New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-07-30
GEN. OTIS, BITTER
foe OF LABOR, dead
Was Owner Of Los Angeles Times,
Blown Up in 1910
OF REVOLUTIONARY STOCK
Gave Up Printing Trade Temporarily
to Fight in Civil War, And Offered
Spaniards.

Services Again at 81 to Fight the
Spaniards.
Los Angeles, July 30.-General
Harrison Gray Otis, president and gen.
eral manager of the Los Angeles
Times, died today at the home Of his
son-in-low, Harry Chandler.
General Harrison Gray Otis, himself
veteran of two wars, came of long
line of military and craftsmanship an
cestery. His grandfather was SOL
dier Of note in the Revolutionary war
and the Otis stock produced James
Otis Revolutionary patriot and ora
tor, and the first Harrison Gray Otis,
onca noted as a senator from Massa-
ohusetts. Gen. Otis was 80 years of
age, his birth having occurred on a
Washington County, Ohio, farm, Feb
ruary 10, 1887.
Over five years of General Otis
life, was spent as volunteer soldier
of the United States. In 1861, at the
age of "a, he enlisted in the 18th
Ohio Volunteers, was promoted
through all grades to a captain in
1864. In that year consolidation of
regiments placed him in the 23rd
Ohio Veteran Volunteers, his colonel
and captain being respectively, Ru-
therford B. Hayes and William Nc
klnley. Altogether, Otis saw forty
nine months of actual service in the
Civil War, was twice wounded and re-
ceived seven promotions, including
two brevets, retiring with the title of
major and lieutenant-colonel, by bre-
vet
Volunteered Again at 81.
With the outbreak Of the Spanish
American war, in 1898, Major Otis, at
the age of 81, volunteered his services
to President Mckinley and was made
a brigadier general Of volunteers. He
was assigned to duty, first at Camp
Merritt, (Cal.) and then to the Philip
pines, where at different times he
commanded various divisions of the
Eight Amry Corps in the campaign
for pacifcation of the native revolt.
He led a brigade in person in the as
sault on Caloocan and participated in
the capture of the Filipino capital
he resigned his command in April,
1898, returning to the United States
Upon discharge he was Dreveted ma
Jor-general for 'meritorious conduct
in action
Following the Civil war. Otis re-
turned to the trade of printer, for
which he had abandoned school at
an early age, acquiring. finally in
1882, fourth interest in the Los
Angeles Times. Previously he had
served for four years as foreman of
the government printing office of
the Times.
Quite early in his career as editor
and publisher of the Times, for he
speedily secured full control. Otis
came into conflict with organized
labor and thereafter until the day of
his death he waged an unrelenting
warfare for what he termed indus
trial freedom. On October 10, 1910
his building and printing plant was
dynamited and 20 of his workmen
killed. The arrests and trials which
followed were matters of nationwide
interest
General Otis acquired a large for
tune, his interests aside from publish
ing being extensive. In politics, his
paper ever reflected the attitude of
it's editor-aggressive, uncompromis-
ing republican, Otis connection with
that party dating back to 1850, when
he was sent from Kentucky as a del
egate to the convention at Chicago
which nominated Lincoln for the
presidency.
Aside from those mentioned Cen
era1 Otis held numerous government
tai positions at different periods of
his life. He was prominent in the
Grand Army of the Republic and
numerous other patriotic orders and
a member of the American Academy
of Sciences.
The bride of General Otis, young
manhood, Miss Eliza Wetherby was
his constant associate in journalism
and literature until her death in 1904.
OF the five children born to them
two daughters survive.