Death of Mr. J. D. Rowley.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 782, 28 March 1905, Page 2

Death of Mr. J. D. Rowley.

J?« ?,?■?' S , Nuw Herald mijs .-rho dKVth occurred early i-esterday morning of Mr J. J). Uowyy. proprietor of the, waxworks entertainment at present showing at the Jedcral Hall. It appears that Ko»lcy first complained of lines* on Wednesday night. He was then taken with a paralytic stroke, being found unconscious on the floor of his bedroom at the Koyal Hotel on the following morning. He was amoved to a pnvnte hospital, and attended by Dr. Murphy, but, bursting a blood vessel in the brain, death intervened at about 4 a.m. yesterday. The sad news cast a gloom over the members of the profession in Auckland and many telegrams and .messages of sympathy came to hand from all parts of tite colony during the day. : Mr Rowley was a very general favourite, and his • unexpected death was the principal topic of conversation m theatrical circles. The name of "the Rowley family as waxwork proprietors, etc., is a household word in the provincial towns of Croat Britain. Mr John D. Howlev (the deceased) (irst came to New /■calami about 10r years ago, accompanied by his unmurrled sister, who died in Brisbane six years ago, after assis'dng in the management of the business. Mr Howlcy opened a waxworks entertainincnl in Auckland in a large shop in Queen-street, on the site of the present Strand Arcade on his arrival. Ifo afterwards made u lour of the colony, and then went *o Austrufja,lndia, Africa, and Home to the Old Country, making three return visits to Now Zealand. The last time on which he was here was in September, 1904. He was accompanied on his present tour l>v his niece, Miss Ada Rowley, his only relative in the colony. He has' two brothers in i.iondbn—one an auctioneer—and his father i.sj still living at Southampton, having reached the advanced age of over 70 years. The deceased, who was born njt West ISromwicK, liirmiivgham, England, never married.