Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-10-07
Henry Clay Fields
Buried Wednesday
Near County Seat
His Life Was Irrevocably Linked
With Montgomery County
And Its Oldest Newspaper

Funeral services were held Wednes-
day morning at 10 o'clock for Henry
Clay Fields, until recently editor and
manager of the Montgomery County
Sentinel, the oldest newspaper in this
county and one of the oldest in Mary
land. The services were conducted
from St. Mary's Catholic Church, with
Rev. Charles R. O'Hara officiating.
Burial was in st. Mary's Catholic
Cemetery near Rockville.
Pallbearers were State Senator
Robert G. Hilton, former States At
torney Robert Peter, Jr., R. w. Vim
son, Register of Wills Hanson Cashell,
Charles Viers and Thomas Viers.
Mr.. Fields, who has been bed-ridden
since last February, died early Mon
day morning at his home here in Rock
vile.
Mr.. Fields, the son of the late
Mathew and Rebecca Fields, was in
his 10th year. He was born in 1856,
about Is years before the death of his
father, the founder of the Montgom-
cry County Sentinel.
Mr.. Fields is survived by two sis
tiers, Miss Margaret Fields and Mrs.
Kate Warfeld and by three brothers,
John William, John Wallace Ander-
son and Albert Sidney johnson
Fields.
A lifelong resident of Rockville and
Montgomery County, Mr.. Fields was
beloved and respected by everyone.
Men and women throughout the coun-
" were his friends and the old Sent
incl Office was mecca for his associ-
ates of the older generation.
Mr.. Fields received his education at
the Rockville Academy, where he laid
the background of career which was
to prove interesting and useful. He
took up the task of learning the print
ing as well as the editorial end of the
country newspaper at an early age,
being no more than IA or Is when he
first assumed his duties on the Sem
tinel.
Mr.. Fields made study of politics
and indeed, his liking for things poll
teal was handed down from his faith
er, Matthew Fields. The elder Mr..
Fields was strong partisan of the
Wing party and his son was named
Henry Clay Fields in honor of that
great statesman from Kentucky. Mr..
Fields, himself, was an uncomprising
Democrat and always followed the
activities of the Democratic party,
both local and national, with deep en-
thusiasm. Loyalty to his party and his
political heroes was reflected in the
newspaper which he directed for so
many years. Although sometimes
wrong in his political predictions, he
never wavered in his support of those
whom he seemed to think deserving.
There is an interesting anecdote con
nected with Mr.. Fields in one of the
Bryan campaigns. Mr.. Fields, of
course, took the position that the
Great Commoner" would surely win.
He even went so far as to say in the
Sentinel that bryan would be elected
as sure as death and taxes" When
Inauguration Day rolled around and
the Republican candidate was about to
take Office las Republicans have the
habit of doing every four years. some
old countryman who had not been to
Rockville for some months stopped by
on his way to Washington. "Well am
going down to see Bryan inaugural
ed" he confided to his friends. "But
Bryan is not the lucky man" respond
ed the group. ooh, he must be-"
answered the countryman, "Mr. Fields
said long ago that he would be elected
as sure as death and taxes and have
never heard of him changing his opin-
ion on the matter"