The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-21
SAL LvAT|ON ARMY
Chief IS DEAD
General William Booth Has Laid
Down His Sword and Whole
World Mourns Death Of
Good Man.
SYMPATHY IS SINCERE
Thousands Of kilograms Received
Some From the Rulers Of Nations
and People Who Have
Gained Fame.

limited Press Leased Wire Service. l
LONDON, Aug Thousands OF
telegrams Of sympathy in the Joss Of
their leader. General William Booth,
were received by the Salvation Army
heads today. Several rulers of ma
tions and scores of men and women,
world-famous In many direrent lines,
expressed their grief at the generals
death and their appreciation Of his
greatness.
That the generals son and chief Of
stan, Bramwell Booth, will succeed
his father, Salyationists today con-
sidered foregone conclusion. The
will In which the dead commander
many years ago told his lawyers he
had named the individual to whom he
wished to bequeath his baton will be
opened very soon, possibly today, as
1t Is important that the break in the
army's leadership be made as brief as
possible.
The son, however, is already ad-
yanced by the members OF his faith
er's star as their "chief,'' SO sure are
they that the late general will be
found to have named him for the post.
Arrangements are already being
made for the removal of General
Booths body from his home at Hadley
| Wood, near London, to the Salvation
Army congress hall In the London dis
ltrfct Of Clapton. where 1T will lie il
state for a week before interment
| presumably by his wife at AbneJ
Park, Stoke Newington. An effort is
being made in several Influential
quarters to have the great Salvation
list laid to rest in Westminster Abbey
but the abbey authorities, 1t Is said
| are opposed to the suggestion. As 6
stern dissenter and religious lead
er along lines which high church
England looked on as, to say the least
decidedly unconventional. churchmer
generally while freely conceding his
! greatness, cannot get over the idea
that he was all his life something 0.
religious outlaw.
A short staff meeting was held a.
army headquarters today at which ar
rangements were made for the conduc'
of headquarters routine business unit
the generals successor has been In
duced into office.
Salvation Army headquarters today
issued the following official announce
ment to the army OF General Booths
/ death.
/ "our general has laid down hi'
sword. God is with u.s.
General Booth left practically NJ
personal estate. Vast sums were con
4 tributed to him or earned by hin
/. through his writings but all of 1t wen
toward the support and upbuilding o
4 the army His death was directly du'
to septic poisoning and the shock o
i the operation for the removal of cat
aract from his left eye but his physi
clan said today that really he sue
cumbed to old age and the wear ant
tear Of long lifetime OF incessan
work.
1t is understood that the day HI
4 died a cable message was received
i expressing the love and sympathy Q
1 his son, Ballington Booth, from whom
he had long been estranged, but tn
A general was unconscious when 1t ar
4 rived and died without knowing of hi
4 son,s overture toward a reconciliation
/ Bramwell Booth who, 1t Is takel
for granted, will succeed his fathe
as the army's commander-in-chief, 4
56 years old. He was General Booth
eldest son. Born at Halifax, England
he crew up in the Salvation Arm,
and devotion to It's interests complete
| ly saturates his nature. Though with
ont his fathers magnetism and mar
velous eloquence, he Is a man Q
sound common sense and an efficien
executive.
! He worked his way up through tn
Salvation Army ranks, toiling wit
!. his hands like the humblest recruit
/ early In his career, until he receive'
8, the rank of chief Of staff in 1880. H
! is widely travelled, well educated an
very popular with the Salvationists.
i His wife, whom he married in 1881
4 is native of Plymouth, England. Sh
/ is commissioner and leader of we
t mems social work of the Salvation
4 Army In Great Britain.
lContinued on mage ~