The intelligence of the death of Mr. W.J. Hancock, general superintendent of the Wells Fargo Express Company, comes a sudden shock to residents of this city, where he was so intimately known. Mr. Hancock began active work in the express business in Illinois in his early life and in 1874, yet a boy, was assigned to Dubuque as superintendent of the Iowa division of the company. In the year 1876 he was removed to Council Bluffs, at the time of enlargement of the territory including Iowa and Nebraska.

In the year 1883 he received the appointment of geneal superintendent of the Wells Fargo Express Company and while in this position he opened all the south and southwestern territory, and under his guiding hand the business of the company was rapid and profitable.

When this same company opened lines east, Mr. Hancock was made general superintendent of the eastern department with headquarters at New York City. This necessitated the removal of his family to that point, and the departure was regretted by their many friends and acquaintances in whose esteem they stood very high.

While in Dubuque, Mr. Hancock was treasurer of St. John's Episcopal Church, a member of the building committee, and while in Council Bluffs he was a member of the vestry of St. Paul's Church, and contributed time and money to the building of the new edifice at this point. He was a warm friend and admirer of Bishop Perry. He was much attached to his friends, and his clerical force in New York is made up very largely of young men from Council Bluffs and Dubuque.

So has closed the earthy existence of a noble, zealous young man. Death came to him in the prime of life, a sacrificing, ever active, truly American manner of existence and thoroughly pushing, progressive, business spirit.

Mr. Hancock left a family, Mrs. Hancock and two children, Earl and Bessie. There also are those in this city and throughout the whole west, whose number is legion, to whom the startling intelligence of the death of Mr. Hancock comes with sudden awful shock.