The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-02-05
WILLIAM CLOKE
DIES OF APOPLEXY
IN TRENTON HOME
State Editor and NeWspaperman
Known Throughout New Jers
sey Had Noteworthy Career.
WELDED DIPLOMATIC
PEN AND KEPT FRIENDS
Had Courage of Convictions as
Writer, but Exercised Judg=
ment Big Politicians Admired.

TRENTON, Feb. 5.--William Cloke,
a well-known newspaper man in this
State and recently appointed by Gov
ernor Fort as State Commissioner of
reports, died early today in his home,
Woodside avenue, Hillcrest. Mr.. Cloke
was stricken last night with apoplexy.
lie was about So years old.
For many years Mr.. Cloke was the
editor Of the Trenton State Gazette,
and more recently was New Jersey
editor of the New York Herald.
Mr.. Cloke leaves a widow and four
sons. The sons are: Harold e. Cloke,
who is stationed with the regular army
at Fort Williams, Me-; Paul Cloke, a
student at the State College Of Penn
sylvania; John Cloke, who is doing
newspaper work in Milwaukee, Wis,
and Philip Cloke, a student at the Tren-
ton High School.
Mr.. Cloke leaves two sisters, Mrs.
James Magee, of Freehold, and Mrs.
Harry Bovine, Of Freehold. Freebooter
Joseph w. Stevens is a s~on-in-law to
Mr.. Cloke.
The funeral arrangements will. be
completed today.
Governor. Forts Tribute.
Governor Fort said today: 1T is with
a. sense of extreme regret that / re-
ce1ved the news of the death of William
Cloke. My acquaintance with him COW
ers a period of over thirty years. He
was a man of convictions. of splendid
Impulses and all his purposes were hon
est. He was a trenchant writer, an ex-
Gallant jtl6on rf n,thIi@ eAn+i~aA@4 -
loyal friend and a good citizen.
He was as familiar with the affairs
of the State of New Jersey as any
other, man in the State. His n
ton with the State Gazette, with the
State riparian boards and with other
positions in the State, had made it
necessary Tor him TO consider condi-
tons in New Jersey, and there was
hardly a subject upon which he was
not capable of instructing almost any
n His advice was always ch%eerfully
given and with a disinterested spirit.
For myself, 1 experience in his death
a deep sense of personal loss"
Sketch of His Career.
The Trenton state Gazette, the news
paper from which Mr.. Cloke retired as
editor-in-chief in 1894, today has this
to say of the journalist: j
Mr.. Cloke was one of the most interesting
Of New Jersey newspaper men and one
who worked with b led enthusiasm
NEST vigorous service. He was editor Of
the State Gazette in the days when the
portrayal of political combat by the lead
ing party organs was at its height.
His unique and fearless style, supported
by intense earnestness and a picturesque
vocabulary of ~forceful terms, became
famous throughout the State when he
fought the battles of the Republican party
in the quarter of a century previous to the
present ascendancy Of that body. He re-
tired from the editorship of the Gazette in
1894, on the eve of his party's victory in the
long struggle. He adapted himself success
fully to the changes of journalism, and had
for the past twelve years ably conducted
the New Jersey page of the New York
Herald.
Mr.. ClolSe,s career as a journalist had
been the fulfillment of the ruling ambition
OF his boyhood. AS a young man he had
some experience in teaching at a small
country school, but in 1851 he accepted the
editorship of the Monmouth Inquirer at
Freehold as the opportunity of his life. He
returned again temporarily to the profess
sion Of teaching, becoming principal of the
Freehold Academy in 1865. but two years
later he came to Trenton TO take a position
on the Gazette, in which his duties in
cluded those of a general reporter, news
editor and proofreader. During sessions Of
the Legislature he reported the proceedings
of both houses, and the only other news
paper men engaged In the work then were
John Y. Foster. afterward editor of Leslie's
Weekly, and Richard Watson Glider, the
present editor Of the Century Magazine.
After doing every part of general news
paper work for two years Hr. Cloke be-
came editor-in-c chief of the Gazette. Many
men against whose ambitions he found him
self errayed were his warm personal
friends, notably the late Joel Parker. He
so far avoided the personal style of attack.
however, that he retained the friendship Of
many prominent Democrats, who, together
with the leaders of his own party, con-
place, on the Board of Riparian Commits
%sioners, which he held for several years.