Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1911 — Premature Obituaries. [ARTICLE]

Premature Obituaries.

The privilege of reading the laudatory obituary notices which the premature report of their deaths called forth has fallen to many distinguished men. Emir Pasha’s death provided excellent copy for the evening papers long before the sad event took place, and more than once during his Journey across the Dark Continent Stanley was placed among the immortals. No statesman of modern times has dared to imitate the trick of Lord Brougham, who circulated the stogy of his own death simply in order to see in what estimation he was held by the public. Among modern authors Mr. S. Bar-ing-Gould was able to read his own obituary notices when his cousin died at tea. But an equally remarkable case was that of Mr. Justin McCarthy. During the time he was associated with the London Daily News a report of his death was issued one night from Leeds. It reached the office while Mr. McCarthy was writing a leader.