Evening star., 1935-01-24
JUDGE PAYNE DIES;
HEADED RED CROSS
Appendicitis Fatal to Noted
Humanitarian-FuneraI
Set for Saturday.

in the Mississippi Valley area, Red
Cross workers today mourned the
death of their leader, Judge John
Barton Payne, who suCcumbed to
pneumonia following an appendicitis
operation at George Washington Uni
versity Hospital. Judge Payne died
shortly after l o'clock this morning.
Funeral services for Judge Payne
will be held at 2 pm. Saturday at
st. Johns Church, at Sixteenth and
H streets, with the rector, Rev. j.
Oliver Hart, officiating. Interment
will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery,
where he will be buried beside his
wife. The body was removed from
the hospital to the Speare funeral
home this morning, and will be taken
to the street home this afternoon.
President Roosevelt today issued the
following statement on the death OF
Judge Payne:
Again the Nation mourns the loss
of a great man. And those Of us who
were privileged to know John Barton
PAYNE, as co-worker and friend, know
how unfortunate and untimely Is his
passing.
His was an unselfish service.
ITO the lasting memory OF this
man it should and will be said that
he never knew a boundary line either
within or without the United States
when flood, fire, earthquake or other
great adversely called the Greatest
Mother to help the needy"
Judge Payne, who would have cele-
brated his 80th birthday anniversary
Saturday. had served as chairman Of
the American Red Cross since he
was appointed by President Harding
in 1921. He was a former Secretary
of the Interior, a former member OF
the Superior Court bench Of Illinois
and a strike arbitrator during the
World War.
Pneumonia Halts Recovery.
The venerable humanitarian was
taken to the hospital several days
ago for treatment of an attack OF in
| fuenza. Appendicitis developed and
he underwent an operation last Satur-
day. His physicians, Drs. Cary I.
Grayson, Walter A. Bloedorn and
Charles Stanley White, announced
Yesterday that his recovery had been
complicated by pneumonia, plus his
advanced age He grew steadily worse
since yesterday morning until his
death this morning.
DR.. Bloedorn was with the patient
at the time Of death. Although two
nieces, Mrs. Elizabeth Athey, who
| made her home with Judge Payne,
and Miss Elizabeth S. Holland, 5207
Fourteenth street northwest, and Silas
Strawn, a former law partner Of
Judge Payne, had been in the room
| during the day, as were several other
! friends and relatives, only the at
| tending physician and nurses were
| in the room at the time Of death.
The end was very peaceful, DR.. Bloc
| dorm said.
Entered Activities Late.
Judge Payne entered the most ac-
tive part of his life at an age when
most men are ready to retire. He was
| 65 when he took over control Of the
relief organization.
| Judge Payne was born January 26,
1855, in Pruntytown, Va, and spent
his boyhood on nearby farm, across
which surged the armies Of the North
and South during the Civil War. In
1862 the house of his father, DR.. Fran
els Payne, was occupied by Gen. Burn
side and the Payne familys farm at
Orleans became the camping ground
of the Army Of the Potomac.
At Is years of age he went to work
as clerk in a general store at War
renton, Va, at a salary Of $50 for the
first year. Returning later to Prunty-
town. then in the newly created State
of West Virginia, he entered the en-
ploy Of the clerk Of the circuit and
county courts. The law library of the
court was open to him, and he spent
most of his evenings there in study.
After completing his studies he jour-
neyed to Parkersburg in the caboose
of Baltimore & Ohio freight train
to take and pass the bar examination.
He first hung out his shingle in
Kingwood, Preston County, where he
served as chairman of the county'S
Democratic Committee and also pub
lished the West Virginia Argus. Some
six years later he was elected mayor
of the town.
In November, 1882, however, he
left West Virginia and went to Chi
cago, where he laid the groundwork
of a career that was to lead him to
national prominence. In 1889 he was
president of the Chicago Law InSti-
tute and in 1895 he was elected Judge
of the Superior Court of Cook County,
Illinois. Aside from his legal work
Mr.. Payne will be best remembered
in Chicago for his work as South
Park commissioner, member of the
board which created and maintained
the greatest playground system in
Chicago.
In 1918 President Wilson offered
him the solicitor generalship of the
United States, which he declined. In
1917, when the United States entered
the World War, he gave up his Chi
cago law practice and offered his
service to the Government.
Served in Cabinet.
His first duties as a Government
representative were in settling strikes
on the Pacific Coast. He later served
under President Wilson as member
of the Board of Appeals, Treasury
Department; as general counsel Of the
United States Shipping. Board Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation, general coun-
sci for the United States Railroad
Administration, serving in both OF
these capacities at the same time for
several months In 1919 he was named
chairman of the United States Ship
ping Board, and in 1920 President
Wilson appointed him Secretary OF In
terror. A few months later he became
director general of railroads, and car
ried ON these duties in addition to
those in the Interior Department.
In October, 1921, President Harding
asked him to accept the chairmanship
of the American Red Cross. He ac-
cepted with the proViso that he serve
without compensation and pay his
own expenses, including travelling ex-
penses. He has since been reappointed
by and served under Presidents Cool
idge, Hoover and Roosevelt.
Judge Payne always retained a
strong affection for his native State
and this has been evidenced by gifts
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