The sun., 1917-07-31
GENERAL HARRISON
GRAY OTIS Is DEAD
Veteran Soldier-Publishsr, at
80, Succumbs to Heart
Failure.
TOOK PART IN TWO WARS
As Los Angeles "Times" Pro-
prietor, Fought Union
ism All His Life.
TOOK PART IN TWO WARS

Los ANGELES, July 30.--Gen. Harrison
Gray Otis, president and general man
ager Of the Los Angeles Times. and one
Of the dominant newspaper figures OF the
West. died this morning at the home OF
his son-in-law, Harry Chandler. Heart
failure was said to be the cause.
Breakfast was being served Gen. Otis
IN his bedroom when the veteran editor
felt a premonition of the end. As a
maid entered the room he said: Take
away the tray. l am gone" and died
before Mr.. and Mrs Chandler, who were
in another part of the house. could reach
his bedside.
Although he had suffered occasional
attacks OF ess~recently, Gen. Otis.
who was over so years of age. had been
at his desk in the Times Office nearly
every day for the past few weeks.
Major-Gen. Harrison Gray Otis. vet
eran OF the civil and Spanish-American
wars owner and editor Of the Los
Angeles Times and one OF the bitterest
opponents Of union labor in this country,
was born near Marietta, Ohio. February
10. 1897. He sprang from a lire Of
statesmen and soldiers, James Otis, the
Revolutionary patriot, and Harrison
Gray Otis. once a Senator from Massa-
chusetts, were of the same stock.
More than five years of Gen. Otis's
life were spent in the military service
Of the United States. In 1851, at the
age OF "a. he enlisted as private in
the Twelfth Ohio Volunteers. He saw
more than four years service in the
civil war. fought In fifteen battles. was
twice wounded and was seven times pro-
noted. quitting the service a Lieut. Col
onel of volunteers.
When army officers were required by
the hundreds in 1888 to command the
troops then In service in Cuba and the
Philippines the California delegation
in Congress came to President Mckinley
20 urge otiss appointment as n Briga-
dier-General upon the grounds that he
was a power in Republican politics in
California and had an honorable civil
war record. They might have spared
their pains. for as an officer in one Of
the Ohio regiments Otis had served for
some time under Mckinley and the
friendship born Of hardships endured
together had never been allowed TO die.
Brevetted for Gallantry.
As Brigadier-General of volunteers.
nrst at Camp Merritt in California and
afterward in the Philippines. Gen. Otis's
record was nothing short of the reputa-
ton which he had achieved in the war
between the States thirty odd years
before. In the hght at Caloocan on
February 10, 1899. he led in person the
brigade which captured the Filipino cap
ital in the face OF superior forces clev-
erly concealed IN the jungles which COM
manded the open felds beyond After
two hours desperate lighting Gen. Otis's
brigade, consisting of Pennsylvania.
Montana and Kansas volunteers and
four batteries OF the Third Artillery.
succeeded in driving Aguinaldo's men
from their stronghold with heavy losses.
Upon his discharge in April. 1899. he
was brevcftsd Major General for rneri-
torious conduct in action.
Gen. Otis went to Los Angeles In 1875.
He had resumed after the civil war his
trade of printer. for which he had left
school at an early age. His first venture
eta, Ohio. in 1865. He became editor
and publisher OF the Santa Barbara
Press in 1876. In 1882 he accepted
an interest in the TIMES Pre-
vious to that he had served for several
years as foreman OF the Government
Printing once at Washington.
1t was not long before he became the
controlling factor In the management
Of the TIMES The paper and its editor
were a potent force In the growth of
Los Angeles from small town to the
foremost city OF southern California II
was the Times that secured a sewerage
system and won a battle for other i'm
provements. and It was the Times which
bore the brunt of the contest for the
right of the city to the harbor OF San
Pedro.
In recognition OF this achievement the
people of Los Angeles have set in the
granite walls of the Times building a
marble tablet acknowledging their debt
"a unique episode in the history Of
American Journalism.
Bitter Foe of UnioniSm.
Gen. Otis early became a foe to
unionism. In 1884 the Times opposed
the great Pacific coast railroad strike
Of that year-ths only paper on the
coast to assume such an attitude. The
strikers talked OF lynching Otis and
dynamiting the TImes building. Some
Of the Generals friends alarmed fol
his safety, went to his once to persuade
him TO take precautions He refused &c
leave the desk where he was turning out
red hot editorials on the situation, say
ing: