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POLICE COMMISSIONER W. E. ATMORE IS DEAD.
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End comes After an Illness of Many Months - Masons and Police Department to Have Charge of Funeral.
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William E. Atmore, vice president and treasurer of the Board of Police Commissioners, and city passenger agent for the L. & N. R. R., died at his home, at No. 3623 Cleveland avenue, shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Bronchitis, from which he had been a constant sufferer since last May, is said to have b3en the cause of his death.

Three days ago he suffered a relapse, which confined him to his bed. Doctors Louis H. Behrens and Frank Glasgow, who have been attending him, did all in their power to save him, but early yesterday morning they foresaw that the end was near. Chief of Police Campbell detailed Detective Skidmore to remain at his bedside. At 2:06 o'clock he breathed his last.

Shortly before the recent street car strike Mr. Atmore was seized with a severe "cold." It settled upon his lungs, and he was confined to his bed for several days. He never recovered from that cold, which developed into bronchitis, to which he was subject. From the time of his first illness frequent meetings of the Police board had to be continued on account of his bad health. Though he came out on the 1st after his numerous confinements, his friends noticed that he grew worse from day to day, and his death was hardly a surprise.

Mr. Atmore was 47 years old. He was the son of Charles P. Atmore of Louisville, Ky., who was general passenger agent of the Louisville and Nashville Railway until the time of his death, three months ago. The senior Atmore's death was a heavy blow to his son, William Atmore. Charles P. Atmore, Jr., who is a clerk in the Police Department, is a brother of the deceased. He also has a stepmother and a sister, who still live in Louisville. Mr. Atmore's body will be shipped to Louisville probably to-day, to be buried in the family lot in the old Cave Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Atmore became a member of the Police Board in the spring of 1899. He began his career as a telegraph operator and worked himself up to his present position. He came to St. Louis as city passenger agent fifteen years ago. He was never married.

The funeral of Mr. Atmore will be under the joint auspices of the Masons and his friends of the Police Department. It will be a quasi military nature, and will be attended with much pomp and ceremony.

The plans for the funeral have not been definitely decided upon. A delegation from the Masons will confer with Chief Campbell of the Police Department this morning at the Four Courts, when all arrangements will be completed.

The present intention is to have the body lie in state in the banquet hall of the new Masonic building at Finney and Grand avenue this afternoon, where the friends of the deceased will have a chance to view the body. The funeral cortege will form on the street in front of the building. Wright's Military Band will lead the procession.

A platoon of mounted police will follow the band, after which will come governor Stephens and his staff, of which Mr. Atmore was a member. Chiefs Campbell and Desmond of the Police Department, with all the captains and lieutenants, and 500 men, composed of squads from all the police districts, will come next in the line of the cortege and they will be followed by the Police Commissioners.

By order of President Hawes of the Board of Commissioners, Mr. Atmore's chair in the board room was draped yesterday and flags on all the police stations were ordered to be placed at half-mast.

Six Sergeants of Poiles will be the active pallbearers. The honorary pallbearers will be selected to-day. The place of interment has not been decided upon, there being doubt whether he will be buried by the side of his father in Kentucky or in Bellefontaine Cemetery in this city.

The death of Mr. Atmore, it is believed by those who have been watching the course of local political events, will simplify to some extent the Police Commissionership situation which confronts Governor Dockery, although it has been common talk for many weeks past that Mr. Atmore would not accept a reappointment if offered him. His death merely removes from the field of possibilities one more figure, and may make it easier for the Governor to satisfy the clamors of the conflicting interests by deciding on a candidate who may be equally acceptable to all parties.

Whether the various parties who have a deep interest in the appointment of the new board can agree on a man to succeed Atmore is an open questions. Morton Jourdan's friends are exceedingly anxious to see him appointed, and they have brought a tremendous pressure to bear on the governor to that end. Jourdan has repeatedly announced that he does not care for the position, but it is also said that if he were sure that he could supplant Hawes as president of the board, he would go out after it, inasmuch as he has little use for Hawes. His friends believe he can do this with the proper effort, and they are urging him to do it.

Doctor John H. Simon of the Twenty-fourth Ward, who was Atmore's warm personal friend, is accounted one of the strongest factors in the race for one of the positions. While Atmore was alive Doctor Simon persistently refused to seriously listen to the urgings of his friends to seek the office. It is said Atmore himself wanted to do so, as Atmore only wished confirmation by the present Senate before resigning. Doctor Simon is very strong with Governor Dockery, and now that Mr. Atmore is dead, he may decide to make a bid for the position. There is a rumor current among doctor Simon's friends that he could have the presidency of the board, and there are those who claim to have seen a letter from one of the highest State officials, assuring him of that fact.

Patrick J. Kelly, a former member of the board, is also an applicant for the commissionership. Andy Blong, who sought the position under Governor Stephens, is also a candidate again, and has the backing of the Barrett-Lemp wing of the party. The name of Daniel O'Connell Trace has also been mentioned as a possible aspirant.

Hawes, it is said, will be reappointed, despite the efforts of his political enemies to turn him down. Tony Stuever is willing to step down and out, some of his friends say, as he is tired of the rocky road of a Police Commissioner, and devote his entire time to his brewery and politics in a quiet way.

Doctor Forster would like to remain in office, and his friends say he is certain of reappointment, although, if a candidate with more aggressive backers presents himself, Forster may be forced out of the race.

~The St. Louis Republic (Missouri), Sun., 6 Jan 1901, pg. 8
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