the law.
but before his admission to the bar he
was appointed, April 10, 1864 acting assist
ant paymaster in the United States navy,
and assigned to duty on the SYbil, Il Tin
clad, under command of Lieut.. II. II.
GarrinSe, which patroled the Tennessee,
Cumberland and Mississippi rivers. with
out eventful service. Mr.. Reed was honor
ably discharged November l. 1863, return
ed to Portland was admitted to the bar.
and began the practice OF law. In 1865
he was elected as n republican, to the
lower branch of the Maine legislature In
1863 he was reelected, and in 1879 he was
sent to the State senate. While sitting
IN that body he was elected TO the at
torney goneralship, and was the youngest
man ever elected to that ofice.
In 1876 he was elected to the forty.
fifth Congress, taking his seat in De-
cember, 1877. On April T. 1875. he was
brought into prominence by speech to
defeat the passage OF a measure to re-
imburse William and Mary College for
damages sustained AT the hands of Uni
ted States troops during the Civil War
While accomplishing its inimitable pur-
pose. this, one of the rev long speeches
m 1NF he.
House, also assisted in defining the pol
icy Of the government on war claims Mr.
Reed also acted in this Congress as ono
OF the minority members of the commit
tee for investigating the circumstances of
the election OF President Hayes, and took
a conspicuous part in the proceedings at
Washington, New Orleans and New York
He was reelected to Congress without
intermission.
In the forty-sixth Congress, on the
judiciary committee he entered fire.
quently into debate, and defended the
presence Of the United States marshals at
elections in the South.
HIS RECORD AS SPEAKER
He became chairman of the judiciary
committee in the Forty seventh Congress |
his great work there being the introduc-
ton of the bill distributing tho balance of
the Geneva award He received the nomi- /
nation OF his party for the speakership of
the Forty-ninth and F'iftieth Congresses |
and during the four years OF their exist ,
ence was the recognized parliamentary |
leader on the moor. He was chosen speak |
err of the Fifty-hrst Congress under
strong opposition, and mainly because Il |
majority Of the members regarded him as |
the man best fitted for the place by rea- |
son of his peculiar qualities of frmnes4
and fertility Of resource He received |
more comm sndatien and more abuse for |
his action while speaker than falls to the |
lot of most politicians. Glorifed by one |
party, and mathematical by the other. he |
out the course laid down by him
self. and the result was that, while the
of tho opposition did not harm
him, the appreciation and applause of his |
pwn faction advanced him in reputation |
and changed his status from that of one |
If the rank and file to that Of q standard |
bearer and q champion In addition to the |
work that no did In the House, and his |
In all the political cam
paikns, and In attending TO his law prac-
tce, more or less. In Portland, he contri-
buted many articles to the press, upon
subjects Of national interest After an ex-
tended trip to Alaska, there appeared In
tho North American Review, in January
1858, an article from his pen entitled "Our
Provinces" Democracy at ST.
Louis" appeared in July Of that year. Tho
The Presidents Letter"
on the question of the tariff.
In the Century of March, 1853, he fore
Swallowed In an article entitled. THE
Ia ~