Evening star., 1934-08-20
Attack of Pneumonia Fatal
to House Pilot of New Deal
and Illinois Representa-
tive for 80 Years.
HIGH TRIBUTE is PAID
BY POLITICAL LEADERS
Roosevelt Will Attend Funeral if
Arrangements Possibly Can
Be Made"-Byrns Mentioned
as Successor and Friends Urge
Widow to Seek Place.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Auust 2O.-Henry T.
Rainey, picturesque Speaker of the
House of Representatives. is dead.
Apparently on the road to recovery
from an attack of bronchial pneu-
monia, he suddenly developed angina
pectoris last night and died at 7:50
pm. as three physicians, hastily sum-
moned. stood by, unable to aid him.
Today would have been his seventy
fourth birthday. The funeral will be
held late Wednesday afternoon at
Carrollton, Ill, his home.
President Roosevelt probably will
attend dispatches from the White
House said
The President indicated to friends
he would attend if at all possible.
Lsuded by Roosevelt.
The Speakers unexpected passing
brought expressions of deep sorrow
from political leaders In all part of
the Nation-from the President on
down
Mr.. Roosevelt called him "a hu-
manitarian whose fine patriotism
thought first of all of what he con-
ceived to be the well being and in
terests of the common man"
His predecessor as Speaker, Vice
President John N. Garner, was
shocked speeches."
Leadership of the next House is in
doubt as result of the death of Mr..
Rainey, but Representative Joseph w.
Byrns of Tennessee, who helped him
put through the must" legislation of
President Roosevelt's program in the
last Congress, is prominently men
toned as his successor
From Senator William H. Dieterich
(Democrat) of Illinois, close friend
of the Speaker, came the suggestion
that the widow, for years her hus-
bands secretary, might become the
Democratic party's choice for the
House seat held by Mr.. Rainey since
1903, except for the term following
the Harding landslide of 1920.
Wife Had Premonition.
While physicians at De Paul Hos
pital, where the Speaker died, believed
he was on the road to recovery, Mrs.
Rainey bad a premonition of her
husbands death.
She spent the day with him, leaving
late in the day for their home in Car
rollton, III.
Il knew my husband could not live
long when I saw him." she said. I'VE
chatted together, had breakfast and
dinner together He appeared to be
in good spirits at all times and was
so happy that I brought him some
jam, which he liked so we'll. But
something told me that he would not
last much longer"
The body will be cremated, in ac-
cordance with a wish Mrs. Rainey
said her husband had often expressed
The body of the Speaker will leave
here Wednesday morning for Carroll
ton. The funeral will be at the Epis-
copal Church and burial will be in
the Carrollton Cemetery.
The plans were made known by
Mrs. Rainey in a telephone CONVEX
sation to officials at Washington.
Final arrangements will be made
tomorrow when Kenneth Romney,
sergeant at arms of the House, arrives
at the Capital by airplane from Ham,
1lton, Mont.
The Senatorial and Congressional
Funeral Committees will be named
then.
Kenneth Romney, House sergeant
at arms, in telephone conversation
with his assistant, Harry Pillen, said
he would fly to Chicago to supervise
the arrangements. Romney was at
his home in Hamilton. Mont, when
he received word of the Speakers
death. Mrs. Rainey told friends in
Washington by telephone she thought
the services would be Wednesday or
Thursday.
Mr. Rainey died peacefully. DR.. H
w. Soper, physician in charge, said
He was conscious until just before
the end.
The Speaker had showed steady
gain since being admitted to the hos
pltal August 10 and yesterday his
improvement seemed especially
marked. Last night, however angina
pectoris developed and he summoned
a floor supervisor, who called DR.
Soper and two other physicians, but
the attack was so swift they could
do nothing to aid him.
Stocky, with flowing white hair and
an ever-present flowing bow tie, Mr..
Rainey was a Soft-spoken leader who
could crack the whip when the occa-
sion demanded.
Dean of the House, having served
longer than any other living member
Continued on Page 3, Column g.