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Died. Thomas Eugene Mitten, 65, featful Philadelphia banker (Mitten Men & Management Bank & Trust Co.), tractionist, in whose street cars, buses, subways, taxis rode over 928,000,000 passengers last year; at Sunnydale, near Milford, Pa.; of drowning. His body was found at the bottom of Log Tavern Lake, on the Mitten estate, on which he had been fishing The body lay in state at the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Auditorium. Successively farmboy, railway telegrapher, station agent, in 1901 he became superintendent of Buffalo's International Railway Co. (traction & interurban), president of Chicago City Railway Co. (1905-11). Under the directorate of Edward Townsend Stotesbury, Morgan & Co. member, he became chairman of the executive committee of Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. The "Stotesbury plan" (7¢ fare) and the "Mitten plan" (5¢ fare) had a mortal combat in 1921. Since then P. R. T. present fare: (7¢) has run, stopped, started under Mitten management. His son, Dr. Arthur Allen Mitten, was elected to succeed him. Died. William James ("Fingy") Conners, 71, Buffalo boss; at Buffalo; of a heart attack. His first job was that of a dock laborer. Soon after, he inherited the paternal saloon, invested the paternal insurance money in another. Legend insists that, as a child, he stuck up his thumb for another moppet to shoot at, saw it blown off, proudly proclaimed, "I lost me fingy!". thus acquiring a nickname. In swift succession, he organized Buffalo stevedores, bidding them patronize Conners beer parlors, formed a company to grab Great Lakes shipping lines when Congress forbade railways to own water transportation (1916), entered the transit, brewing, paving, real estate business, bought the Buffalo Enquirer, Courier because "every-body roasts me and now I want to heat a pan." Remembered among his political activities was his management of William Randolph Hearst's first (1906), second (1922) New York gubernatorial campaigns.
Died. The Rt. Rev. John Gardner Murray, 72, of Baltimore, Bishop of Maryland; in Atlantic City, N. J.; of apoplexy as he arose near the pulpit of St. James's Church to address the House of Bishops over which he was presiding. Before entering the Church Dr. Murray practiced brokerage and banking, was known as the richest Bishop.* In 1925 he was elected head of the House of Bishops. This was the first time in 140 years that the position had not gone automatically to the senior active bishop in order of consecration.
Died. John J. Nolan, 79, father-in-law of Actor George Michael Cohan, father-in-law of Producer Sam Harris; at Brookline, Mass.; of pneumonia. Died. Henry Ulick Lascelles, Earl of Harewood, 83; at Harewood House, Yorkshire, England, of pneumonia. He was the father-in-law of Princess Mary, wife of Henry George Charles Lascelles, elder son of the late Earl. Died. George V. Buzdugan, onetime (1924-27) Chief Justice of the Rumanian Supreme Court, member of the Regency; at Bucharest; after an operation to remove an abscess. Reburied. General Peter WTrangel, one-time (1920) Commander in Chief of Russian "White" armies at Belgrade. He died last year, was buried in Brussels. Over the coffin circled airplanes, dropping wild flowers on a shabby procession of Emigres.