New-York tribune., 1910-06-06
eamous Humorist SucCumbS to
CirrhosiS of Liver in Poly
clinic Hospital.
ONLY DOCTOR AT BEDSIDE
Few Knew Real Name Of Pop
Mar Writer of Short Stories
Was William Sidney
Porter.

shortly before the end ne turned 10
-be doctor who was alone by his bedside
IN the Polytechnic Hospital and said:
Doctor. l don't want to go home in
she dark
FTis last wish was gratified; he died at
sa7 o'clock in the morning, in broad
daylight
Rut O. Henry wasn't one Of 'the old
fellows~. he was only forty-three years
old Cfrrhosis of the liver destroyed
him ~ the cutvorm brings down
-oUrg maple which has just spread its
! limbs 70 the light above forest of its
4 fellows. for the fame Of his short stories
i dates hack 2 brief eight years and in
the opinion Of his admirers he had by no
means reached the height which his
genius was capable Of scaling.
William Sidney Porter was his real
name Until within year or 50 only
his most intimate friends knew that Sid
ne- Porter. as they called him. was the
humo-ist whom the entire country loved
IS @ Henry He pulled the covers of
srvness with almost passionate mod
estv over his head, and as Sidney Por-
ter the New York fat dweller. he could
81 on the park benches with the hohoes,
IS he used 10 do often from O'Clock in
the morning until breakfast time, or
stroll into the Broadway cafes. without
so much IS there he goes" from the
Hus cf one Of The -Four Million whom
n irrortalized. That was his object in
=e,ecring nom de plume
Chos. Alias" with Friend
How do YOU come to choose your pen
name one Of his intimstes once asked
him
When I vas in New Orleans one
Lav" he replied 7 said 10 a friend.
Tn going 10 send out some stories. I
don't know whether they are any good
~ not 50 7 want an elias. Help me
rt-k one. He suggested we get a news
paper and pick out . name from the
arst list OF notables We found In the
description Of the Nardi Gras bali my
eve lighted on the name Henry
ThatT DO for last name said I.
Now for first name. 1 want some
thing short Why not a plain initial?'
asked my friend. Good ! replied, and
the easiest O. aU 10 make is o."
Thar was only ten years ago. and
Walter II. Page Of Doubleday, Page &
Co. his publishers, said yesterday that
attn the exception af Kipling's, O.
Henry's short stories sold better in book
form than those Of any other English
writer.
And they keep on selling" said Mr..
Page The demand for them doesn't
die out as it does with others. They ap-
peal 10 old. middle aged and young.
Why, an old friend Of mine in Chicago.
man N the seventies. who you would
suppose had got beyond the stage at
which one devours short stories, asked
mo q while ago II ! wouldn't bring o.
Henry 10 Chicago with me some day.
tnat he wanted to know personally the
writer Of those charming tales.
Lived Very Much Alone.
Did you ever see him? No? Well.
not one man in ten thousand has, to
know him. And anybody would remem-
L. less about him personally than any
other man. he lived very much alone,
Jew knew where At one time he would
nave reom or an apartment in the
"sist ~ the town here somewhere. I
have tried 10 find him at such an ad-
dress only go discover that he had sud
denly buried himself on Long Island.
And when ! vent after him over there l
would find that he had moved back TO
Aanhattan- II VAS the longest time be
We could get him TO come to the
once st an and after the ice was once
broken be came very infrequently.
rather distinguished scholar, who
vas born IN the same town in which ..
jfenrE vas b"rn-Greensboro. Y. C.-and
eFe" DO With him, came 10 New York 10
'eAFer an address some time ago. He
antec Porter to hear hinl-they were
"'a boyhood friends. Porter went over
u his hotel aud spent the afternoon with
'i'A' hu' nothing would induce him TO
+Veha the lecture. because ne would
nave 70 meet 50 many people
hui when YOU did run him down
-e'e never was a cheerier corIara rliorl.
vas q very lovab}e fellow If he had
wiling 10 belong to clubs and 10
aPout there would have been no more
i0Puiaf man IN the community His
ne began after he came TO this
p some ten years ago. And here he
aeao- -,ven now were getting out
Foiune Of short stories by him He
'9o been changing the title Of it. but
what ne hit upon at fast; rather
ietc' think. Let Ne Feel Your
1t collection Of amusing
flfs about doctors
Friends Full Of aneodotes.
ne nearest thing TO a club IN o.
life VAS little coterie Of init
with whom he used TO bowl at
siiey near the Hotel Brevoort Gil
man, managing editor Of Every
Mag -ine," and William Griffith.
q The Traveller" two of his
sest friends. said that only short
sgo- after he had got through
wing with them, he began ssjpping
'sr'ers and half dollars along the al
lot the benefit Of the attendants
nsse friends could multiply such an
tss ume out of mind. but they con
sea their inability 10 give anything
'he brlefest summary Of his life
or Instance Mr.. Hall said that o.
thrE always wrote his stories in pen
6.atiRvsa thira rsEc-