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Show A TRAGIC Ml Secretary of the Treasury Window Win-dow Stricken Down at a New York taii(iiet. He Hid Just Finished a Brilliant Bpoech on tie Policy of the Treasury. HIS VOICE IS HUSHED FOREVER. The Mirth of the IJanquet Hall Hushed by the Awful Death Scene. He Had Declared Himself an Earnest Bi-metallist Bi-metallist in His Last Speech, PROFOUND SORROW AT CAPITAL. Kiceptlng- lllalne He Wat tha Ablest Man IB tha Cabinet Hrler Sketch of Ills Public Life. New Yokk, Jan. 30. Hon. William Windom, secretary of the treasury of the United States, died last night at 10:05 o'clock in the banquet hall at Delmonieo's, where he was a guest of the New York board of trade and transportation. trans-portation. His had been the first toast of the evening. He bad finished the response, overheated himself, swooned away and died almost immediately. Every effort was made to restore him, but in vain. He died of heart disease. The great assemblage at once dissolved. dissol-ved. Mr. indoiu had been the only speaker, and the sentiment to which he responded was: "Our country's prosperity pros-perity dependent upon its iusWuraents of commerce." A Notable (lathering. In the early evening the members of the board of trade and transportation gathered in the reception parlors of Delmonieo's and welcomed the guests and friends who had come from near and far. Perhaps the most prominent were Secretaries Windom and Tracy of the treasury and navy respectively. Nova Scotia had a representative among those present in the person of her attorney-general, Mr. Longley. Canada; too, was there iu the person of Hon. Wjlford Laurier. Mr. Windom, dignified of mein as usual, was apparently in perfect health. All formed a jolly procession to tho banquet hall, where the members and guests were seated, the members at the .kin. .1,. (!. ..,,1 l. out of the room where lay Mr. Windom and announoi'd to the diners that Secretary Sec-retary Windom, whom they had the pleasure of hearing only a few minutes before, had breathed his last. "He is dead," he said. This was tho fearful announcement that was uttered in a voice midway between be-tween a sob and a whisper through that gailv bedecked banquet hall, around which still hung a funeral pall of the smoke of tho after dinner cigar. "He is dead." The words went to the heart of every man who heard them. They could hardly believe that tho brilliant orator of only a few moments before, aglow with enthusiasm at predicting pre-dicting the future policy in tho treasury, treas-ury, was now only inanimate clay. A silence fell upon all. Only a few minutes min-utes before Judge Arnoux had returned from the unconscious man, and announced an-nounced that Windom had onlv fainted, and it was not thought by those remaining re-maining that is was as serious as it proved to bo. The rrreldent Informed. When it was officially announced that the secretary was dead, (Secretary Tracy at onco went to the nearest tele-giaphetlice tele-giaphetlice anil sent a message to President Harrison, informing him of the untimely event, and requesting him to communicate with Mrs. Windom, and have her start on the 11.10 p. m. train to New York. This will bring Mrs. Wiudom to the city by 7 o'clock in the morning, and not until then can any arrangements be made for the removal re-moval of tho body. The scene that ensued when tho death was officially announced is beyond be-yond description in mere words. Grad-ually Grad-ually the excitement abated, and a death certificate was issued signed by Doctors Whitney and Uobinson, giving the cause of death as, first, cerebral liemorrhaife, and socotid. coma. Undertaker Un-dertaker lluyler of Grace church was summoned and nut in charge of the re-niaitis. re-niaitis. Tho body was taken to room tweuty-five os the Filth Avenue hotel, w here Secretary Tracy aud Attorney-General Attorney-General Miller received it. President Snow telegraphed to Presi-dant Presi-dant Harrison that the body would be sent to Washington on a special traiu today, in charge of a special committee. commit-tee. Tlia Last Speech. Secretary Windom confined his remarks re-marks to transportation and money. Under the first head he spoke strongly of the decadence of our foreign trade and said, if we would regain our lost prestige, we must make the conquest with the same weapons which have proved so successful in the bauds of our rivals. On the topic of money, the secretary said that the ideal financial system would be one that should furnish just enough of absolutely sound currency to meet the legitimate wants of trade, and have enough electricity of volume to adjust itself to the varying necessities of the people. Should such a medium be secured, tho grave commercial disaster dis-aster which threatened our future might be averted. master general, but a few blocks away, where a cabinet dinner had been iu progress and from which he had returned re-turned but a few moments before. A reception had followed the dinner, so the guests had not all dispersed. Mrs. Windom and her two daughters and Mrs. Colgato of New York, who is visiting visit-ing them, were among those present. As soon as the president arrived he had a hurried conversation with Secretaries Maine and Proctor and the postmaster-general postmaster-general and told them of the grief that had befallen them. They then privately private-ly infor ued Mrs. Colgate of Mr, Windom's Win-dom's death, and she, without exciting the suspicion of Mrs. Windom and her daughters, succeeded in getting them to their carriage and home. The president, pres-ident, Secretary Proctor and Postmaster-General Wauamaker entered carriages car-riages and followed directly after. When Mrs. Wiudom and her daughters daugh-ters reached the house. Mrs. Colgate gently broke tho news to the bereaved widow and her daughters. Mrs. Wiudom Wiu-dom was completely overcome and had to be assisted to her chamber. The shock was a terrible one. as wheu the secretary left Washington yesterday morning he seemed in the best of health and spirits. The president and members of the cabinet, who were preseut, extended sympathy to the stricken family aud offered their bct vices to them. The news of the death spread with wonderful rapidity, and although the hour was late, a large number ot the friends went to the residence of Mrs. Windom to express sympathy with her aud her daughters. HIS ONLV SOX AHSKNT. And the Family Have not yet Been Able to Iteaeh Him by Telegraph. Washington, Jan. 30. Everywhere throughout the city flags are flying at half-mast, and seemingly the only topic of conversation is the sudden and lamentable la-mentable death of Secretary Windom. tables upon the floor, and the guests at a long table upon a raised platform. The aged Captain Ambrose Snow, preside uf .J the-board, was in the center place. At his right he seated Mr. Windom and upoa tots loft Mr. Bayard. He Appeared Agitated. The dinner was completed shortly after 9 o'clock, aud Mr. Windom. introduced intro-duced by Judge Armour, responded to the toast "Our country's prosperity de pendent upon its instruments of commerce." com-merce." lie finished his sp.iech at 9:55 o'clock. It had been remarked that he was reading it off hurriedly from a printed copy, going faster and faster as he neared the end, and, at last (he had requested the audience not to applaud), ap-plaud), a quiver of fear ran through the assemblage like an electric shock as the speaker finished. Windom was standing stand-ing erect under the glare of the gaslights, gas-lights, with the faces of all turned toward to-ward him. For a moment the secretary stood silent, while the banqueters, equally silent, watched him. It was a moment that no one who was present will ever forget. Then Mr. Windom sat down quietly, too quiety, many thought, iu his seat and the toastruaster arose to introduce ex-Secretary of State Bayard as the next speaker. He began a short speech but had not proceeded far when Mr. Windom gave a short, sharp moan of anguish, and fell back in his chair. His face grew purple. His lower limbs stiffened and stretched out under the table. His eyelids opened and shut spasmodically; there was no gleam of intelligence in hjs eyes, which were rapidly losing the luster of life. A cigar ci-gar which he had been' smoking, was held hotu'pnn !l rrrlm nlinnV, rt ta tintl These disasters always come when unusual activity in business causes an abnormal demand for money, as in tha autumn, for the movement in our immense im-mense crops. There will always be great danger at those times under any cast-iron system of ourrency, such as we now have. Had it not been for the peculiar condition which enabled the United States treasurer to disburseover $75,000,000 in two and one-half months last fall the stringency would have resulted re-sulted in widespread financial ruin. in the opinion of the secretary our bonded debt should be in part exchanged ex-changed for interconvertible bonds, I bearing a low rate of interest, and al-wavs al-wavs interchangeable for money at the will of the people. An ICarneRt Ulmetaliit. Believing that there is not enough of either gold or silver in the world to meet the necessities of business, the secretary said he was an earnest bimet-alist. bimet-alist. and conceded to no one a stronger desire for the. free and unlimited coinage coin-age of silver, as soon as the conditions can be reached through an international interna-tional agreement or otherwise, by which such coinage will be safe, but it was the firm conviction that for this country to enter upon that experiment now would result, not in bimetallism, but in silvermoniimetallistii. It would produce swift and sure contraction and eventually reduce the market value of silver. In conclusion the secretary said: "Give us direct and ample transportation transporta-tion facilities under the American flag, and controlled by American cities, currency sound in quality and adequate in quantity, an international bank to facilitate exchanges and a system of reciprocity carefully adjusted within tho lines of protection, and not only will our foreign commerce again in-vado in-vado every sea, but every American industry will be quickened and our whole people feel au impulse of new and enduring prosperity." , On every hand is heard expressions of 1 warm admiration of the strong and lovable lov-able character of the man and of deep and unfeigned regret at his death. From an early hour this morning there has been a constant stream of carriages arriving at the family residence on Massachusetts avenue, bearing friends who called to manifest their love and sympathy for tho family, among the callers were a very large number of persons of high official and social prominence in Washington and and many who knew the dead man beat could not as they left the house, restrain re-strain their tears. Mrs. Windom and her two daughters are bearing their grief with great fortitude. Mrs. Hatch, one of Mrs. Windom's sisters and a number of the honsehold, Mrs. J. Stanley Stan-ley Brown, daughter of President Garfield Gar-field and Miss Colgate of New York, remained with them during the greater part of last night and are with them today. to-day. The only sou of William D. Windom is now travelling in the south and although al-though telegrams have been sent to nil points where they could in any likelihood likeli-hood reach him, no resprnse has yet been received, though it is probable he will receive the news in tims to reach home tomorrow night. Mrs Windom's other sistor, Mrs. John Douglass, living in Minneapolis, will arrive hero with her husband on Sunday evening. George Hatch, of Boston, her only brother, will probably arrive hero touight to-uight or tomorrow. Mr. Windom's nearest relations now living are the widow and three sous of his brother who live at Sterling, Illinois. Tho time of the funeral will depend on the son, but propably it will take place Monday with private services at the family residence and with public services at the Church of the Covenant, of which Mr. Windom was a member. Assistant Secretary Nettleton, who has hnen on a visit f,o Obrrlin. ().. left A Tragic Kaiiiug. For only a moment he appeared thus. A cry went up from those sitting near the guest at the table. -'Look! look at Mr. Windom." Every eye was turned toward the man whoso voice had just ceased. As thqy looked, he collapsed in his chair and was falling to the floor. His face was ghastly and a cry of horror hor-ror arose from the late festive banqueters. ban-queters. There was an immediate rush on the part, of all toward Windom's chair, but several doctors who were present at the dinner got there first, and drove the otlieisback. They were Drs. Kobinsou, Whitney, Fisher and Bishop. lr. Kobinsou Kob-insou bent down, and, making a close examination of the prostrate form, discovered dis-covered tint the heart was yet beating, and with the assistance of Judge Truax, Captain Snow and one or two others, carried him into the room behind the banquet hall, and everything was done to resuscitate him. Messengers were hastily dispatched for electric batteries, and as many as four were applied to his body, but it was rapidly growing cold. This was exactly at 10:05 p. m. For six minutes the electric shocks were applied incessantly, inces-santly, but without success. He was pronounced dead. Apoplexy KillatI II I m. "I would say tho cause of death was apoplexy." sai Dr. Bobinson. If it was not for the history of heart disease, I am inclined to rhink heart disease killed Mr. Windom. He was subject to fits of heart failure. On Tuesday last he was seized with an attack while ou the steps of the treasury at Washington, Washing-ton, but he did not lose consciousness and was able to t.ike care of himself." .; At 1011 p. 111. .fudge Arnoux came A Word Hlographically. William Windom was born in Belmont Bel-mont county, Ohio, May 10, 1827. He received an academic education, studied law at Mount Vernon, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar in 1850. In 1852 he became prosecuting attorney of Knox county. In 1855 he removed to Minnesota, and was afterward chosen to congress as a republican, serving from 1859 to 1809. In 1870 he was appointed ap-pointed to the United States senate to till the unexpired term of Daniel S. Norton, deceased, and subsequently chosen for tho term that ended in 1878. re-elected for one that closed in 1883, and resigned in 1881 to enter the cabinet cabi-net of President Garfield ns secretary of the treasury, but retired on the accession of President Arthur in the s.nno year, and was elected by the .Minnesota legislature to serve the remainder re-mainder of his term in the senate. He was appointed secretary of the treasury by President Harrison, and has since I served in that capacity. THE NEWS AT TIIK WHITE HOUSE. Th President and Cabinet Express Profound Pro-found Sorrow. Washington, Jan. 30. '1 he an-! an-! nouneeinent of the death of Secretary I Windom in New York last uight was so I terrible, sudden and unexpected that I all who heard the news were profoundly 1 shocked, and so overcome as to be un-I un-I able to exnress the grief they felt. As j soon as the telegram bearing the sad S intelligence was received by the As-' As-' sociated Press, its contents were im- j mediately communicated to President I ! Harrisor at the White House, lie was, I in the library at tho time talking; i with Mrs. Harrison, and when i the ruessage was read to j i bitn he was greatly di.itressed J ! and almost completely overcome. He j I immediately ordered his carriage and j went at om-e to the house of tho post- t i there yesterday for Washington, and is expected to reach here this afternoon. As he is senior assistant secretary in point of service, he will probably be designated to act as secretary of tho treasury for a period of ten days, which is the limit of designations of this kind. DEATH WAS INSTA.NTANKOI'S. The Body Sent to Washington L'vidances of Genuine Grief. New York, Jan. 30. The body of Secretary Windom was sent by train to Washington this morning. Flags are at half-mast on all tho federal, fed-eral, municipal and other buildings and many private residences. The colors drooped in mourning for the illustrious dead. A special committee appointed last uight escorted the remains to Washington, as did alao Secretary Tracy and Attorney -General Miller. From early this morning the corridors corri-dors of the Fifth Avenue hotel bore an i animated appearance, as men of prominence prom-inence were coining and going constantly con-stantly and gathering in groups to silently si-lently discuss tho sad occurrence. Many desired to view the body but few were admitted to the parlor where it lay. An examination of the body made early this morning by the coroner confirmed con-firmed the belief that death was instantaneous. instan-taneous. When the inquest was finished fin-ished tho body was placed in a casket of sombre lilsek, relieved by no ornamentation. orna-mentation. The interior waslined with tleep colored copper ami all the body was hidden from view with the exception excep-tion of the face which showed plainly beneath the glass cover. The features exhibited no signs of pain and the secretary sec-retary looked as if he had sunk iuto a calm and peaceful sleep. The coroner declared thrt death was caused by valvular trouble of the heart. He based his opinion upon the slate- ICouitiiii'tl u ."'t 1 ;.;,; i' - - ' i Y " i 1 MIC' END. ICont imoil from First Pa;e. mont made by Mr. Ilendley, who for the past -"J months has acted as private secretary to Mr. Wilidom. Iiondley said that the secretary hail been sufler-ing sufler-ing for a long time with valvular trouble of the heart and in the last three months had rapidly grown worse, lie had arrived at such a stage of tho disease that he could not walk above the ordinary rate of speed without suffering suf-fering severe pain. |