The Springfield herald., 1906-03-16
DEATH
THos. e. M'kENNA, MANAGING
EDITOR DENVER NEWS, GONE.
TWELVE YEARS IN SERVICE
Born in Canada and Educated in Chi
cago-Learned Newspaper Work In
coIorado-Won Distinction by Great

|
many years managing editor of the
Rocky Mountain News. died at ST.
.Joseph's hospital in this city Satur-
day night, after an illness of little
| over month.
Thomas Edward McKenna was born
in Montreal November 9. 1861, but re-
ceived his education in Chicago. He
then returned to his native city and
there became n leader in amateur ath
letics. For four Years he was secre-
| tary and manager of the famous Sham
| rock lacrosse team, which held the
championship of Canada and England.
| During his management the team ac-
cumulated property valued at $4,000.
| In training for cross country race
Mr.. McKenna contracted n severe cold
after an attack of typhoid fever. The
ravages of the disease left him in a
weakened condition and on the advice
of physicians he came to Colorado in
| 1887. One year of "roughing it, on
Bar IL ranch in Routt county restored
him to his former health. He then
| came 10 Denver ana JOlHeu tHe re-
portorial staff of the Rocky Mountain
| News. His keen perception, quickness
to grasp details his nose for news"
his ability TO write it in an attractive
| style and his executive ability soon
| won him promotion to the city editors
| desk. He remained in that position,
| however, only "A year. because of the
| confinement which had begun to show
its traces. AT his own request he re-
turned to reportorial work. Twelve
years ago he was made managing edi-
tor of the News On February H.
1906. Mr.. McKenna completed seven
| teen years of service on the News.
Three years ago. when the Times WAS
consolidated with the News. MIR. Nc
Kenna also became managing editor of
the former publication.
The first sign Of failing health as
serted itself on November I'd last. II
was his forty-fourth birthday annivcr-
sary During an informal celebration
| of he anniversary at his home with
few intimate friends he was attacked
by what was thought to be bilious
fever. This confined him to his home
for three weeks. He was cautioned
and even urged by his friends TO take
Il long rest in lower altitude. How
|
to resume his duties and refused to
| take vacation
Two months later. one Saturday
night at the office, his final collapse
| came. His condition was so serious
| that he decided to rest, so left Denver
on February 18th for Redlands, Cali
fornia, accompanied by his wife and
their infant daughter, on the advice of
his physician. 1t was necessary for
him to seek lower altitude becaus;
Of an affection of the heart.
Mr.. Mckenna reached California
about the commencement OF the rainy
| season. For ten days after his arrival
| the rain poured This had deDress'
| ing influence upon the patient and MS
condition failed to improve.
| Mr.. McKenna married Miss Rita
Reilly eleven years ago in Denver.
| Two children were born of the union.
The first died week after birth. The
other is now ten months old. For
years the family lived at 1868 Jose
| phine street.
John C. Martin, first cousin OF Mr..
| McKenna, is the latter's only relative
in Denver, outside the immediate fam
lily. Besides his mother, there are four
brothers of Mr.. Mckenna living in
Montreal. The eldest, William Nc
|
there, having been connected with the
custom house for twenty years.
AS a reporter Mr. Mckenna wrote
| two big stories for the News which
made him famous, particularly in the
west One of these was on the open
ing of Creede, Colo Cy Warman was
publishing the Creede Candle at the
time. The News sent Mr.. Mckenna
to write up the new camp, It was
midwinter and bitter cold. Most OF
those who went there slept in trains.
| Creede was the biggest silver camp in
the west. The white metal was then
worth coinage value. Mr.. Mckenna
sent to his paper two-pase story with
| pictures 1t was the first big and re-
liable story sent out of the camp. FOR
descriptive beauty, forcible language
and accurate detail it has never peeh
equalled.
In 1891, when the first discoveries
were made in the Cripple Creek dis
trict, the News dispatched MI. NC
| Kenna to that camp with Prof. Sadtler
of the Colorado School OF Mines. lhc
former wrote a story of the camp from
the newspaper mans viewpoint, group
ing all the facts and detailing the con
ditions with the same graphic force
as he had done at Creede.
1t was in this story that Mr. NC
Kenna coined the phrase shipping the
scenery" hitting upon ii as an apt De
scription of the work he saw on the
old Deerborn property. whose surface
was being sacked and shipped to the
smelter. This dirt brought large re
turns.