American Journalist. He was a journalist, who served in the Civil War as a drummer boy when he was just fifteen-years-old; he was the son of Brigadier General Joseph Randolph Cockerill. Three years after the war, he was the editor of the "Dayton Daily Ledger", in 1868. In 1872, he was the editor Cincinnati Enquirer and correspondent in Russo-Turkish War in 1876. He was the editor Baltimore Gazette in1878. He became the editor of the newspaper, the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch", which was owned by Joseph Pulitzer. In one editorial he criticized the conduct of James Overton Broadhead of the law firm of Broadhead, Slayback and Haeussler. Nine years after the incident, Broadhead was selected to be a candidate for Congress by the same interests that the "Post-Dispatch" had long-fought. The affair escalated into a personal feud between Cockerill and Alonzo Slayback, a partner in the law firm. On October 5, 1882 Slayback and a friend, William Clopton, went to the "Post-Dispatch" and entered Cockerill's office to demand an apology. During the ensuing scuffle, Cockerill shot and killed Slayback. Cockerill's supporters claimed he shot in self-defense, but Clopton insisted that Slayback was unarmed. The famed lawyer Charles P. Johnson defended Cockerill, and the jury's verdict was a "justifiable homicide committed in self-defense." Cockerill left St. Louis under a dark cloud, but at the request of Mr. Pulitzer, he resumed his newspaper career at the Pulitzer’s "New York World" as the editor and later at the "New York Herald". One of his last assignments was to the Far East as special editor "New York Advertiser" in 1891. His letters from Japan were among the finest example of English composition. The Emperor of Japan was so please with his documentation of the Japanese culture that he conferred on him "The Order of the Sacred Treasure." At the time of this honor only two other men, other than Japanese noblemen, had ever received this mark of distinction. According to a Chicago obituary, while on assignment in Egypt, he was in a Cairo hotel barber shop when he suddenly had an attack and died within a couple of hours. He was five-term President of the New York City Press Club. He had been a Democrat until the administration of President Harrison, when he became a Republican and continued devoted to that party during his life. In 1965 Homer King published his book, “Pulitzer's Prize Editor: A Biography of John A. Cockerill, 1845-1896”.

American Journalist. He was a journalist, who served in the Civil War as a drummer boy when he was just fifteen-years-old; he was the son of Brigadier General Joseph Randolph Cockerill. Three years after the war, he was the editor of the "Dayton Daily Ledger", in 1868. In 1872, he was the editor Cincinnati Enquirer and correspondent in Russo-Turkish War in 1876. He was the editor Baltimore Gazette in1878. He became the editor of the newspaper, the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch", which was owned by Joseph Pulitzer. In one editorial he criticized the conduct of James Overton Broadhead of the law firm of Broadhead, Slayback and Haeussler. Nine years after the incident, Broadhead was selected to be a candidate for Congress by the same interests that the "Post-Dispatch" had long-fought. The affair escalated into a personal feud between Cockerill and Alonzo Slayback, a partner in the law firm. On October 5, 1882 Slayback and a friend, William Clopton, went to the "Post-Dispatch" and entered Cockerill's office to demand an apology. During the ensuing scuffle, Cockerill shot and killed Slayback. Cockerill's supporters claimed he shot in self-defense, but Clopton insisted that Slayback was unarmed. The famed lawyer Charles P. Johnson defended Cockerill, and the jury's verdict was a "justifiable homicide committed in self-defense." Cockerill left St. Louis under a dark cloud, but at the request of Mr. Pulitzer, he resumed his newspaper career at the Pulitzer’s "New York World" as the editor and later at the "New York Herald". One of his last assignments was to the Far East as special editor "New York Advertiser" in 1891. His letters from Japan were among the finest example of English composition. The Emperor of Japan was so please with his documentation of the Japanese culture that he conferred on him "The Order of the Sacred Treasure." At the time of this honor only two other men, other than Japanese noblemen, had ever received this mark of distinction. According to a Chicago obituary, while on assignment in Egypt, he was in a Cairo hotel barber shop when he suddenly had an attack and died within a couple of hours. He was five-term President of the New York City Press Club. He had been a Democrat until the administration of President Harrison, when he became a Republican and continued devoted to that party during his life. In 1965 Homer King published his book, “Pulitzer's Prize Editor: A Biography of John A. Cockerill, 1845-1896”.

Bio by: Linda Davis