Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-12-06
MOURNING.
All Louisville Grieved at the
Passing of Col. John III.
Whallen.
Poor and Needy Have Lost Their
True Friend and
Champion.
Fortified by Last Rites OF the
Church Before His
End.
MANY TRIBUTES TO MEMORY

Although expected hourly, never
theless the death of Col. John H..
Whallen on Wednesday evening
came as a blow to the majority OF
Louisville citizens, rich and poor, all
alike being interested in the gallant
but homeless fight he was making
for his life, and the Louisville pub
lie. regardless of creed or color,
realizes in his death that the city
suffered a distinct loss.
Col. Whallen died at 1920 o'clock
Wednesday night at his home in
Spring Bank Park on the western
outskirts of Louisville. His death,
which ended an illness of several
years, was due to arterio sclerosis,
complicated by Bright's disease and
acute uremia. Although he had long
been an intermittent sufferer from
these maladies, Col. Whallen's illness
did not attain critical stage until
last summer. The night of the late
primary, August 2, he, sat in his
office in the Buckingham Theater,
receiving the returns. The following
day he left for Europe in the hope
that a vacation and change Of
climate would restore his waning
health. During an absence of about
two months Col. Whallen toured
Ireland, Scotland and England. He
sent optimistic messages to his
friends from various points, but upon
his return ii was seen that the trip
had been of little If any benefit.
Since his return his health had been
declining, gradually but inexorably.
Four weeks ago, weakened by a
severe cold, he was forced to his
bed. The attending physicians, DR..
John H. Buschemeyer and DR..
Clinton Kelly, were at his side con-
stantly, using all the resources of
their skill. Despite their efforts, his
condition grew more grave fronl.day
to day. Last Friday a week ago,
while he was still conscious, the last
rites were administered by the Rev.
Father c. Brey, pastor of the Holy
Cross church. at Thirty-second and
Broadway. Twice later he received
holy communion. Last Tuesday
morning Col. Whallen lapsed into a
state of unconsciousness from which
he did not again emerge. Realizing
that the end was drawing near his
relatives and intimate personal
friends gathered about his bedside.
With him when the end came were
Col. James p. Whallen, his brother
and business associate; two daugh-
ters, Mrs. Ella Herfurth and Mrs.
Nora Moore, both of Newport, KY;
Mayor Buschemeyer, DR.. Kelly and
several close friends.
Wednesday morning at IL o'clock
the Rev. Father Brey and the Rev.
Father Raffo visited the Whallen
home again. Col. Whallen grew
weaker toward the close of the day
until at 7:05 o'clock, when DIR.
Buschemeyer announced that the
pulse of the patient had ceased to
beat. Fifteen minutes later Col
Whallen was dead. No scene in his
life was more affecting than that
which concluded it. The bed in
which the sick man lay was against
the south wall of the room. Col.
James Whallen was at the right
side, holding his brothers hand.
Next stood Col. Whallen's grand
children, Dorothy and Goldie Her
furth, and next to them his two
daughters, Mrs. Moore and Mrs.
Herfurth. Mrs. James p. Whallen
was at the foot of the couch. On
the left were Thomas Whallen.
half-brother; Frank McGrath and
Edward T. Tierney, the Chairman
of the Board of Public Safety. In
the hall outside we're John Shea,
Frank Dugan, George w. Berry, Ed
ward O'Connor and r.. e. Fleming.
Col. Whallen came of Irish par
ents. He was born in New Orleans
In the year 1850. His father moved
70 Kentucky when John was yet
baby and settled in Maysville The
father died when this son was seven
years old, and with his brothers he
faced life as a wage-earner at this
time. At the age of thirteen Col.
Whallen, always OF an adventurous
nature, ran away TO war and Joined
the Confederate army under Gen.
Morgan. At the conclusion OF the
strife he took up the peaceful pur-
suit of clerk in store and Post
office in Campbell county. His
natural instinct for activity asserted
itself after a brief service here and
he went TO Newport, KY, where he
Joined the police force. He soon
tired OF this occupation and went 10
Tennessee, where he obtained en-
ployment with a construction gang
on the Cincinnati Southern railway.
This field of activity soon was ex-
hausted in interest for the Colonel
and he came TO Louisville In his early
twenties and took up work In rock
quarry. Here he was Joined by his
brother Jim, and the life history OF
these two has run In an inseparable
line from that day to the present
time. With the two brothers exist
ence was mutual. All their ex-
tensive affairs OF whatever import
and Importance have been carried on
jointly. and so greatly we're their
interests unified that friends
iocularly remarked, Whenever the
Whallens buy pair OF shoes, one
belongs to Jim and the other to