Mayor Jas. I. Johnson
of Raleigh Is Dead
Raleigh, Oct. 4—Mayor James Iredell Johnson, five successive
terms chief magistrate of Raleigh, died last night in Springs, Va., after an
illness of one day with paralysis.
Mayor Johnson’s health took him to a Virginia health resort,
but Thursday partial paralysis indicated the desperateness of his illness. He
had previously fallen at his work. Nevertheless, his condition was not
generally known and his death tonight shocks the city greatly.
He was perhaps the most popular executive that the city has
had and his administration was coeval with the city’s greatest growth. When the
commissioner succeeded the aldermanic form he championed the change and led the
ticket in the election. Only once in his public life was he defeated and then
by Stanhope Wynne in 1909.
The mayor was a brother Col. Charles E. Johnson, close
kinsman of James Iredell, and related to many of the most prominent North
Carolina families. A wife, three sons and a daughter survive him.
The funeral will take place here Sunday.
With the death of Mayor Johnson the whole city commission
has changed personnel by reason of death.
Commissioner Seawell of public works died in the spring, a
few days before the election, and Commissioner Uzzell of public safety died in
the late fall of 1917. Mayor Johnson, who was also commissioner of finance,
makes an entire change in the city government, all commissioners of which died
in the two years.
-=-
Editorial in the same
issue of this paper:
Mayor Johnson
The death of Mayor Jas. I. Johnson of Raleigh will cause a
pang in many a heart. The chief executive of the capital city, he came into
direct touch with thousands of his fellowmen and he impressed them favorably.
Mr. Johnson possessed fine native ability, good common sense and a personality
that was rugged enough to attract men of all classes. He was honest and sincere
along with it all, and these many things accounted for his many triumphs in
Raleigh elections. He was mayor of Raleigh during its greatest development and
much of that city’s growth may be fairly attributed to his work.
-=-
No comments:
Post a Comment