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Show ETHAN- ALLAN HITCHCOCK, FORMER SECRETARY OP INTERIOR, IS BEAD . His Passing, at the Home of His Son-in-Law in Washington, Surrounded by His Wife and Children, Marks Close of Career Whose Pre-eminent Feature Was An Administration of Interior Department That Made Western Land Problems Memorable pathy in your great loss. Your husband's hus-band's record for honesty and high sense of official duty was deepU impressed im-pressed on the country by nis efficient conduct of the interior department, and his dignified and able representation representa-tion of this country abroad. The gratitude grati-tude of hl3 fellow citizens and the high respect for his memory may, in time, I hope, mitigate the intensity of your present sorrow. "Sincerely yours, William H. TafL" Washington. April 0. Ethan A linn Hitchcock, Secretary of the Interior jnder President McKinley and Preri-ih-nt Roosevelt, died here this niorn-nif niorn-nif at 11 o'clock, aged 71.' fie hdd Von critically 111 for several davs. He contracted a severe cold while !n the west, and his condition became so serious that he hurried to Washington Wash-ington to place himself In the hands r.t specialists who had attended him f urlng his official career here. He suffered from a complication of kidney, kid-ney, heart and pulmonary diseases. At I he bedside, when the end came, were Mrs. Hitchcock, the three daughters. daugh-ters. Lieut. Commander Sims, and a rephew, Geo. C. Hitchcock, of Sl LouiR, The body will be taken to. St. Louis tomorrow, arriving there Snn-d&y Snn-d&y night. Tho funeral will be held Monday, the Interment being at the Bellefontaine cemetery in that city. His passing marked the close of a career whose pre-eminent feature was an administration of the interior department de-partment that stirred Western land problems as never before. Brought here from St. Petersburg, where he had 6erved as ambassador under an appointment of President McKinley, Mr. Hitchcock, was almost immediately plunged into a vortex of eompllcatlons growing out of vast frauds and charges of fraud, and counter coun-ter charges growing out of the acquirement ac-quirement of public lands In the west-,, em states. Mr. Hitchcock directed the Liost sweeping Investigations, nrous-ing nrous-ing the enmity of powerful political Interests. That work Is recalled to-fjay to-fjay as one of the most unswerving rmd relentless Inquisitions in the an lials of government prosecutions. He prosecuted cases against, numerous men In public life and private business. busi-ness. Including Uulted States Senator Sen-ator Mitchell, of j Oregon, who was tr.nvlcted and died not long aftpr-srd. aftpr-srd. former Congressman Ringer Hermann who had served as commissioner commis-sioner of the general land office, and who was acquit led; former United Stales Senator Dietrich, of Nebraska, Representative Williamson, Oregon, and John A. ReuBoii, a millionaire real estate broker, of San Francisco Mr. Hitchcock was a target for attack at-tack on the floors of Congress and lu protests filed, at the White House. The Hitchcock family was well known in Washington society, where It frequently fre-quently entertained at smart functions. func-tions. President Tart todav sent to Mrs. Hitchcock tho following letter of condolence: con-dolence: "My Dear Mrs. Hitchcock: The Bad news of the death of your husband has just come. Mrs. Taft anil I extend to you and your family our sincerest sym- |