Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1921-11-10
Blind, Deaf and Scarcely
Able to Speak, He Is On
Charity During Last Days
No One Knows Identity I'm
til Relatives Finally Iden-
tify Body in Morgue
{. o o o o o o o o G (. 8 o o 9.
l.. WILEY ONLY IDAHO Z
o COUNTY GOVERNOR

q. Wiley was the only idaho coun- @
9 ty man TO become governor of @
(. the state of Idaho. When cleo @
o ted lieutenant. governor he re- o
g sided at Warren, where he was @
@ mining man. Shortly after o.
@ his election as lieutenant COVER o
(. nor, he succeeded to the COVER @
o nor's chair on the resignation of o
g Governor Shoup, who was cleo @
o ted to the U. S. Senate. o
@ @ o o @ o 4. @ @ 9. o q o o D. o
From governor of the state of Ida
no to death in county almshause in
Kansas is in brief the tragic story
of the misfortunes of Norman b. Will
ley, second governor of Idaho. The
ex-governor, his identity unknown,
died October % at the Shawnee coun-
ty poor farm, near Topeka, Kas.
His body lay for days on a slab in the
morgue; before it finally was identid-
ed by relatives as that of the man who
had once been the chief executive of
Idaho.
OBJECT OF CHARITY
Following his departure from Ida
no, Wiley went to California. where
he resided for years. Three years ago,
his health failed him., and he went
to Dover, Kas., to reside with his
sister. His sister died, and he was
taken to the poor farm.
Once noted for his remarkable ply
sique, Wiley, for some time prior TO.
his death, was blind, deaf, and
scarcely able to speaks
For the last number of years VII
ley had been in destitute cireumstan-
ces and although the state of Idaho
appropriated $1,000 for him in 1913 to
be paid at the rate of $50 month,
that appropriation became exhausted
and another bill in later Legislature
extending aid failed of passage.
Norman b. Wiley was born at
'Guilford, n. Y, March &c, 1898. He
was educated at the Delaware Liter
airy institute, Franklin, N. Y, and in
the fall of 1853 went to California.
In the spring of 1864 he came to
Idaho and during the territorial era
held various county offices.
SUCCESSOR OF sHoUP
The first republican state convention
which convened at Boise on Aug.
20, 1890, nominated him for
lieutenant governor and he was elect
ed with the rest of the candidates.
When Governor Shoup resigned on
Dec. 10, 1890, to enter the u
s. senate, Wiley, by virtue
of his office as lieutenant governor
became governor of the state. This
office he held until Jan. 1, 1898,
when he was succeeded by w. j. Nc
Connell. He then went to Blue Can
yon, Cal, to accept position as
mine superintendent.
On March 10, 1918, Governor
Haines approved an act of the Idaho
Legislature appropriating $1,000 TO pay
Wiley at the rate of $50 q month
while he lived or until the appropria-
tion was exhausted. The reason for
this appropriation, as set forth in the
act, was that former governor of
Idaho was in failing health and the
action was taken by the legislature
merely as matter of gratitude.
KNOWN TO MANY HERE
When Wiley became governor of
Idaho, he was a mining man at War
rem. He was well known by many
pioneers of Idaho county.
PROBATE Judge j. II. Byron, or
knew Wiley well, and
recalls, when Wiley was governor, he
Inspected the state road then in
course of construction between Grange
vile and Warren.
III wildly recall his visit, - said
Judge Byron, in commenting on Will
ey's death. :" He told me at the time
he preferred to be in the mountain
country, and remarked he felt himself
tut of place as governor of Idaho,
Judge Byron quoted Governor Viii
ey as saying he abhorred social fuuc
ions which he was obliged to at
end at the state capital as mstter of
iuty, and especially was public
peaking, such as is expected of a
tate executive, much to his dislike.
Governor Wiley was at home among
he rough pioneers of Idaho, the
tockmen and prospectors, of which
he was one.
Wiley leaves a brother, s. A. Will
ey, who resides on the South Fork