Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-02
[. ". WHITEHEAD
TAKEN BY DEATH
Veteran Civic Leader and Head
of Municipal Bureau Sue
cumbs at RosevilIe Home.


Tidings of the death of Edward w
Whitehead. at his home, 172 Fifth
street, in the Roseville section. yes
terday morning. were received at the
City Hall as the various municipal
boards were about to begin the work
of closing up business for the year
just ended and to take up the task OF
reorganization.
The news came as a distinct shock
to all. for while it was known that
Mr.. Whitehead had been complaining
of cold, serious consequences had
not been thought of. Regrets and
sympathy were expressed by Mayor
Haussling, the other citv officials
present, and citizens who had
gathered to pay their respects to the
mayor and listen to proceedings in
the Common Council chamber and
other offices in the big building.
Mr.. Whitehead died about o'clock
yesterday morning. He had been all
ing from an attack of la grippe. fol-
lowing a cold contracted on Christ
mas Eve, which developed into pneu-
monia. He was born in this city on
November 81. 1854, and was therefore
about one month over fifty-nine years
of age when he died. He is survived
by a widow and one child, Donald,
An Active Democrat.
For many years Mr.. Whitehead was
actively identified with Democratic
politics in Newark. At times
he was prominently in evidence. A
member of the Joel Parker and
the Jeffersonian clubs, he was
affairs. He had been city librarian,
and of late years and up to the
time of his death he was head of the
municipal labor bureau, the duties of
which he performed with conscien-
tious care.
An organization man, Mr.. White
head early in the nineties took an
Independent position with few other
dissatisfied Democrats and sought to
form a new party organization. The
effort failed and he eventually re-
turned to the party fold with a more
fervent spirit of loyalty. Frequent
communications from him appeared in
local newspapers and all breathed de-
votion to the principles of Jefferson,
who was his ideal of the American
statesman.
No man in local politics was better
known than Eddie Whitehead, or
better liked personally. 1t is fair to
say he did not have an enemy and
his even temper and unfailing good
humor, even in times Of party stress
or great partisan strain, made friends
of his political opponents. At the
City Hall, where for years he had
been a familiar figure, there will be
sorrow for his death and his face will
be missed.
Mr.. Whitehead was educated in the
Newark schools and had read much.
For time he edited and ran a weekly
publication, known as the Reg
istrar, on bis own account, but
as it was not financially successful
he dropped the publication. In his
private life his character was exem-
plary.
The funeral of Mr.. Whitehead will
be held from his late residence, on
Fifth street, tomorrow at 230 p. m.
For many years ED" Whitehead
represented the old Fourteenth ward,
q Republican Gibraltar, in the Essex
County Democratic Committee, and
during almost his entire period of
service was chairman of the execu-
tive committee. Nothing could keep
him away from meetings, and Colonel
e. l.. Price, who was county chair
man in those days, entrusted the bur-
den of work to the enthusiastic Four
tenth warder.
Wnent w HlIeDedU DTOke ITOIH
the regular organization and became
a member of the so-called Essex
County Democracy, he demonstrated
his old hustling qualities from the
new viewpoint. 1t did not take very
long, however, for him to discover
that he was out OF his natural ele-
ment, that of a regular, and after
paying anything but a tribute to
"kickers," as he termed them, he re-
turned to his old love harder worker
for the regular organization than
ever.
Back in the eighties he was a can
didate for Assembly from the dis
trict that embraced the old Four
tenth ward, Irvington, Clinton,
South Orange, Millburn and Livings-
ton. 1t was hopelessly Republican
district Mr.. Whitebead's opponent
was Adrian Riker, who was elected.
In later years, lust so everything
wouldn't be too one sided and ito
help the general Democratic ticket"
Mr. Whitehead opposed the SAte Will
lam Stainsby and again the late
George NJ. Ballard for alderman in the
Ninth and in the Fourteenth wards.
Whitehead nor any other Democrat
never had a chance of winning in
these Republican bailiwicks, but such
trifling considerations as certain de-
feat never bothered him. He threw q
spirit and energy into his campaign
that worried the old campaigners, and
when he wasn't on the stump making
speeches he was attacking his oppo-
nents in caustic communications to
the newspapers.
Mr.. Whitehead was stanch advo-
cate of the policies of James r. Nu-
gent, and was always warm in his
praise of the latter's leadership. 1t
pleased him to be known as a factor
of what has been frequently termed
the Smith Nugent wing of the Demo-
cratic organization.