The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-14
APOPLEXY IS FATAL
TO BEN {. RICH
Continued from Page One.)

non for the United States senate. In
this campaign he opposed some of the
most prominent church leaders who
were arrayed against Cannon. He in
CURED the enmity of some Of the church
leaders at that time that is said to
have prevented his securing the pref
erment in the church that his subse-
quent service seemed to merit.
The exciting Cannon campaign and
the part Rich played in it is graph
ically recounted in the articles by
Frank j. Cannon recently published in
Everybody's Magazine. AT about the
same time Mr.. Rich was an active sup
porter of Senator Fred Dubois in Idaho,
and Senator Francis e. Warren in Wy
oming, assisting both in their cam
paigns for election.
In 1898 Mr.. Rich was sent to the
southern states as head of the Nor
mon missions in that section, and his
service for the Mormon church in the
mission field had been continuous since
that time. The selection Of Mr.. Rich
as president OF the southern states
mission at time when he was so act.
with suspicion by many. In his auto
biography Senator Frank J. Cannon ex-
presses regret that in his second cam
paign for the United States senate his
campaign manager chad been taken
away
Lived in Tennessee.
For eleven years Mr.. Rich lived at
Chattanooga, Tenn, as the head of the
Mormon missions in the south. -Four
years ago he was transferred to New
York as the president OF the Eastern
States missions. During his absence in
the mission field Mr.. Rich has mai In
tanned his legal residence in Salt Lake,
frequently returning here to vote. Dur
ing the fifteen years Mr.. Rich has re-
turned to Salt Lake three times each
year. He was always in attendance
on the spring and fall conferences Of
the Mormon church and usually spent
few weeks each summer with his
family at Centerville.
Mr.. Rich was widely known through
out Utah and Idaho and also in the
territory covered by the missions over
which he presided Qualities Of cour-
age, loyalty and independence have won
for him thousands of close friends, His
courage was proverbial among his
friends. He was brave enough to be
independent Of his church when loyalty
to his friends demanded it. Because
Of his long service in the church work
he had been frequently mentioned as
possibility for appointment to the
apostles quorum, but his independence
Of action is said to have initiated
against his appointment.
While missionary in the southern
states Mr.. Rich was with a party Of
Mormons in Florida and was attacked
by q mob. The Mormons were stoned
and driven to a nearby railway sta
tion, While waiting for train Rich
mounted truck and rebuked the mob.
At the end of his speech the mob
cheered him for his gameness.
Work Very Heavy.
The detail of the work of presiding
over important missions for fifteen
years finally began to wear on Mr., Rich
and he suffered from a general nervous
weakness AS president Of the missions
he was required to pass on all of the
troubles of more than 300 young mis-
sionaries In addition it was his duty
to direct the work of attempting to
convert reluctant proselytes to an un..
popular belief Mr.. Rich IS health had
remained vigorous up to year ago
when he suffered serious breakdown.
Friends Of Mr.. Rich urged him to ask
to be relieved of his duties in the mis-.
sion field and to return to Salt Lake
for long rest. He preferred, however,
to remain at his post. Finally at the
request of the first presidency of the
Mormon church he consented to take
six weeks vacation, which he spent
on the Mediterranean.
On his return to work Mr., Rich felt
greatly improved in health, but the
recovery did not prove permanent He
failed rapidly and the effects Of i'll
health were remarked upon by his
friends when he visited Salt Lake last
Juno to attend the marriage of his
daughter.
A sharp return Of the nervous trouble
recurred early last month and Mr.. Rich
was forced TO remain away from his
| office. He insisted on continuing work,
however, and while in bed carried on