Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-31
HARRISON GRAY Otis
DIES At LOS ANGELES
Well Known as President and Gen.
eral Manager of Times and
for Services to Country.
WAS VETERAN OF TWO WARS
Made Excellent Record With Ohio
Volunteers During War Between
States and Later Won Rapid Pro-
motion During War With Spain.
IBy Associated Press.]

motion During War With Spain.
(By Associated Press.l
LOS ANGELES. CAL, July 3d.
soldier OF TWO wars and editor Of the
and general manager Of the Los
Angeles Times. died to-day at the home
OF his son-in-law. Harry Chandler.
Harrison Gray Otis. distinguished
slider OF two wars and editor of the
Los Angeles Times. was born near
Marietta, Washington County. Ohio
February 10. 1897. He was the son Of
Stephen and Sarah (Dyar) Otis. His
parents were pioneer citizens OF Ohio.
his father having settled on the Ohio
Company's purchase near Marietta in
1900. at the age Of sixteen. and his
mother. who was a native OF Nova
Scotia. cmigrated with her parents from
Boston early in the century. settling
In the Muskingum Valley. His grand
rather was a patriot soldier in tho
Revolutionary War. and q pensioner
Among the Otis ancestors were James
OILS. famous as Revolutionary pa
riot and orator. and the first Harrison
Cray Otis. once United States Senator
from Massachusetts.
Young Harrison Gray Otis grew up
on his fathers farm. and during the
winters attended the Common schools
Of his district until he had reached his
fourteenth year. Then he learned the
printing trade. He spent n term of
less than six months in wetherbys
Academy. at Lowell, Ohio in the win
ter Of 1861. and afterward grad
uated from Granger's Commercial Col
lege. Columbus. Ohio.
On June IS. 1861. he enlisted as pri-
rate In the Twelfth Ohio Volunteers.
and advanced rapidly. November IL,
1862. he became second lieutenant: was
made first lieutenant May 80. 1863. and
captain July /. 1864. on which date he
was transferred to the Tweniy-third
Ohio Veteran Volunteers, of which
rutherford r. Hayes was colonel and
william Mckinley a major. He took
part in many actions with the Army
OF west Virginia. the Army of the
Potomac and the Army Of the Shenan-
doah. and was wounded at Antietam
ana at kernstown. In the winter OF
ieef-o5 nc was assigned, as the senior
captain. to the command OF his reei-
meht at Cumberland, Nd. and led II up
the Shenandoah Valley to Harrison
nurg. where he was provost-marshal
up to the close OF the war. when he
was brcvetted major and lieutenant
colonel for gallant and meritorious ser
vices during the war. and honorably
discharged August l, 1865.
SERVED AS FOREMAN IN
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
After his return from the war Col
onel Otis became the owner Of a small
newspaper and printing plant in Ma
rictta. Ohio. In 1859 and 1870 he wa.
foreman of the Government Printing
once at Washington. and in the fol-
lowing year he was appointed chief OF
division in the United States Patent
Ofhce. which position he held until 1876
when he became editor and publisher of
the Santa Barbara California; Press.
In 1879 he was appointed principal
United States Treasury agent in charge
or the Seal Islands OF Alaska and he
remained in that position until 1881.
On August l. 1882. he became part
owner OF the Los Angeles. Cal, Times.
and in october, 1864. joined in the or
ganization of the Times Mirror Com
pany. He was president and general
manager Of the company to the time
OF his death. He also became financial
ly interested in large number OF i'm
portant land mining and stock raising
corporations.
In 1895 he served in the Spanish
American War. and in 1899 in the war
In the Philippines. President Mckinley
appointed him brigadier-general OF vol
unteers. May p. 1898. and he was as
signed first TO the Independent Division,
philippine Islands Expeditionary
Forces, at Camp Merritt, Cal, then to
the command Of the second section of
the fourth sea expedition to the Philip
pines and subsequently to the Eighth
Corps at Manila. He took part in many
prominent engagements. including the
capture of Malolos and Caloocan. For
meritorious conduct in the latter en-
gaGement he was brevetted major-een-
eral. On April 2. 1899. he was relieved
Of his command at his own request, and
returned to the United States, where
he was honorably discharged July ..
1899
Since his return from the war in the
Philippines. General Otis devoted him
self almost exclusively to the manage
ment of his Los Angeles newspaper.
On October l. 1910. his plant was de-
stroyed by. an explosion and fire in
which twenty-one persons lost their
lives General Otis charged that the
explosion had been instigated by the
labor unions. but no proof could be
found to substantiate tho assertion.
General Otis was an Independent Re-
publican in politics and took an active
part in many presidential and State
campaigns. September II. 1859, at Lo-
well. Ohio, he married Eliza A. Weth-
erby. who died in November, 1904 hay-
ing borne him one son and four daueh-
ters and having been associated with
him in journalism for moro than a
quarter Of century. His son and two
Of his daughters. both married, sur
vive him.