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OBITUARIES OF THE WEEK
Mr. Michael.Samson
Very general regret was felt on
Monday throughout the metropolitan
districts when it became known that
Mr. Michael Samson, Mayor of Fre-
mantle, had died on the previous
evening. For some time he had
been suffering from acute indigestion,
and although he was in a low condi-
tion, he had somewhat improved, and
was talking to some friends, when he
suddenly collapsed and died in his
chair. The immediate cause was
heart failure. The deceased gentle-
man, who was born in Perth in 1844,
was a son of the late Mr. Lionel
Samson, an old Fremantle business-
man. He went to Prince Alfred Col-
lege in Adelaide, and on his return
to the West entered, the Government
service as a clerk. Subsequently he
became connected, with the Customs
Department, and rose to the position
of Inspector, retiring in December,
1905, on a pension. In the same
year he won the Mayoralty of Fre-
mantle against Mr. G. Humble, who
had just previously retired from the
Town Clerkship, and was re-elected
unopposed a year later. Mr. Samson
was a Freemason and was a Past
Deputy Grand Master of the order.
He also held a number of honorary
but important positions in the port.
The deceased leaves a widow and one
son and two daughters. Flags were
half-masted on Monday and Tuesday,
and the burial, which took place in
the Jewish section of the Fremantle
Cemetery, was largely attended by
his fellow townsmen.
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