SLATER, Judge Major Robert “M. R.”

DEATH OF M. R. SLATER.

––––––––

A FORMER PROMINENT CITIZEN
OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

––––––––

After an Illness of but a Few Hours
He Breathed His Last.

––––––––

Word came to this city Monday that M. R. Slater had died near Tucson, Arizona, Monday, Aug. 9.

The Daily Citizen published at Tucson gives the details as follows:

Word was received in this city yesterday afternoon of the death of Judge M. R. Slater at Canada del Oro, of heart disease.

The Judge in company with Mrs. Slater and two daughters and son-in-law, Mrs. Dickinson and W. E. Tussing and wife were camping at the Canada del Oro. He had been feeling fine during the entire time which they have been out until yesterday morning he complained of not feeling well, and Mrs. Dickinson suggested bringing him to Tucson, which was acted upon at once, and they broke camp and started. They had gotten but two or three miles under way, and were about opposite the Reno Placer camp, when the Judge was taken suddenly ill, and said that if they tried to take him any further it would kill him, whereupon he was taken to the Reno camp. They had no sooner gotten him into the house and onto the bed when he died without another word at 11:15 o’clock. The cause was unmis­takably heart disease. A messenger was dispatched immediately to his son-in-law, W. W. Dickinson, in this city, who made all necessary arrangements and started for the camp. In the meantime it was feared that decomposition would set in and Frank Reno started for town with the remains. He was met when about half way in, by Mr. Dickinson and the wagon from the Baird Under­taking Parlors and was relieved by them. Mr. Dickinson went on and joined his wife and the rest of the party who were coming in another wagon a considerable distance behind. The remains reached this city at about eight o’clock last evening, the family arriving later.

Judge Slater came to Tucson from Indiana during the early days of Cleve­land’s first administration, as special agent of the general land office. Upon the advent of the Harrison adminis­tration he was relieved and afterwards elected justice of the peace in this city, and after one term retired. Since then he has devoted much of his time to prospecting, and although 64 years of age, seemed to hold his own with the best of them. At one time he conducted a newspaper at Franklin, Ind. He has made many friends during the time he has lived in Tucson, who will be grieved to learn of his sudden death.

The funeral occurred this afternoon at 4 o’clock from the home of W. W. Dickinson. A large number of sorrow­ing relatives and friends viewed the remains for the last time and followed them to the cemetery north of town. The sympathy of the people will be with the family in their sad affliction.

No man was better known throughout Johnson County than M. R. Slater. For many years he was connected with newspapers in this county. In 1859 he purchased the Franklin Herald, suc­ceeding H. J. Sharp as editor. During the war he was outspoken in his views and unsparing in criticisms of the ad­ministration and the conduct of the war whenever he thought criticisms were due. In 1863, as an outgrowth of his utterances, his office was mobbed by a detachment of Pennsylvania troops, and press, type and all thrown into the street.

The office was subsequently refitted by Charles Patterson, and sold in 1867 to John M. Farley, who placed Mr. Slater in editorial charge. The paper at that time was called the Johnson County Press. Mr. Slater in 1870 changed its name to the Democratic Herald. He continued the publication until 1878, when he was succeeded by W. S. Bliss. The following year the paper passed into the hands of Luther Short and George Finney, who changed its name to the Franklin Democrat, which it still bears. In 1884 he started the Jacksonian, which continued three years being purchased in 1887 by Mr. Short.

From 1873 to 1875 he ably repre­sented the State Senate Johnson and Shelby counties as state senator.

His relatives who still reside in this city are one daughter, Mrs. Alfred Thompson, and a grandson, Virgil Whitesides.

Submitted by Mark McCrady and Cathea Curry