The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-10
END COMES 10
 E. A. HITCHCOCK Former Secretary of
 Interior. DEATH V } NOT UNEXPECTED Prose- n of Land Frauds Brought Him Fame.
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 Louis Tesay ana tAs Fun er.i VII, Bs Hs,a sse.- 4 aay.
DEATH ye } NOT UNEXPECTED

washington, April s.--Ethan Allen Hitchcock, secretary of the Interior under Presidents. Mckinley and Rooss- welt. died here this morning at Il o'clock. aged seventy -four. He had been critically Ill for several days and his death was not unexpected.
 MT. Hitchcock had been i'll for some weeks. He contracted severe cold while in the West and his condition became more serious and he hurried to washinston to place himself in the hands of specialists who had attended him during his of1iciai career here. He suffered from complication of kid ney. heart and pulmonary diseases Ever since he had reached here. hs had been confined to his bed and con stantly attended by his physictAns and trained nurses. With him, at the home of his son of-in-law, Lieutenant Commander Sims. of the navy. the former naval aide of the President wore his sdaughters. Mrs. Sims, Mrs shspiey and Miss Margaret Hitcncock
 His condition had become steadily worse during the last few days and last night ali hope for his recovery q 4 CT .lH s
 His passing marked tho close of a career whore pre-sminent feature wal an admfnistrafion of the Interior De- partanert that stirred the Western land probiema as never before. Brought here from st. retersburg, where he had served as minister under the ap- poiutment Of Mir. Mckinley. Mir. Hitch. cock was almost Immediately plunged into a, vortex of complications growing out of vast frauds and charges oi fraud and counter charges Srowins irl the Western states. MT. Hitchcock directed the most sweeping investiga- tionA arorsinK the enmity of power ful political interests. That work .is recognized today as one of the most uusweryinK ana relentless inauisificns m the annals of governufent pTosecu. tiona He prosecuted cases aGainsi namsr0a as Y, pna'1se N 5s h.l aRs gfi, Etaa Statss Senator MiteheiI of Oregon. who w4a conficted and dte6 not long af- tefwardsi former Oongrsssrnau 6ln9ef Herrniari, who had served as commits xionef, of the. gensrai land office and who was acauittcd; former United States Senator Dietrich of Nebraska; Reprexenfatiye Wiiliamson. of oregon. and John A. Penson . millionaire real estate broker Of San Francisco.
 MT. Hitchcock was q target for att eack on the floors of Congress and In protests filed at the White House. The Hitohcoeks were well known In Wash inston society. where they frequeniiy snss presiaent rafs today sent to Mrs. Hitchcock the following istter<of con- My Dear Mrs. Hitchcock:
 .iThe sad news of the death of your husband has just come. Mrs. Taft and I extend to you and your family our sincerest sympathy in your great loss. Your husbands record for honesty and his sense of of1icial duty were deeply upon the country by his efficient conduct of the Interior De- partment and his dignifed and able representation of this country abroad. The gratitude of his fellow citizens and the high respect for his memory may. In time, hope. mitigate the in- tensity of your present sorrow.>
 = sincerely yours.
 t .rWfn. H. Taft"
 At the bedside when the end came were Mrs. Hitchcock. the three daugh- ters. Iieufenant Commander Sims and a nephew, George c. Hitchcock. of St. Louis. The body will be taken to St. Louis tom orroW, Arrlvlng thero pun day night The funeral will be held Monday. the interneut being at tho Belle Fontaine Cemetery In that city.
 All flags in the interior depBrtnient In Yashington and on all buildings the country under the ju- of that department. will be placed at half mast for ten days, out of respect to the memory of former Sec- retary of the Interior Hitchcock. as the result of an order Issued by Secretary Ballingcr todaS