Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-15
JAMES GORDON BENNETT
PASSES AWAY IN FRANCE
> Had Long Been One Of Leading and
Most Eccentric Figures in
World OF journalism.
MARRIED TWO YEARS AGO
For Nearly Thirty Years He Edited
New York Newspaper at Long
Range, Keeping in Close Touch
With It's Minutcst Detail.

tBy Associated Prcssl
sEAULlEU. FRANCE. May IL
James Gordon Bennett. proprietor OF
the New York Herald. died a, $50
o'clock this morning. after having
been unconscious for two days.
Dispatches from France carly this
month reported MIR. bennett SO
riously i'll that his condition was CIV
Ing cause for anxiety. He had been
for some months at his villa at Beau
lieu. in the Riviera. after an illness.
and advicea from Nice a. this time an
nounced that he had had a relapse.
MI Benefits last words before laps
ing into Inconsistencies were in re-
Ia,ion to his newspaper interests.
Mrs. Bennett was with her husband
when he died.
WAS MARRIED. IN PARIS
TO AMERICAN WOMAN
MI Bennett was born In New York
City May 10. 1871. When seventy
three years old, in 1914. nc married in
Paris the Baroness de Reuter- widow
OF George julius de Reuter-. son OF
the founder OF Reuters. Limited, a
British telegraph!c news service. The
baroness was then about forty years
She was formerly an American. Maud
Potter. daughter OF John Potter. OF
Philadelphia
On the day before his marriage Mr..
Bennett WAS baptized In the Episcopal
Church
Several thousand miles away from
HIS main newspaper oNlcc. James
Gordon Bennett directed In minute de-
tail The affairs 0, the New York Herald.
and maintained for himself one o, the
most commanding positions In Amcr!-
can journalism. For more than a quar-
tor OF a century he lived in Paris and
worked simultaneously there and in
New York No man before him or since
mas attempted such long distance
editing.
From almost every other ang!. his
position in the newspaper world has
been unique, Upon the death o. his
father. who was founder OF tho Herald.
the younger bennett. then Just past
thirty years. inherited the largest ncws-
paper fortune accumulated by any
American publisher up 10 that time
He applied il toward achievements 10
s'artle the public. and thus redounI
10 the credit OF his newspaper In
many instances these achievements be-
came importan; items in the worlds
history.
SENT HENRY II. STANLEY
TO i'ISD LIVINGSTONE
Such was the policy he !nauru5a,ca
when as managing editor in 1870 nc
ordered Henry NJ Stanley into tho
heart OF Africa TO find livinEstonc;
such when he sent the ii.-.atcd Jca-
nei,e expedition TO discover the North
Poe: such when nc Joined in the laying
OF the commercial cable-all typlca!
instances OF enterprise TO make news"
o. further it's transmission.
In contrast to the personal Journal
ism. OF tho elder Bennett and Greeley
type. the younger Bennett was one OF
the first to sound the impersonal note
He declared that his paper should be-
come a sort OF republic. OF which no
man or party should hold control
From the first he refused to rccog-
nize celebrities" as compared with
workers" on his staff. and IL is re-
lated tina. even when Stanley came
back from his triumph in Africa. young
Bennett rewarded him with the mean
assignment OF covering" the Tender
loin police district in New York.
When NJ. Bennett moved 10 Paris in
p, 1887 he started the Paris edition OF
! the New York Herald. and again took
a unique position. as this Is still the
lshed in Europe. During this resi-
dence abroad. broken only by the un-
expected arrival OF the Bennett yacht
IN New York harbor once every two
or three years for short stop tho
editors in immediate control OF the
New York Herald kept a chair al their
conference table always vacant for the
absent editor. one OF his own ideas
to keep his men imbued with the spirit
that nc was boss" although several
thousand miles away.
KEPT IN TOUCH WITH
WORK OVERSEAS
The Herald, marked infinitely with
the names OF the men who had written
certain articles or news stories. was
forwarded 10 him in Paris daily. He
kept in touch with every detail OF per-
sonnet and policy. Daily. or ortcner the
cable from Paris. or wherever he might
he sojourning in his yacht. brought
the cditor-in-chicfs executive orders.
for promotion or discharge. for commit
mont or reprimand, or sketch OF gem
era policies.
His whims, amounting. his critics
said, to cccentricties, were one OF the
| most interesting angles OF his per-
sonality. 1t is related that he dis
| missed musical critic simply because
The was such funny-looking man."
and put tho financial editor in his
place; and that "A copy" boy who ran
into the pit of Mr.. Benefits stomach
in the Herald office received several
| dollars reward for his unusual haste
These and many instances like them
! were traditions OF Herald employees
He laughed at conventions, and in
variably printed in the Herald the
worst things his enemies said about
him. When Jay Gould gave to the
press q letter of 10000 words attack
ing Benefits personal life, the editor
OF the Herald turned about and pub
iished it in full with the curt remark
that Mr.. Gould was "a gentleman"
When John Kelley, leader of TammanY