New-York tribune., 1905-06-01
OBITUARY.
IoHN MURRAY MITCHELL.

I0HN M URhhI NIL O1iGo~'
raso park N V. May 81 (Speclal'.-Joiin
Murray Mitchell ex-H1emoer Oh eoAs 80 -.
III co,ntrv home. Craghurst, Tuxedo Farh' a'
',S as .Eis morning Mr.. Mitchell had been SUI
s;rg for several weeks from cancer OF the iii'
testtnes Mr. Mitchell had occupied ms NJ" ~, 80
t.ra nm the west shore of Tuxedo Lake Lof ",is
= e yvoaks He is survived by mis- wlle' VIM
,,,;ar Ta1mare sister of John F. Tamase'
90 RernardsvilIe n. J.; son, John NJ" -
,ti+chelI seven years Old William Nl'oHs-'
brother and Miss Grace Mitchell. OF Nc" -
, sister Mr. Mitchell was proniiheIl 10
"a, and an enthusiastic yachtsman. ne wa" ~
owner OF extensive coal mines in fenhsS Si'''
,o,,, Murray Mitchell son of William Mltcheli
and Mary Berrien Mitchell. was porn MI -.
1858 William Mitchell, his 1athef' We cra,oa
iust;ce of the Appellate Division OF the ~
-. of tho state of New-York, and Juose VI
tho Court of Appeals. Mr.. Mitcheh $ ii.o'lIi
,orqed TO an old Huguenot famliH-ule -c-e
who settled at Newtown, Long lSifl'N' -
rbr Murray Mitchell born at NO % 80
"oi'i - 49, oh Congress District. and always
I'll IN +be same house. He atten"ed hesso't
,.o,ooI where he stood head OF MS ci'9e,
eotered Columbia College when ne "" 10, bo
IIo toined the Delta Psi Society anu w.. -
was graduated was elected 10 Ii Afte-
n. was also valedictorian OF ms c,ns' .+tor,,
N Item no fnomediately entered MS la'iei
Low Office and attended the to-o Ha
s,booI from which he was graduated ~ t5,,;r,
went abroad for a year, traVehiis &c e. 80 his
~ ~ b,s return entered the law ONCE "a ms
ana on ms - Ss q clerk. He served two
s as a clerk and then opened ms own own 80
IN one suit which involved an ihipo 10 ues
,ion referring to contracts ror Pa.'n.O s,,.5 i,
o,,roeed bv Roscoe Conklng. In 1893 ne - ~
partnership with his two brothel o,,,ard made
11-iuian1 Mitchell Edward was aite' ~ "'AT I,,,rt.+
Irt+ad states Attorney for the Southern D4''A-o
of New-York .,,ou enneared be-
IN one case in which Mr.. Mitchell appea1eu
fore the United States Supreme Court as st Ca,,r+
tr the Judges of the United States CHcui. 49, %
loi '1io o. 80 second Circuit. twenty-four OF
~, -,,os+ nrominent law firms in Newton p
so,,ted q brief In opposition to hl1n' anu - 80
+he Supreme Court to mandamus 'iio ~ - do
of Anpeals and to compel them to reverse .iie- ~
cison which had been In Mllc'oii -, .oo;dad
1-ntred States Supreme Court unanlIhousiS -,
:, ,,;+ob.,1,s favor and refused to issue lile H
darous MitcheIrs brief in this case Is d . N0lp
history of the development OF aoiilii ' .er
On Nav / 1884 MI Mitchell entered into par t'ie
shin with John r. and Benjamin r DOS Z a'So
sip ,s,4baI o1u,avs took an active part in poltl-
oo1 nost+ers attended the primaries and made cam
raien speeches in behalf of the Repupiicah o'lo, ~
dates after his return from Europe III 1o'V' " 80,
t,a accented the nomination for Congress IN inc GU.
Co,gress District because it was thought ne coN1N
odd 500 to 1000 votes to the general uckec oy run
;,r He declined at first, but finally accepIeu'
No one not even Mr.. Mitchell himself hau ""'
idea that he could be elected. but ne at ohoe SOW
an opportunity of ridding the dlstflcI ol INC - ~,
which had been constantly perpetrateo IN t'le 81
Assembly District He opened quarters In Fdfh ~"
1o1d c,bathar-st) and waged a furious war uh-
til election against Tanmany Hall In the lower emu
of the district He had numerous meetings III 'lio
troe+ sneak,rg from the rear end of a truck ana
threatening the people with the penalty OF te Id"
If they did not stop these frauds The oth Dis'iot
had ALWAYS returned from 1000 to 1oooo majority
for Tammany. The election returns OF NoVeinoel'
1S9. showed that Mr.. Mitcheifs opponent was ap-
parentlv entitled to the seat by S6 majority ne
determined to contest and employed detectives ana
n,,t them in the BoNery lodging houses at his own
e5pense He continued to fight from November
1894 to June 1896, when he was seated py 'ne
House by q decisive vote. Mr.. Mitchell was re-
nominated by acclamation September 3, 1886 Be
fore the election the newspapers both Democratic.
and Republican, conceded that the Sth District
would be lost to the Republican party When the
returns were received It was found that Mitchell
had been elected by over 1000 votes
In July 1891 Mr.. Mitchell introduced in the House
a bill to establish currency reserve fund 1t was
the first bill of its character ever presented to
Congress. A substitute to accomplish the same
ends was introduced by Mr.. Mitchell at the last
session of the 55th Congress. and was approved
without amendment by the committee. Mr. Mitchell
had been directed by the committee to draw the
renort on this bill This fundamental principle Of
sound nance e. was b oonP% 'Rg Was
in the Gage BILL in the Indianapolis o t ana m Ia tiis is
Banking and Currency Subcommittee DILL ana Is
now in the new act. CAV. ~.
n 1898 he for the tnlro UNle III Inc otA' bu
was beaten by the Tammany forces who sent
Daniel J. Riordan to Congress. robbng Mr. Mitchell
Of the pleasure of being in Congress when his Dill
passed ., ,,, d, ,,,,,,
Tairnage, daughter of DR.. John z. Talmage' q
p Nh UitcbeH was Interested in electricity from
its start, and built the first FIVE electric railways
in the United States all of which are running TO-
day He was member of the Academy of Sciences;
the Bar Association OF the city Of New-York, and
Museum Of Art, Tree Planting Asgociation of the the
Points House of Industry Prison Association
American Association of Inventors and Manufact- f,,
St. Nicholas society Down Town Club. Republican
Patriotic League Fencers Club Riding Club; Club; seai yea
Vas the chairman of the law committee OF the
| Corfnthian Yacht Club. In washington he was a
rrember of the Columbia Athletic Club. Metropoii-
| tan Club and the Army and Navy Club; he was
slso life member of the New-York Athletic Club.
Mr. Mitchell was the owner of the cutter Bedouin,
| one of the best built boats afoat and OF which he
/ " as his own sailing master.
JAMES 4. BURR.