OCR Text |
Show when a second dispatch aunounced Mr. Plumb's death. Mrs. l'lumli is uow com-plutoly com-plutoly prostrated. A VERY SUDDEN CALL THE DEATH OF PRESTON B. PLUMB, U- S. SENATOR FOR KANSAS. Carried Off lly an Apoplectic. Stroke The Keault of Over Work- Itrlrf llluKra phical Sketch of the Dlstlii-gulsheil Dlstlii-gulsheil Kausau, Washington, Pec. 21. "Oh, my God! My head! my head!" and Senator Preston 11. TTumb, who, as reprcsc ul-illve of the state of Kansas lu the L'uitcd Stales senate ainco lSTd, has occupied a prominent place In tho council of the republican parly, a few minutes min-utes later fell unconscious, never to rcgaiu knowledge of what was going on around him. It wa a quarter to 7 lat evening when he uttered the aboe cxclain.uiou. A little more than live hours later thu broad framed, powerful-looking man was stretched out dead in his modest apartments in Fourteenth street. Ills physician, Pr. Phillip Wales, his clerk, II. W. Klenuiken, and his landlord, Mr. Jennings, were with him at the last. His wife and two children are in Kansas. Death canto from apoplexy, cicaiiy thu result re-sult of overwork. The senator ha-s been known for years as one of the most energetic members of the senate. A year ago ho began to fail, his brain became affected and throbbing headache head-ache became more and more frequent. His physicians warned him that the continuance of his labors meant death, but he rc fused to heed their warning. As far as outward appearance ap-pearance went, he w as most vigorous looking look-ing aud apparently the personification of health. He continued to work with tho energy of a steam engine, and today, to-day, when seemingly In full vigor, died. Two weeks ago he was troubled by fail-Ing fail-Ing memory and other symptoms which medical men class a "aphonia." He called in Pr. Wales. Tho latter, after a careful atudy, Informed tho cuator that his symptom symp-tom indicated apoplexy, and that he must quit work. But I'luiub thought the doctor unduly alarmed. Ho kept up his labors, both in the senate aud at home. His eyes then troubled him, as did also his kidneys, and ho had skillful specialists examine him. They reported there was nothing the matter mat-ter with those organs; that it was some other trouble, which confirmed Pr. Wales' diagnosis. A few days ago l'lumb went to Philadelphia Phila-delphia with Senator tjuay to consult with Dr. Pepper, lie returned, complaining of a violent headache, but went to a dinner given by cx-Srnator Mahone to a few friends. He returned home about 1 o'clock yesterday morning, and about 3 o'clock called -Mr. Jennings, his landlord, who lived above, and requested h'in to come down aud sit with him, as ho was 111. Mr. Jennings saw his condition was serious, aud summoned Pr. Wales. The latter alleviated the pain, aud remained with the senator until Hililt, w hen he went away, leaving l'lumb sleeping soundly. Fifteen minutes later Senator Plumb awoke, bounded out of bed to a slop Jar and began to vomit. When the vomiting ceased he raised his hands to his head aud exclaimed, ex-claimed, "Oh, my God! my head! my head." his last words. Mr. Jennings stroked his head to relieve the pain, and a few minut later the senator lapsed into slun.bcr, aud soon after into unconsciousness. AboMt 10 o'clock Pr. Wales returned and saw at once that the senator had been tiUekBii with apoplexy. He. remained unconscious un-conscious until the, eud carue, at il:3u. Pr. Wales said the immediate cause of death was apoplexy brought on by fatty degeneration degen-eration of the brain, from overwork. "It was a clear case of overwork," said lb? doctor, "if he had given up some time ago it would have been different, but no man could Btand what he was doing in his condition." con-dition." News of the sad event spread rapidly. Witnln an hour Senator Pcller was at tho bedside of his dead colleague, and Kergeant-at-arms Ballentyne of the senate assumed direction of the funeral arrangements. An undertaker was summoned and embalmed the remains, his haste in this matter giving rise to a distressing incident. Shortly after tho embalming was completed a dispatch was received from tho widow, who Is in Emporia, Em-poria, Kan., requesting that the body he not embalmed. It was stated that last summer Senator Plumb was, for two or three hours, iu a state of suspended animation and to all appearances dead. Having that crisis in mind, Mrs- Plumb did not wish, the body embalmed until there was no doubt of death. The receipt of this telegram too late caused much unavailing regret. The undertaker and doctor, however, are positive the senator was dead. A guard of honor, composed of employees of the senate, was detailed to watch over the remains until they are removed to the capitol. Vice-President Morton and many senators called at the house durinrr the .afternoon. At 10 o'clock today the body of the late senator will be removed to the marble room in the senate wing of the capitol. At 1:13 o'clock tho body will be removed to the senate sen-ate chamber, where fifteen minutes later the funeral service will be held. At 2 M the body will be taken to the Pennsylvania railway rail-way station, escorted by a committee of the two houses and members of the senate on foot. It will be taken to Emporia, Kau., where the interment will be made. Senator Plumb leaves a wife and Bvo children, chil-dren, two daughters and three sous, lie was horn lu Delaware county, Ohio, October 12, left tho common school for the printer's case, and In pursuance of that vn. cation went to Kansas in lBoti and plunged at once into tho thickest of the strile then raging over the slavery question. Ho at once went to tho front and soon became a member or tho Leavenworth constitutional convention of 1S.VJ. He was admitted to the bar 101, went to tho legislature In 1S02, served In tho Eleventh Kansas infantry tiirouuh all grades from second lieutenant to colonel. After the war ho served again in tho Kansas legislature, aud in lsJt was chosen United Slates senator to succeed James M. Harvey. Mr. Plumb was a wealthy man, and in addition to his senatorial duties, was actively concerned in railroad and industrial in-dustrial enterprises, and was widely known in financial circles as an indefatigable promoter. pro-moter. The News In Kansas. Tot'EKA, Kan., Dec. 21. News of flic death of Senator Plumb was a great shock to his friends iu Kansas. No one knew he had been ailing, and the vigorous campaign he made last fall in the interests of his party seemed convincing proof that bis robust constitution was in the best condition. He slumped the stato from one end to the other, being obliged to undergo all the fatigues of a country campaign. His work is generally credited with having been the prime cause of the republican victory. It is not an exaggeration to say that Senator Plumb was one of tho most popular men in Kansas. Kan-sas. He was the idol of his own party and was regarded by his politibal opponent's with respect. 1 he Kansas law provides that ia the event of the death of a senator tho vacancy is to be filled by the governor' appointment un-til un-til tho next meeting of the legislature. The next legislature does not meet, until a year from now. Governor Humphrey was seen by a reporter of tho Associated Press this afternoon. He had already been notitled of the senator's death by private dispatch, but was greatly shocked at tho news; so much so that he had given eo thought as to the successor. suc-cessor. The name of Senator Ingalls is already al-ready prominently mentioned by politicians, in faet.no other name has received any mention men-tion at all. F.mi'Oiha, Kan., Dec. 21. This city, the home of Senator l'lumb, deeply mourns his death. Mrs. Plumb, who has been an Invalid In-valid for many years, was -esterday able for the first time in several months to atteud chnreh and It was here the new of her hus-buml's hus-buml's sudden illness was communicated to her. She was prostrated anil taken home iu a carriage. Sho had scarcely arrived thcro |