This forenoon in his residence 220 Cass Avenue, Mr. Wilhelm Rapp, editor of the Illinois Staats-Zeitung, died in the midst of his beloved ones. The news does not come unexpectedly but will be sadly received by all Germans in the U. S. A. Hardening of the arteries put an end to the life of the worthy old man. His life was a busy and stormy one. He was born as the son of a Swabian clergyman on July 14, 1828 at Linden on the Bodensee in the Bavarian territory, but lived during his youth in the village of Goppingen in the Swabian Alps. He was destined for a clerical career and studied at a college at Tuebingen. The quiet peace of the time has been destroyed by the storm of the Revolution of 1848.

When just finishing boyhood, the clergyman's son distinguished himself by the depth of his conviction and power of speech, and he was chosen as a delegate for the people's meeting at Reutlingen. In 1849, as an armed insurgent with a group of other students of Thuringen, they moved into Baden to join the troops 2of the Revolutionists to fight against the government's invading army. After the suppression of the rebellious army he deserted with others to Switzerland, where he found employment as teacher of Hanz Canton, Granbuenden. In the summer of 1850 he returned home, where he was arrested and held prisoner at Hohenasperg. He was freed the following year by the court of assizes at Ludwigshafen.

His political convictions did not permit him to remain in Germany and he immigrated to the United States and landed in Philadelphia in the summer of 1852 where he made his living as a workman for another year. The Philadelphia Turner Club, of which he was a member, sent him in 1853 as their representative, to the Cleveland convention, and he was elected as editor of their Union publication. Three years he served in this position and resided in Cincinnati during the years of 1855-56.

Together with Fritz Hessawick he took great interest in the movement for the Abolitionists. He also made the acquaintance of Anton Caspar Hesing and 3he participated in the organization of the Republican Party, which led to the Civil War.

He was called to Baltimore in 1857 to take over the editorship of the Wecker (Awakener). Immediately after the beginning of the Civil War between the North and the South the office of the Wecker was stormed and destroyed. Rapp was driven out of town. The entrance of General Benjamin Butler into Baltimore would have made it possible for Rapp to return but he found his sphere of activity destroyed and accepted the offer to join the publication of the Illinois Staats-Zeitung which was conducted by Mr. A. C. Hesing, as financial editor, and by Mr. Lorenz Brentano as chief editor. Rapp remained in Chicago as second editor until the end of the Civil War and then returned to Baltimore to again edit the Wecker. He remained there till 1872. He came back to Chicago, having married, meanwhile, a nurse, who attended him during a recent illness.

By the death of Mr. Hermann Raster the management of the Illinois Staats-Zeitung 4was transferred to Rapp and he has become a principal figure among the Germans in Chicago. He has made many friends by his honesty and loyalty and earned the respect of all. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Gesine Rapp and four children. Mrs. Emilie Rapp Kemper (Milwaukee), Mrs. Frieda Rapp Ruhstraat, Wilhelm Rapp (married to Mrs. Schumann Heink) Mrs. Mathilde Rapp Loehrlaut.