The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-09
House Speaker And
 Leader Passed Away
.continued from Page |,

Twenty minutes before the speak CT died Mrs Evelyn Walsh Mclean of Washington. D. C., arrived by mo- tor car to be with her friend, Mrs Longworth
 Kermit and Archie .Rooseyeit. un- derstood to be flying here to join their sister. had not arrived yet.
 The body will be sent imm ediate- ly, to Cincinnati, the family home. il was learned.
 Longworth had been an annual guest of the Curtises.
 He arrived about April 1 month after the end of his most strenuous session as speaker. He was suffer ing from a cold. On April he was ordered to bed and his physicians diagnosed pneumonia.
 LOngworth was 61 years old. and his age was a factor in the rapid progress of the pneumonia condition
 The strenuous short and concIud- ing session of the Fist congress this winter imposed a severe strain on him, not only because of his official responsibilities as speaker but ow- ing to his informal role of conciliator among embattled members, of his own party.
 Mrs Longworth reached Aiken Wednesday and was treasured by her host and Drs Robert H. Wilds and Thomas Brooks of Aiken, who in- formed her and then made public q statement that the speaker was in no immediate danger. He failed during the day, however. and his condition at night was pronounced critical.
 The Curtis home in which Long worth became seriously i'll is one of the South's show places and has been a favorite retreat for Long worth for many years because here he found music, gay company and golf which rested him from the busy sessions of congress in Washington.
 On this last visit to Aiken, Long worth was noticeably less fit than Oh other occasions. The cold from which he was Suffering when1 he slar- rived interfered with his golf-and song-and Longworth enjoys song of his own or the arias of the Met ropolitan Opera.
 Consulting physicians were sum- n1oned as Longworth's illness pro- grsssed. Miss Elizabeth Nelson of Washington, whose connection with the Longworth family is of many years standing, Scame to nursen him. Four nurses in all attended his bed side.
 At 11:05 a. m.. Dr Brooks came alone from the Curtis house. got into his. car and drove away
 Ten minutes later pr Wilds came out.
 "There is nothing more I can say" hes told reporters. The family is now discussing arrangements for the funeral. Only the doctors and the nurses were in the room when Mir Lcngworth died. Mrs Longworth was in an adjoining room."
 Washington Shocked
 Washington, April D. (UP) The happiness, honesty and courage of Nicholas Longworth were praised to-day in a statement issued by President Hoover soon after he re- ceiyed news of the speakers death.
 The passing of Longworth is q loss to the nation, MT Hoover said
 The presidents statement follows:
 .sMr Longworth served his fel- low-countrymen in state and nation for over 33 years-nearly the whole Of his adult life. In his service he contributed greatly to the welfare of the American people.
 sf1is happy character, his sterling honesty, his courage in public questions, endeared him and held the respect not alone of his myriad E of friends but of the country at large.
 s.His passing is loss to the na- tion".
 The president also sent personal teleSrdHl ol coHuolehceS toi tMrs Longworth.
 Word of Longworth's death spread quickly. In 15 minutes all flags were at half-staff.
 The capitol was thronged with tourists. Word was passed to them by guides.
 Chairman Wood of the house ap- propriations committee was in the speakers offices when word of his death came.
 ''The loss of MT Longworth is a loss to the nation," Wood said. His Ong years as speaker of the house had qualified him as but few men have been qualified for service to the country. He died with the re- spect of his colleagues an his mem- ory will be cherished as long as those who knew him survive"
 Chairman Johnson of the World war veterans legislation committee. also called the office. He said: Its great tragedy. He was so likeable and so efficient. The country will hardly realize it's loss for a while. He was rare combination of man hood"
 Arrangements for the funeral will be left entirely to the wishes of Mrs Longworth.
 Technically Longworth's position at the time of his death was 'speaker-designate, according to a authorities here. He had been named as republican candidate for the speakcrship at the next session of congress in December.
 Tammany Tribute
 New York. April - (UP1 - The entire nation Is saddened by .he untimely death of Speaker L0ngworth." John +. Curry, leader of Tammany Hall. said today. ''He vas among the most popular figures n national life. His popularity was e0t limited by the confines of his { VT party His genial personality ~5t, be missed from the halls of con- Ns by members of both parties" "s
 OBITUARY
 Nsy United Press)
 &peake- Lengworth's death oc- cLkfred far from the scenes of his