The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-10-02
SLEEPING
 SICKNESS
 KILLSCRANE
Former U. $. Senator From Massachusetts Ill For
 Several Weeks.

Dalton, Mass, Oct 2-Former U. S. Senator w. Murray Crane, who has been seriously ill for several weeks, died suddenly at his home here early today.
 While attending the notification ceremonies of Gov. Calvin Coolidge as Republican vice presidential nom inee at Northampton last summer MT. Crane was stricken ill. He recovered quickly, however, and it was an- nounced that he was overcome by the heat
 A few weeks ago his condition be- came so serious that he was confined to his bed. He failed rapidly last night and death occurred about four o'clock this morning.
 The former senator's wife, his son, Winthrop Murray Crane, Jr., and his two sisters, Miss Clara l.. Crane and
 Mrs. Harry o. Bates, were. at his bed side.
 At the Republican National con- vention last June MT Crane made i his League of Nations fight against | the advice of friends who realized his health had been seriously impaired l by overwork.
 given by Cranes secretary as sleeping sickness. He had been sleeping, the i secretary said, for four or five days. About midnight it was realized tha the end was near and four hours later i he died. | An outstanding characteristic or ] Winthrop Murray Crane, former Gov | ernor of Massachusetts and for two terms a United States Senator from l that state, was the fact that he at tained eminence in public life without
 being an orator. Although he served
 eight years in the Senate it was said
 of him that he never made what i that body. The successor of Senator
 Hoar, whose wit and eloquence rang l through the halls of Congress l Cranes chief claim to distinction was
 that of silent leadership and of a | party mediator. | Senator Crane on more than ono
 occasion in the interval from 1904 tc l 1913, when Republican differences developed and party measures were endangered, demonstrated his ability l as a harmonizer and by using his persuasive powers in personal in-
 terviews with other senators, with
 whom he was popular, restored peace. On one occasion the fate o1
 an important bill appeared to depend upon the vote of one senator. His
 colleagues had tried in vain, by many r rothods, to learn the probable at
 titude of this man. Crane, who ha6 been talking the matter over with z
 group of Republican senators, re-
 marked: t'Wtait a minute.' He cross
 ed the floor of the Senate chambe el
 to the recalcitrant's desk and con versed with him in low tones for few moments. Returning to hi: | friends, he announced With a smile
 He'll vote for the bill" How dic you find out?' was the astonish et : inquiry. 'tI asked him. was Crane. reply.
 Born in Dalton, Mass, April 23 1853. the son of Zenas M. Crane, paper manufacturer, young Crane
 was educated in the public school , and at Williston Seminary. He nevel attended college but, after leavins the seminary, entered the paper mill
 founded by his grandfather at Dalto1 and in them he maintained an inter est throughout his life. For man, years these mills produced the pape used by the United States govern , nent in engraving it's currency , bonds and notes. Because of his in terest in this industry and his desir . to continue with it, MT. Crane, at tn beginning of-Pres;dent Roosevelt i administration, declined an invitation . to enter his cabinet as Secretary o . the Treasury.
 President Roosevelt held tn , silent" Massachusetts man in higl
 1 esteem. Crane had been unusuall
 successful in averting strikes and dis
 l agreements at the Dalton mills. l,
 1902 when he was governor of Mas $ sachusetts, he was instrumental in ad l justing by arbitration a serious strik 7 of teamsters and freight handlers Il 5 Boston. Later. it is said. he suggeste, I (Continued on Page SiX)