Evening star., 1913-03-05
WON LAURELS HERE
Howard Thompson Ranked
High as a Newspaper Man.
FRIEND OF WORLD RULERS
Celebrated as War Correspondent
and Political Writer in the
Capitals of Europe.

WORD has Deen received III this city
of the death at his home in Scarborough.
n. Y, last night of Howard n. Thomp
son, for many years a member of the
Associated Press staff in Washington
and IN various European cities. Funeral
arrangements have not been completed.
Mr.. Thompson was one of the best
known among the older Wa hington cor
respondents. He was in Washington for
years as special correspondent, and
afterward, from 1892 to 1910 as a men,
ber of the Associated Press force, serv-
ing here in the Spanish-American war
and in Europe. He was forty-seven
years old and a graduate of the Ohio
State University. His father, Jacob
Thompson, was all Ohio democratic poll
tician of note. and at one time was
sergeant-at-arms of the House Of Repre-
sentatives 1t was really this political
connection that brought Howard Ihomp-
son into such intimate connection with
political correspondence, and brought
about his first connection with Wash
ngton newspaper work.
Came Here as Correspondent.
Mr.. Thompson was reporter on the
Columbus State Journal after his gradu-
alton from the state university. He was
sent to Washington as the correspondent
for that paper, and afterward served
both it and the Cleveland Plain Dealer in
Washington. On the organization of the
Associated Press in 1892 he joined the
Washington force and remained with it
during the rest of his newspaper work in
this country.
At the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri-
cen war he was anxious to go to the
front, but was held in Washington until
the last of the Associated Press parties
was sent out. He was assigned TO an
old and scarcely seaworthy tugboat in
the dispatch fleet. and kept watch on
the Havana blockade for some weeks.
He wrote number of picturesque stories
on this end of the work. and drove the
old dispatch boat in all sorts of weather
until the crew protested at taxing
chances on the water.
Afterward the famous eX-filbuster boat
Dauntless. also in the service as a dis
patch boat, was available and Thomp-
son was transferred to command or her
She went to the south side of Cuba with
the bloclxading squadron OF Santiago ana
Thompson remained there until the de-
struction of Cervera's fleet and the fall
Of the city. He was then sent TO nnish
up the war in the short Porto Rican cam
paign.
Sent to London Office.
Soon after returning 10 washington lie
was sent to the London office of the As
sociated Press. He remained there long
enough to get in touch with the foreign
news service and then was transferred to
st. Petersburg at the outbreak OF the
| Russo-Japanesc war. He was in charge
of the news service from st. Petersburg
| throughout the war and in close touch
with the Russian authorities, having sew
eral audiences with the car. His ac-
count of the christening Of the yWlnS
| czarewitch at Peterhoff was a particu-
larly vivid piece Of work
Thompson was a revelation to Russian
official circles in the line Of a newspaper
man. His long service in connection with
national politics in the United States had
placed him on terms Of familiarity and
confidence with the successive American
administrations from the President down.
He was personally one of the most af-
fable and approachable fellows imagin-
able, but he took news work seriously,
and expected as a matter Of course the
foreign officials would meet him on the
same basis that he had been used to in
| der favorable auspices. and having his
confidence from the start was always
welcome on almost diplomatic footing
| in other Russian official circles. He was
given silver loving cup by the czar on
| leaving Russia.
| Before the close of the Russo-Japa-
nese war he was sent back to the United
States to cover" the peace negotiations
at Portsmouth. After this he went back
to Russia for short time, and was then
transferred to the charge of the Paris
Office of the Associated Press where he
remained until two years ago, when he
resigned from the news service 10 go
with the City National Bank in New
| York.