Smyrna times., 1931-09-16
DEATH RECORD OF WEEK
Clarence Smithers, United States
Marshal for East District of Vir-
einia, Dies in Norfolk Hospital

States Marshal of the East Dis
trict Of Virginia for nearly twenty
wears. died at the Sarah Leigh
Hospital in Norfolk, Va, Saturday
morning after a long illness. Mr.
Smithers visited his sister, Mrs.
Margaret Wilds Grimm in Smyrna
in the early summer and at that
time was suffering from a break
down in health. AS soon as he was
able to leave, he and Mrs. Grimm
went down to Ocean View near
Virginia Beach, where it was hop
ed the sea air would benefit him.
Recently he became worse and en-
tered the hospital for treatment
The sad intelligence Of his death
was received with sorrow in Smyr-
ma, where he spent his boyhood and
where he was esteemed by large
circle of friends. Mr.. Smithers was
born at Dover, on January 13,1863,
and was the son of the late j. r.
D. Smithers and Mrs. Mary Eliza
beth (Wilds) Smithers. He was
educated in the public schools of
Smyrna and in early life learned
telegraphy at Clayton and later
worked for the N. Y, P. & N. R.R.,
at Salisbury, Md, for several years
as general agent and telegraph op-
orator. He was promoted from
time to time until he was sent to
Cape Charles as chief train dis
patcher for the road, now the
Pennsylvania Railroad. He held
this position for years. In 1896
when William Mckinley and Viii
liam Pennings Bryan staged their
famous presidential campaign on
the free-silver issue, Mr.. Smithers
associated himself with the Repub-
lican party against free silver and
was an active member of the party
until his death. Following his ac-
tivity for the Republican party in
that campaign, Mr.. Smithers be-
came a leader of his party in the
First Virginia Congressional Dis
trict and was sent as a delegate
from the district to the national
Republican convention in Philadel-
phia in 1900, when he voted for the
denomination of Mckinley and for
Theodore Roosevelt for Vice Pres
ident. He held his first official
Federal position in 1898 when
President Mckinley appointed him
collector of customs for the Cher
rystone Customs District on the
Eastern Shore. He was reappoint-
ed to this post by President Roose-
welt in 1906. Mr.. Smithers held the
unique record of being delegate
to every national Republican con-
vention from 1900 to 1928, record
never obtained by any other living
man today. He was an old-line
Republican and in the Roosevelt
Taft split of 1912, Mr.. Smithers
voted for President Taft. He first
was appointed to the Office of Unit
ed States marshal by President
Taft in 1910. He held the post un-
til President Wilson appointed a
Democrat to succeed him. When
President Harding was elected in
1920 and took office in 1921, Mr..
Smithers again was appointed to
the post and held it until his death
on successive appointment by Pres
ident Coolidge and President Hoov-
er. Funeral services were held
Monday morning at IL o'clock at
divers funeral home, East Free
mason street, with Rev. Sparks w.
Melton, d. D., pastor Of Freemason
Street Baptist Church, officiating.
Judges, court officials, lawyers and
other citizens joined in paying trib-
ute to the late marshal, Saturday
morning after long period of i'll
health. The body was taken to
Camden, N. J., yesterday for burial
in the family lot in Harleigh Gem
etery.
Julian l.. Cooper, Camden, Dead
Julian L. Cooper, aged 81 years,
son of the late DR.. Ezekiel w. and
Mrs. Cooper Of Camden, this state,
died Saturday evening after brief
illness. He had resided in Louis
lana many years but recently came
to Delaware. He is survived by
two brothers, Lieutenant !. T.
Cooper, of Camden, Del, and the
Rev. A. S. Cooper, Of Patterson,
La, also two sisters, Misses Annie
L. and Mollie L. Cooper, Of Dover.
He was nephew of the late DR..
w. H. Cooper of Kenton. Funeral
services were held yesterday at 2
o'clock. Interment at Odd Fellows
cemetery, Camden.
Mrs. Eliza Martin Alwine, Dover
Mrs. Eliza Martin Alwine, aged
56 years, of Dover, prominent in
social, religious and civic circles in
that town, died Saturday following
a stroke of paralysis. Mrs. Alwine
was the widow of John Alwine, and
was an active member of the Wes-
ley Methodist Episcopal Church.