The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-04
CROSS FUNERAL
MASONIC AUSPICES
WILL BE HELD FRIDAY MORNING
FROM INDIA TEMPlE-WllL BE
STATE AFFAIR.

al of Secretary or STATE IToSs, Nho
died at an ealqy hour Yesterday
morning, will occur in Oklahoma
City Friday morning from India Tenn
pie. under the auspices of the Mason /
ic Shrine, of which he was a mem
Der. lie also belonged to the Consist
ory in Guthrie, and began his Ma
sonic life as a member OF the local
Blue Lodge.
Three weeks ago Col, Cross, after
weeks strenuous campaigning As
a candidate for state auditor, tray
cling with Governor Haskell, took to
his bed. suffering from weak hear.
From the attack he rallied in a fee
bic way, but yesterday morning be.
came unconscious.
Governor Haskell, Chief justice
Jesse j. Dunn, Royal }. Allen, Jadge
Henry Furman of the court of crim-
iral appeals, and State Senator Roy
Stafford are a committee from the
state administration to arrange al
observance on the part of the state
for the late secretary. Governor Has
kell will issue a proclamation and
order flags on all state buildings a.
half-mast for thirty days. Offices in
Oklahoma City and Guthrie will close
Friday, the burial day.
Mr.. Cross only relatives are Clar'
ence Cross of the New York Herald
editorial staff and three sisters, also
residing in New York. They were no
titled of the death today by Assist
ant Secretary of State Meyer.
| William McLain Cross, known
| throughout Oklahoma as Uncle Bill
Cross. was born in Purdy, Tenn,
/ July s, lS47. At the age of II years
he enlisted in the Confederate ser
vice at Bethel Springs, Tenn, as
drummer boy, under the commands
of Gems. Bragg and Pemberton. He
took part in the battles of Shiloh
/ Franklin and Murfre esboro and was
| discharged at the close of the war
at Dalton, Ga.
After being paroled he attended
school at Lexington, KY, ten months,
which was his total schooling in
books, being compelled at an early
age to earn his living. Col. Cross was
at the point of death when the first
state officials were inducted into Of
flee and later received the official
ne was several times critically i'll.
Col. Cross came to Oklahoma City
on the first passenger train entering
the city, April %, 1899. In 1902
he was nominated delegate to con
gress by the democrats from Okla
! homa Territory, but in the genera
election was defeated by Bird S
Mcclure of Pawnee, eutcongress
man from the First Oklahoma dis
tTrct The election was contested be
= fore the house of representative II
5 Washington, with a decision in Mr.
| McGuire's favor.
In the first state election Col
5 Cross was a candidate for secretar!
Of state without opposition in hi
party, and as an indication of hi
= popularity, he received 1870 votes
! the highest number cast for an.
state official in the democratic pri
o mary. He was uniformly courteou
and considerate of friends and stran
5 gers alike, and during his campaign
won favor with mothers by kissin
. their babies, an incident he frequent
ly commented upon as assisting hin
in winning votes.
He was prominent in the Confed
crate organization of the state an
served as commander one term, a
the time when the divisions Of o.
lahoma and In1ian Territories wer
amalgamated. About a year az
charges were preferred agaiHso hin
by members of the Oklahoma div
!. sion that he had never Served il
il the 'crfe1erate army. althOrgl n
|, wore the cross of honor bestowe
i by the Daughters of the CoEfederaci
!. For a ',He he was d.gcredited by
. faction Of the organization but a
) the annual reunion in OklahDma CIt
he was exonerated by affidavits O
}. veterans who had served with hin
, While generally of a happy dispos
, ton, the charges hal depressin
effect upon his physical condition
. In 1908 Col. Cross was selecte
as delegate from Oklahoma by tn
n state board of education to the II
? ternational Education Conference i