New-York tribune., 1912-02-16
MRS. ROCERA. PRYOR DEAD
Wife Of EX-JuStiCe Was Within
Four Days Of 82d Year.
FAMED FOR LITERARY WORK
Was a Heroine of Civil War and
Did Not Take Up Writing
Until SO Years Old.


tce Roger A. Pryor. Of the Supreme Court.
! died Yesterday at her home, No. 3 West
6orh street. from au@mia. II she had lived
four DAYS longer she would have celebrated
her cighty-second birthday.
Hundreds OF kilograms expressing sympa
thy were received by the family from ali
over the country.
Justice Pryor and his wife had been de
voted to each other, and II was feared that
her death might impair his health His
son said last night, however. that his faith
er. who is eighty-four years old. was keep
ing up his courage.
The funeral of Mrs. Pryor will be held
at the house tomorrow morning at 10
o'clock The Rov. Dr. f. NJ Stires. rector
Of s.. Thomass Church. will oflciate.
Mrs Pryor was a heroine OF the civil
Na- hut TN" portion of her life which she
said was tho most satisfactory 10 herself
WAS that which followed her sXty-ninth
year when she took up literary work. in
which she won a wide reputation Her only
novel appeared when she was eighty years
old. It went into a second edition three
weeks after fl loft the press
Her contributions to literature included
four other books and seem to have been the
spontaneous overhowing Of a long expert
ence Of unusual breadth and depth in those
last years. when, for the first time, she had
| leisure Tor reflection and for the recording
/ OF h"r impressions
Mother OF Seven Children.
-l was too busy hoforc that" .hc *
plairod 81 had family of seven chill
drnu. and was also much interested in so
cial doirgs. I used 10 have eleven teas on
IN afternoons programme. but after a time
] got tired Of that
= started my first book after my hus-
band had been retired from tho supreme
Court bench because his burden Of rc-
spousiblitv was yorv heavy. and I wanted
| 10 help him with my share in maintaining
! the family. II VAS suggested ~ in" 10y my
! friends that my experience with tn" old
! South ought 70 bo p"rp"tuatod m som" way
/ because II was peculiar society and man
] nor cr III" that had never been found in
our time in any part Of tho world"
Nor wcrc tho activities of her varied
career 10y any means confined 10 social and
domestic spheres within m" comfortabl"
circles into which TN" wealth and honors ~
hor husbands later years brought him. She
played a noteworthy part in the civil War
She followed her husband 10 battle as
nurse. OF an this ~h" wrote graphically.
Thor" was the thrilling day when her hus
band. tho eloquent Young tribune of VII
rinia." as ne was called afi"rward. made
fiery speech from the balcony "f IN" NILS
House. IN Charleston. Virginia. Iik" IN"
rest Of the border states. vas holding back
at that timo from secession
"Strik" one blow and Virginia will So
code in an hour " declared Tho orator
Refused 10 Fire First Shot.
Then camc Rcau-cGard'~ u'umatuw -
Major Anderson ~ Fort sumter. rrvor
was ono II those who took back AnIerson's
r. lection and 10 him they offered the honor
If firing the first shot of the war 10 r"-
fused. because his state was still m th"
Union.
Then there was tho picturesque tale Of
how her husband rose 70 the rank ~ brig
adler general I'm tho Confederate army and
rceirned because 81 2 difference with ProSi-
dent Davis Hovo,er h" 70 enlisted and
served through tho ros' Of tho war ne q
private.
Nh, Pryor wrote graphically of th"
nardship- -bo suffered lu tho course Of tho
Petersburg operations and during tho tino
These hardships were now to the conf
rortahIv reared Young woman. Before tho
war her husband. then a journalist. had
served ror period ~ United States sp"-
riaI minister to Greece and during ono
term I'm Congress In those days she won
tho reputation of being one of the most
beautiful women in Washington society,
and 10 tho last sin" bore evidence Of that
beauty.
Tho var I,ft them destitute. General
Pryor came ~ Sew York 10 begin anew.
the very oxpcrsos or his journey here being
paid hy rawning the family icwolry Here
ne studied law and rose rapidly in hi" pro-
fc-eou IN ISs" n" became Judge of TN"
Court ~ Common Pleas and in iS9i was
advanced 10 tho Suprcm" Court, returning
10 private practice in 1902 Ho is Still active
M the az" Of cChty-four. II" and Mrs |
Pryor celebrated their diamond wedding
annivcrsarv three years ago.
Mrs Pryor's Hrst writing Of any Kind. |
done when she was sivtv-nno was story
which was accepted by tho Century Maga- |
zine" Since then she brought out III" fol- |
Mother Of Washington and Her Times"
"Reminiscences Of Peace and War" which |
was written in cighty-tWo days; birth OF
the Nation: Jamestown, 1901" and MY !
Dav: the Rccollcctons OF "A Long Life" !
which she wrote I'm three months.
q -o-
JOHN r. BLACK.