The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-21
BISHOP BURCHDIES,
HAS HEART ATTACK
IN FRIENDS HOME
Stricken in Apartment of
Mrs. Alice NJ. Douglas on
Riverside Drive.
DEATH is SUDDEN
Collapse Due to OyerwOrk
and Lack of Suffragan,
Says Dean Robbins.
HEAVY BLOW TO DIOCESE
Succeeded Bishop Greer Only
About Year Ago--Was
IS Years Old.
HEAVY BLOW TO DIOCESE

The Right Rev. Charles Summer
Burch. Bishop Of the Protestant Epis-
copal Diocese of New, York, died sud
denly OF heart failure yesterday. fol-
lowing a weakened condition due to
severe attacks of laryngitis.
His death occurred while he was
making a visit in the apartment OF
Mrs. Alice NJ. Douglas, a widow living
on the sixth floor of the Alabama
apartments, $50 Riverside Drive, near
127th street. Mrs. Douglas said last
night that her husband was Crawford
Douglas, and that he had been the
publisher of the Rhodes Journal OF
Banking.
According to Mrs. Douglas, the
Bishop, who had been for several years
her friend and spiritual adviser. ar
rived at her apartment Jat about 11:45
yesterday morning. Mrs. s. T. Marks
former owner of the building, was
with her at the time. Bishop Burch,
she said, told her he had just come out
for a walk in the sunshine and that
he had begun to feel weak after leav-
ing the Episcopal residence at 111th
street and Amsterdam avenue. He had
decided to call on her. Mrs. Douglas
said. to have her administer a throat
treatment, as he had been suffering
for twelve days from laryngitis. Mrs.
Douglas had treated the Bishop year
ago last July when he was suffering
from a like ailment.
Death Came Suddenly.
AT that time che had heiped 60 nurse
him for So veral days. in his then home
2 West Eighty-eighth street. and the
prelate had confidence in her ability 10
relieve him with her home treatment.
Mrs. Douglas seemed deeply affected as
she told her story. Bishop Burch. she
said, had been to her like II father. She
proceeded TO administer the treatment,
which consisted of medicine and mas
saying of the throat. The Bishop there
upon said he felt better, but that he was
slightly tired from his walk.
Az they chatted he was seated in an
upholstered chair and she upon cane
seated chair near her writing desk.
After the treatment they had talked
about fifteen minutes. 1t was about
twenty-five minutes past noon, Mrs.
Douglas continued. when Bishop Burch
partly rose from his chair. pressing his
t,.. .,,1 ri
ward toward the floor. AS ne collapsed
she bent forward and broke his fail.
He was Immediately unconscious.
Mrs. Marks telephoned TO George Rit-
ter. the superintendent of the building.
who summoned DR.. Charles Hiron of 552
Riverside Drive. When DR.. Hiron ar
rived in the Douglas apartment few
minutes later he pronounced Bishop
Burch dead. Death was due, he said, to
heart failure.
Other telephone calls brought DR..
Charles r. Collins OF $40 Park avenue.
the Bishops regular family physician;
DR.. Howard G.. Robbins, Dean OF the
Cathedral. and Deaconess Windsor the
Bishops private secretary. but all they
could do was to arrange for transferring
the body to the Episcopal residence,
where 1t was taken with the assent Of
the Medical Examiner at Police Head
quarters at about five o'clock. Dr. Col
Iins said his patients heart had been
seriously weakened by his twelve days
Illness with laryngitis.
Dean Robbins said he was under the
impression the Bishop had left his Of
flee In the Cathedral grounds about
noon. According TO Mrs. Douglass
story. however he must have left earlier.
IL was 1 80 o'clock and no was dining,
the Dean continued, when his telephone
rang and no was told that Bishop Burch
had died at $50 Riverside Drive. He lnr-
mediateiy sought a taxicab, but, finding
none. he took bus to the address
named.
IL Is expected the funerai services will
be held Friday morning. Dean Robbins
controlled his emotion sufficiently to
say Bishop Burch literally has given
HIS life for the diocese Of New York.
He never spared himself a single labor
for which he had the time and strength.
but met the multltudinous demands of
his great office with the zeal and loving
kindness of q priest who had his people
always in his heart The Bishop was
overyorted there was no suffragan ap-
pointed TO assist him.
The whole diocese has suffered an
intimate and personal bereavement In
tho death Of one so faithful and be-
loved"