New Britain herald., 1927-09-06
WAYNE WHEELER,
 FOE ID LIQUOR, DIES SUDDENLY
Noted Prohibition Crusader Is Called to Rest Soon After His
 Wife's Tragic Death in Fire
FUNERAL IN COLUMBUS THURSDAY AT 2 O'CLOCK

lllUNUUh Al q V UuVUA Famous Ohio Lawyer and Most
 Successful Worker For Dry Cause
 Passes at Most Brilliant Point in
 Hts Oarcer-Gayc His Whole Ihfe
 to Prohibition, His Ideal and
 Purpose.
 Battle Creek. Mich. Sept. R- Wayne B. Wheeler, the mild-man- rered Ohio lawyer who for years has been prohibitions most famous and successful crusader. is dead at the zenith of a brilliant career.
 Dies Suddenly.
 Thirty-three years Of energetic labor in the cause of temperance were ended at a sanitarium here late yesterday. The general counsel of the Anti-Saloon League had ask ed a nurse to hand him a book. He half lifted himself in bed 10 take 1t. Then a heart strained by disease and overtaxed by tragedy which took the life of Mrs. Wheeler three weeks ago, stopped.
 At his bedside were son, Robert Wayne Wheeler, and Dr. Howard Hyde Russell, founder of the league which Wayne B. Wheeler 50 sue cessfully served.
 Heart Disease Fatal.
 Heart disease, following prolonged treatment for kidney trouble was the cause of death. Mir. Wheeler had come to the sanitarium last week from his summer home at Little Point Sable, Mich.,-the home burned to death when her clothing caught fire from an oil stove and where her father. witness of that tragedy, had dropped dead.
 Specialists at the sanitarium had announced only few hours before MT. Wheeler's death that his condi- tion had improved so much that a major operation for which plans had been made would not be neces- sary. The double tragedy at the Little Point Sable cottage was said by his friends to have weighed so heavily upon Mir. Wheeler as to have been a strong contributory cause of his death.
 Dr. Russell obtained the services of MT. Wheeler in May, 1893, upon the recommendation of several pro- fessors at ,Oberlin college. The young man did not accept the offer to become an assistant to Dr. Rus sell until after much consideration, for he had never looked upon pro hibition or temperance as his life work. Once aligned with the Anti Saloon League, however 1t was not long until he became one Of its major officers, becoming superin- tendent of the Ohio League and finally general counsel.
 Worked in Capital.
 It was at Washington that MT. Wheeler left the indeljble stamp of his value to the dry cause. Every bit of legislation remotely affecting the cause of prohibition came under his eye and was bitterly fought or energetically endorsed as it aimed either toward harm or benefit for prohibition.
 He kept close watch. too, on all appointments having to do with prohibition enforcement and was never slow to hurl himself and the organization he represented against any prospective appointce who, in his opinion. might not best serve the dry cause.
 MT. Mcbride made public the ar engagements for the funeral. The services will be held at the Central M. F.. church in Columbus Ohio, at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon. The Rev. A. G. Schatzmann of Columbus will be in charge. Other speakers will be MT. Mcbride, Dr. Russell and Dr. Ernest A. Cherrington of Westerville.
 Mir. Wheeler will be buried in Columbus beside the wife whom he buried hardly more than fort night ago.
 Gave Life for Cause
 "He literally gave his life for the dry cause" said Dr. Francis Scott Mcbride, general superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League, when he learned at Westerville. Ohio, of Mir. Wheeler's dGath.
 He was for prohibition because he knew it was right. He fought not for himself but for the cause in which he believed. Throughout his career Mr. Wheeler had a remark able influence upon the movement against the liquor traffic."
 At Washington. where he was the handspring of all Anti-Saloon League legislative activity, MT. Wheeler held the respect and ad- miration even of those who fought him most bitterly.
 Senator Edwards of>New Jersey, who has vigorously fought the dry cause, said when he heard of MT. Wheeler's death
 While we were poles apart on the question of the 18th amend mcnt, I always admired him for his convictions and earnest endeavor to dry up America. love and respect a fighter whether he agrees with me or not. And Mir. Wheeler was an in- veterate fighter"
 Senator Borah of Idaho spoke of Mir Wheeler as a faithful. tireless and exceptionally able advocate ot cause in which he sincerely be- lieved."
 Mir. Wheeler. who was born on his fathers farm near Brookfield. Ohio,
 @entinued on Page Two)