Evening star., 1942-03-12
J. Fred Essory Rites to Be Held
At Cathedral Tomorrow
Former Baltimore Sun
Bureau Chief Dies
In Office

j. Fred Essary, go. for nearly 3t
years chief of the Washington
bureau of the Baltimore Sun died
yesterday in his Office at the Ma
tional Press Building.
Known internationally, Mr.. Essary
who retired as chief of the Sun
bureau last November was found by
his wife slumped over his desk in the
Office from which he still contributed
stories to the Sun. Mrs. Helen For
man Kerchner Essary. his widow, Is
herself a newspaper columnist and
former president of the National
Woman's Press Club.
DR.. Frark T. Shyne was sum-
moned from his Office in the Press
Building when Mrs. Essary found
her husband at 4:30 pm, but the
aeWspaperman died about Is minutes
later. A large committee from the
National Press Club, Of which he
formerly was president and many
friends made in official circles dur
ing Mr.. ESsary's long service here
are expected to attend his funeral at
pm. tomorrow at the Washington
Cathedral. The Very Rev. ZeBarney
T. Phillips, chaplain of the Senate
and dean of the Cathedral, will Of
f1ciate. Burial will be in Rock Greek
Cemetery.
President Roosevelt sent note Of
coincidence to Mrs. EsSary.
The Chief Executive said he was
shocked and saddened by the news
of Fred's untimely passing He de-
scribed him as IAN outstanding
Washington correspondent who will
be sincerely mourned and missed"
Starting his career with the Nor
folk Ledger in 1908, Mr.. Essary
covered world events from the flight
of the Wright brothers at Kitty
Hawk, N. c., to our second entry
into a World War. He forwarded
the only Inauguration story that
got out of Washington in 1909 when
President Taft took Office after one
of the worst storms the Capital
had seen. With wires down every
where, Mr. Essary, who was sent to
cover the Inauguration by the Bal
timore American and Star, sent a
250-Word story by wireless.
Six years before, as reporter
for the Norfolk Landmark and cor
respondent for the New York
Herald Tribune. Mr. Essary heard
of the Wright brothers flight at
Kitty Hawk. The Herald Tribune
printed his story, but with a note
that the writer was little known
to them and his account would have
to be taken on faith.
Born in Washburn, Tenn. Mr..
Essary left Emory and Henry Col
lege in 1901 for two years service
as a railroad clerk. Joining first the
Norfolk Ledger and then the Nor
folk Landmark, he worked in Bal
timore before he first came to Wash
ington in 1910 as correspondent Of
the Baltimore Star. He also served
as correspondent here for the New
Orleans Item and the Boston
Journal.
Became Bureau Chief in 1920.
In 1912 he succeeded Frank r.
Kent as chief of the Sun bureau.
Besides electing him president Of
the Gridiron Club in 1925 and the
National Press Club in 1928, his
colleagues paid tribute to the news
paperman by selecting him for the
$1,000 Pugsley award for Journalistic
service in 1882. Mr.. Essary had
travelled 1000 miles to get the story,
an inside account of the delibera-
tions of the Wickersham committee
in 1881.
He went with President Wilson to
Paris for the peace conference at
Versailles, returning to Europe in
the middle '20s for two periods as
London correspondent for the Sun.
Besides the Press and Gridiron
Clubs, Mr.. Essary belonged to the
Cosmos Club of Baltimore: Authors
Club of London, Sigma Delta Chi