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Show DYING BY INCHES. Circumstances Attending the Death of Matt. Earns, Matt, Harris, who died at his reai-douoi reai-douoi in this city yesterday, was one of tho best known of the sporting men in the west. He was a native of Louisville, Kentucky, where he still has two brothers. Ho came here nine years ago, and was forty-seven forty-seven years old when ha died. He has lived hero continuously since hia first arrival, except abouta year spent in Salt Lake, and even then he called this city his home. During all the time he has owned an interest in one or moro faro banks hero, and he has ! generally been actively engaged as a 1 dealer himBelf. He was known as a "square" man among the fraternity of gamblers, always meeting his obligations ob-ligations promptly, a man of temperate temper-ate habits, true to his word and generous gener-ous and liberal in all Lhinmt. Whilnnl. ways ready to play and eager to win, he was not backward in giving; to the sup-poit sup-poit of churches that denounced hia calling. Indeed ho liked all men better for speaking out their viows, whatever they might be, and on one occasion ho told the writer that when a preacher who .was seeking a friendship friend-ship with him, asked how hia business busi-ness was prospering he knowing Harris to be a gambler he set him down at once to be a scoundrel. And the near sequel Bhowed that Harris was correct. About a year ago he cut his finger slightly while trimming a finger nail with a new pen knife. The result was the I Hame as if that blade had been dipped I in deadly poison. His finger became first very sore, and then so bad that it had to be amputated. This done, a awolling began to appear under his left arm, which grew more painful as it increased in size. It waa at first termed an abscess, then a tumor and latterly a cancer. About four months ago Harris was confined to his bed with this painful incumbrance, and six weeks ago, as our readers were at the time informed, in-formed, a tumor weighing three and a half pounds waa cut away. This made a terrible incision upon his left breast, leaving the uppor ribs bare of flesh. This operation was borne by Mr. Harris with heroio fortitude and through all his terrible Bufferings he retained hia senses to the last. He realized that the cancer was eating his life away, and submitted without a murmur to his fate. He told his interest in hia old faro bank, where he had so long presided, at 178 Far-nam Far-nam street, on Saturday last. He retained his senses and up to the hour of his death conversed cheerfully and intelligently with friends who came to his bedside. Mr. Harris leaves one child and a devoted wifo who has nursed him in his terrible affliction with a tenderness tender-ness and fidelity that calls for the highest admiration. Mr. Harris was a generous liver and liberal in his expenditure, and from the amount of play done at his bank was generally supposed that he was in very comfortable if not in independent in-dependent circumstances. This is now found to be not so. The means received by the sale of hU bank will be exhausted by current expenses and his real estate, after satisfying the mortgage, will not more than defray the bills arising from his treatment. Omaha Herald, 7th. |