Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-02
w. MURRAY CRANE
Continued from paxc /

Within the past week the heart actor
became weak and long spells Of drowsines.
were succeeded by heavy sleep He ap-
penred to rally at times In lucid mo.
| ment carly in the week he chatted with his
physician, DIR. Brace W. Paddock, and
said, Il feel BETTER" but the rally was
short lived and he relapeed into a state of
partial coma ended by death
An outstanding characteristic of Win
throp Murray Crane, former governor Of
Massachusetts and for two terms a Units d
States Senator from that State, was the
fact that he attained cmincnce in public
life without being an orator. Although he
served eight years in the Senate il wns
said Of him that he never made what
rallv could be called speech" in that
body The successor Of Senator Hoar,
whoe wit and eloquencc rang through
the halls of Congress, Cranes chief claim
to distinction WAS that OF silent leadership
and OF a party mediator
Born in Dalton, Mass, April %, 1883,
the SON Of Zenas NJ Crane, paper
manufacturer. Young Crane was educated
in the public schools and at WiIIiston
Seminary. He never attended collie ge but,
after leaving the seminary, entered the
paper mills founded by his grandfather at
Dalton and IN them he maintained an
interest throughout his life. For many
years these mills produced the paper
used by the United States government in
engraving its currency, bonds and notes.
Because Of his interest in this industry and
his desire to continue with it, Mr. Crane,
at the beginning of President Roose welt s
administration, declined an invitation TO
enter his cabinet as Secretary of the
Treasury.
Three years AS ieutcnant-covcrno and
three years as governor Of Massachusetts,
preceded Cranes entrance into the Sen ate
TO fll the vacancy In 1901 caused by the
death Of George +. Hoar. Appointed TO
the Senate on October II, 1904, he was
elected the following January for the term
ending n 1907 and reelected for the term
ending IN 1913. At the expiration of his
second term he declined TO seek renornina-
ton. MIR. Crane had been member of the
Republican National Committee from
lSg2 TO 1900 and again from 1904 to
1870. tie was 4 delegate-at-large to SIX
national conventions. At the last Re
publican National Convention in Chi
cago he was one of the group that con-
solidated the delegates when they appear
ed bopelessly deadlockcd and brought
about the nomination of Senator Harding
MIR. Crane WAS strong advocate of a
League of Nations.
Mr.. Crane married Mary, the daughter
of Robert Benner, OF Astoria, l.. l., in
1880. Bereft by the death of his young
wife, four years later he remained a
widower until 1906 when he married
Josephine Porter, daughter OF William
j. Boardman, of Washington.
Boston. Oct 2-Governor Coolidge,
when he learned today of the death Of
former Senator W. Murray Crane. ordered
the flag at the State House brought to half
mast. In a statement issued later he gaid.
"A great man has passed whose going
will deeply grievc the commonwealth.
lie inspired the love Of all who knew him
In the affection of his fellow men he
stood first IN Massachusetts,.
Details Of the funeral arrangements
were not completed today but il WAS an
nounoed from the Crane home that the
services would be held at Sugar Hill
Monday at 2 30 p. IN. with burial in the
family lot at Dalton cemetery.