The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-06
GREAT WRITER'S
SUDDEN DEATH
.am E. Curtis Expired In Hotel
Room From an Attack Of
8 Apopiexy Last Ev.
ening.
WAS BRILLIANT WRITER
Had Been All Around the World and
Was Known Everywhere From
the Work Of His
WAS BRILLIANT WRITER

PHILADELPHIA, Oct 6.-William
E. Curtis, the widely known newspa
per correspondent, especially known
to the readers Of the Chicago Record
Herald, dropped dead in his room at
the Bellevue Stratford hotel here at
6 o'clock last night from apoplexy.
Three physicians were rushed to his
room by the management, but he was
dead before any of them arrived,
though two of them were in the hotel
at the time
Mr.. Curtis, accompanied by Mrs.
Curtis, arrived at the Bellevue-Strat-
ford at noon from Washington. They
had luncheon early, and after short
time outside the hotel retired to their
apartment. At o'clock Mrs. Curtis
had dressed for dinner. When Mr.
Curtis. entered he started to dress, and
1t was while he was standing in the
bedroom of the apartment that he
was stricken and fell to the floor.
Mrs. Curtis gave the alarm by the
| call bell, and one of the assistant man
| ayers hurried to the room. Hurriedly
Dr. Homer Bloom and DR.. ]. Norman
Risley, both house physicians at tht
| hotel, were called in and hurry cal
was sent for DR.. John M Musser
| whose Office is only three blocks from
the hotel All three physicians mad,
| efforts to revive Mr.. Curtis, but thei
l.attenlpts were futile. a.
/ Mrs. Curtis said thai - husban,
had not been sufferin 9 I'm Hines
during the day, anS q I before h
was stricken had her no warn
ing. They have touring Canad
for several mo and Mr.. Curtis wa
gathering ms a for special newspe
His health was not the best Will
he was there, but on his return t
Washington he recovered.
Immediately after his death his sis
ter and nephew of East orange, n. ]
, and his son Of Washington we're motif
ed and all three arrived here last eve
ming.
Mr.. Curtis home is at 1901 Connec
ticut avenue In Washington. He wa
61 years old.
Started as "cubr Reporter.
CHICAGO, Oct 6-Mr. Curtis wa
born in Akron, Ohio, Nov. s, 1850, H
was the son of Eleroy and Harriet Gu
tbs. His early boyhood was spent
the Ohio city, after which he went
the Western Reserve College, whel
he graduated in 1871.
Beginning his career in the newsp
, per business in Chicago in 1873, whe
he made his debut on the Inter Ocea
, as cub" reporter, Mr.. Curtis fro
the very first showed great ihtere
in political and economic subjects. T
5 gradually worked into political wol
and in 1887 was acting as political et
tor of the paper.
Then Mr.. Curtis sought broad
field for his chosen work and becan
Washington correspondent for the Re
|. ord-Herald-then the Chicago Recor
n His daily letters to the Record col
n manded attention and soon gave Il
writer national reputation Th
It were characterized by fairness al
6 showed he was more than ordinari
D. keen observer of men and condition
h Even In Washington, where the CT
respondents SO often are taken in
If the confidence of public men and to
h OF situations that would cause int
national complications were they pt
lished, Mr. Curtis had the reputati
of being the confidante of more /
i men than any newspaper man at t
" capital.
N Some idea of the esteem in viii
" Mr. Curtis was held by the public m
" of his time in washington Is given
the number of responsible comm
~ sions he was entrusted with, He w
IT made special commissioner from t
United States to the Central a
South American republic; he w
IT made executive officer of the Inter-
rt tional American Confederation
1889; he acted as director of the F
reau OF AHierican Nepuplios, lo3o-o
- he was made chief of the Latin AM
~ ican department and historical sec
" tarv of the Worlds Columbian Exl
sition in Chicago, 1S91.93; commissie
er of the Chicago exposition to Ma
rid. and special envoy to the Que
Regent of Spain and Pope Leo X
in 1892.