New Britain herald., 1915-04-13
KANSAS CITY STAR
 PUBLISHER DEAD
William R. Nelson SucCumbs to
 ljracmiC Poisoning.

Kansas City, Mo-, April 13.-Wil- liam Rockhill Nelson, editor and owner of the Kansas City Star, died at his home here this morning. MT. Nelson, who was "A years old, had been in i'll health several months and had been confined to his home since last December. Uraemic poi soning caused his death, according to physicians.
 MT. Nelson took an active part in the management of the Star up until about month ago when his condi- tion changed for the worse. Until then, members of the Star staff gathered at his bedside several times weekly, for the purpose of discussing with MT. Nelson questions of editorial policy. At these conferences he would dictate editorials and outline ideas for cartoons and feature stories. Refused to Obey Doctors.
 Although his physicians constantly advised against the part he was talk ing during the last few months, in the management of the paper he refused to obey them, reminding them that it was in the building of the Star he had been happiest and that he would not be content without some | thing to occupy his mind.
 During the last month, however, MT. | Nelson had been conscious only at in 1 tervals.
 At each period his mind was clear and he constantly asked questions about his newspaper and the mem- bers of his staff. Although he did not enter the l newspaper business until he was near | ly 40 years old, he brought to it such originality, ability and energy that he l built up one of the greatest news papers in the country.
 Born in Fort Wayne. MT. Nelson was born in Fort Wayne, l Indiana, March 2, 1S41. He came | of two centuries of American ances- tors. His maternal grandfather, Will 1 liam Rockhill, settled in Indiana when | that state was a wilderness in 1919, and was the first farmer in America to plant a thousand acres of corn. His father, Isaac DeGroff Nelson, was 1 identified with the upbuilding of the state and took an active hand in its political life.
 William Rockhill Nelson was edu- l cated at Notre Dame university. l After a short experience as a young
 ster in cotton growing in Georgia just l after the war, he returned to Indiania l and became general contractor. He
 engaged in the building of roads,
 pavements, and bridges, and was asso- 1 ciated in a contract for the construc- | ton of the Southern Illinois stato
 penitentiary.
 | Tlden's Campaign Manager.
 Intense admiration for the reform
 work of Samuel J. Wilden brought him
 into contact with that great democrat
 and when only 34 years old, he be-
 came. Tilden's Indiana campaign
 manager. His interest in political 1 leadership made him turn to news 1 raper work as the best way to in- i fluence men in the mass. He bought | an interest in the Fort Wayne Sent-
 1el and a business reverse determined | him to devote all his time to journal :
 ism.
 He soon became convinced that the
 opportunities in Fort Wayne were too
 small and after looking the field over.
 he decided on Ka.nsas City as the
 most promising city of the country.
 He persuaded his Fort Wayne partner,
 Samuel E. Morss to make the venture
 with him. They sold their Fort
 Wayne interests, went to Kansas City
 and started The Evening Star as a
 I,+'1 na9o after1H new s~a ne-