John P. Altgeld, Ex-Governor of Illinois and at his time the most popular, later the most persecuted and most hated man in the State, has died this morning at the Monroe Hotel at Joliet. Last night he held at the Opera House of said town before a numerous audience a long and passionate speech in the interest of the South African Boers. When leaving the stage he broke down between the side curtains and the doctors declared his condition as hopeless. The deathly sick man was brought to the above said hotel where he died shortly after 7 o'clock this morning.

Johann Peter Altgeld was born on December 30th, 1847 in Selters, Hesse-Nassau, as the son of a gardener. Two years later the family emigrated to the United States and settled down in Richland County, Ohio, where Altgeld grew up, received a scanty school education and was at an early age compelled to help with farm and garden work. Sixteen years old he volunteered for the Civil War, at the end of which he endeavered to fill out the gaps in his education. During the winter months he gave instruction in County schools. In the Spring of 1869 he decided to go to the West. As he had no traveling money, he started his voyage by foot and came to East St. Louis with 15c in his 2pockets. In St. Louis he found work and earned enough to continue his voyage. He only came to Kansas City where he became ill. After his recovery he went to Savannah in Northwest Missouri where he found a position as School teacher. His idle hours he used for law studies and soon after being admitted to the Bar he became City-Attorney of Savannah and was later elected States Attorney. But it always seemed to him that Savannah was not the right territory for his ambitions and in 1875 he moved to Chicago. Here he soon made himself a name as an able lawyer, and by real estate speculations he succeeded financially.

In regard to party-politics Altgeld was always a Democrat. In 1884 he ran against the Republican Adams in the 4th Congressional District and was defeated by a small majority. For years later he was a candidate as a judge and was elected. Friends and enemies admit that his five years activity as judge formed the most glorious part of the public career of Altgeld. He distinguished himself not only by diligence, conscientiousness and impartiality, but also by outstanding jurisprudence and was honored by his colleagues by their selection as president of the judicial Board. During this time he published in the "North American Review" and other magazines a number of brilliant discussions about social political questions, which he later published in a book under the title "Live Questions."

The most profound of these works occupies itself with the share of the Germans in the Civil War, respecting the salvation of the Union by their entry for the election of Abraham Lincoln.

In 1891 Altgeld retired as judge. When he was nominated as Candidate for the Governorship, he developed a systematic campaign such as Illinois has never seen before. But at this time he was already a very sick man. He did not care for the warnings of his doctors, and after his election went as an ailing man to Springfield. Besides he had many business worries that made him extremely nervous. So it came that as a governor he became everything but a success. In 1893 he lost most of his fortune, chiefly by the construction of the Unity Building at Dearborn Street, that was started at the wrong time. In the last year he entered the law firm of Darrow & Thompson as partners. Although steadily ailing the Ex-Governor until his last agitated the various aims that lay so close to his heart..

John P Altgeld had no children, he only leaves his widow who has been ailing for years.