The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-02
HERMAN RIDDER DIES
SUDDENLY AT HIS HOME
Owner Of "Staats-Zcitung" and
German American Leader
Was 81 Years Old.
PROMINENT IN POLITICS

Herman Ridder. president and princi-
pal owner OF the Stddts-Zcituno and n
leader Of the German propaganda in the
United states. died at his home. II West
Eighty-frst street, shortly after 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon after suffer-
'nS for almost year from Brights
disease.
During the pas; two weeks MIR Rid
der's condition had been such that his
death was expected at any time. As
long ago 80 the Gubernatorial campa ign
or last year. when the editor and pub
lcst went 10 kimira to speak In ad-
vocacy Of the retention in Office OF the
then GOV. Glynn. his advancing weak
ness was apparent. Ten months ago his
physicians realized that there was next
TO no hope Of his recovery.
Mrs Rdder, who was Mis-. Mary
Amend. sister OF the late Justice
Amend of the Supreme Court. was with
her husband when he died. At the bed
side also were Mr.. Riders three sons,
Victor F.. Bernard H. and Joseph Il.
Ridder. and Mr.. Ridders brother. Henry.
\ brother-n-law, William J. Amend, and
Mrs. Riders sister, Miss Dena Amend.
also were present. together with the Rev
Father Thomas +, Myhan and the Rev
Dr. A. b. Stuart Chambers. both of the
Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacra-
ment.
II was announced last night that the
funeral Of Mr.. Ritter will be held Thurs
day morning At 10 O'Clock. \ requiem
mass will be sung at the Church of the
BLESSED Sacrament. Broadway ana Sew
eniy-'irs; street. by the pastor. the Rev.
Father Thomas +. Myhan. lnterment
will be IN Calvary Cemetery.
Made Ills own Way In World.
The entire span OF Herman Ridder' =
life, measuring almost siNty-five years
and all of Ii spent in this city OF his
birth. was typical of what the ambitious,
ami industrious boy OF immediate foreign
ancestry. even tn. foreign born boy him
self. may accomplish with nothing ia
start on except the opportunities offered
most freely uidcr The stars and Stripes
His parents, who had emivrated 20
New York from Germany were too poor
to pay for schooling for the boy, but
near by their home at 400 Greenwich
street in the old Ninth ward. where he
was born on March !. 1851. were the
free schools o. Manhattan. And SO in the
public schools for a while-the boy had
10 leave school and 20 TO work when he
was only IL years old---hc learned the
groundwork of the three Rs. by means
Of which In LATER years he MAS enabled
10 become an editor and publicist and a
prdtagonist of the German propaganda
whose word meant much TO countless
German American admirers here and
Throughout the country.
With the first gun Of the present
world war Mr.. Ridder gave his voice
and pen to acclaiming the Righteousness
OF the German cause,
Died In the Harness.
Right up To- tn" very last. to'
despite his long Illness h. virtually die'
in the harness 40 far as his Journalistic
eSpuusal of the German cause was CON
cerned. the Std0ts-Zcitun0 on its ed.toria
page and especially by means OF Al
English column published daily over hi
signature hammered at tn" Administrh
tion whenever MIR. Ridder thought u
showed signs Of British or French sym
pathies And when the big American
loan to the Allies was launcheh M
printed in his paper "acn day withou
comment but enclosed in a heavy mourn
ing border. the names OF banking an'
other firms subscribing to the loan TN
names being purely German.
From an errand boy in hat sho
when he was II years old Mr. ltiddef
career No to the time he began, yea
ago last summer, TO devote almost al
his time to the German propaganda IL
cluded not only journalism and grea
deal of charirl bile and religious activ'
ties hut also many years of active polti
cal life. At various times his nam
was mentioned seriously among candi
dates for the offices Of Mayor or Ne'
York, Governor and Iieutenant-Gov
ernor OF the state and for Cabinet an
high diplomatic posts.
Waen in 1908 Mr. Bryan made hi
third trial for the Presidency Mr.. Rid
der became treasurer Of the Nauona
ponocr,tic Committee following Nj
Bryan's insistence upon The rcsignato
of ,;oy. Charles y. Haskell as treasure
Thcreupon IL was freely believed durin
the campaign that in case Mr.. Brya
/ were elected Mr.. Ridder had only to sa
wh.ther he wanted to enter the Cahine
or hecome Ambassador to German!
MIR. BRYAN was not elected and Mr.. Rid
der never held any oppo!ntive or elfctir
office.
From errand boy with a halter Nj
Riddcr when still n mere lad went
work in a Wall street office where h
stayed two years. Next he went wit
the Tradosmen's Fire Insurance Con-
pany, where he remained for fourtee
wears, Then when a prosperous insui
nnce agent - years old he decided to &
| into the newspaper business.
Buys Into "stnats-ZeitunR."
He founded first the kdthohscht
/ Colksbldu. Eight years later. in lSS
he started another paper. the Cd'hol
! NemS. and In comparatively short tim
he had made his second venture one
the leading organs of the Cathol
Church IN this country.
! Oswald Ot,endorfer at this time COZ
trolled the Stddts-Zeitung. Mr., Otter
dorfcr was growing old. Consequent
when Mr.. Ridder called at the Stddt!
ZcitunD office one day in 1880 and sougi
some of the Stdnts-Zcitun0 stock NJ
Ottendorfer, who had begun to show
rondness for spending much OF his tin
, abroad. welcomed Mr. Riders offer.
Mr.. Rlddcr Immediately became
director, treasurer and manager OF II
Stadts-ZCitanD, Later he arose to col
troll OF the paper as chief owner OF 1
stock. He was president OF the con
pany Al the Time OF ms ueHtH' ms S'
Bernard Herman Ridder Is vce-pres
dent. and his sons Victor and loser
are treasurer and secretary respectivel
Through the columns OF his pape
and In his speeches Mr.. Ridder was q
advocate OF tariff reform and nominal
at least. n Democrat therefore. lie wa
however, in fact. an independent WI
might he found lined up with the Repu
lican party one year. fusion ind
pendent group the next and back in Il
Democratic ranks the next.