Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-05-27
A Sad Story. Z

IEoIEhDAY morning our SpeClaI Iolo-
grams announced the end of a weary life,
in stating that Theodore, eldest son Of
Henry Clay, had died in the Lexington
Lunatic Asylum, after long confinement
The record of his blasted life is briefly
thus d 81 B E
81 At 30 years of age, Theodore Clay was
a promising lawyer. He was the image
sand the hopeof the statesman wi hose fame
Were whispers1of wild living, and Of in
different morals, that somewhat tinged the
fair repute and even darkened the future
prospects of this scion Of mob e. house.
Still it was hoped that these W ere but the
result Of youth, and would be cast aside
when circumstances called upon the ma
tured m~n to assert himself and make his
talent felt in the community
1t was at this turning point in his life.
that Theodore Clay began to pursue, with
an un wearied perseverance that caused his
friends great une asiness, youngIlady of
Lexington, whom he had long low ed hope
lessly. The object of his attachment, who
is at present one of the brightest orna-
ments Of 4 entucky society, repulsed firm
ly but kindly, every attention offered by
the infatuated young man, after his mean
ing had become manifest. Itwas of mouse,
he would not be refused, and followed his
fair fate in the streets by, day and swaL-
Edered in the neighborhood of her home
by night, in an annoying manner, until
at last 1t became evident that he twas not
| all there" to use the soft phrase by which
a kindly peasantry expire ssinsanity. Sub
| sequent violent demonstrations tended to
confirm the impression, it being even re-
lated that he went to the house of Mr.
and demanded his daughter at the pistols
/ point until at last the wretched truth
| could no longer be ignored, and confne-
ment in the asylum became a stern neces
sity. This was accordingly done Tin 1882,
we believe), his father providing for his
support at that time, and leaving. $4,000
in his will, the income from which was
secured to Theodore for life. That life,
after thirty-eight years of imprisonment
in what, in the earlier days of his confne-
ment, he was won't to call ga good board
ing house, but having some of the biggest
| fools he ever, saw as boarders," has just
closed: For nearly thirty yearsshe was
| one OF the most noted of the inmates, not
1 only his proud descent, bat his graceful
manners and flow of conversation render
ing him an object of interest to all Wis
TORS. He, labored under the hallucination
that he was George Washington, and was
| fond of assuming the traditional attitudes
OF the Father of his Country. At the
occasional balls given to the inmates
(averaging some five hundred in num-
ber) he was always exquisitely dressed,
IN the style of his day, and was the
beau par erceElence. During all these long
years. despite his general gentleness and
cheerfulness of manner, he was restless
and discontented, and required close watch
| ing, it never, in fact, having been con-
sidered prudent to allow him to go out
INTO the grounds without Rattendants.
About the year 1860 his condition began
to grow worse, and he soon after became
| demented, continuing in hopeless -idiocy
until a few days since, when Death,
greater healer than Time, placed him
again upon an, equality with the peers of
his early manhood, who had gone before
him to that God that created him and did
with him according to His inscrutable
will. And so ends as sad story as the
truth of history ever commanded to be
Two T'ss1i sons Of Henry Henry Clay yet survive
him, T. H. Clay, ex-Minister to Honduras,
now residing one his place, Mansfield, =
near Lexington, and John M. Clay 1.-The
raiser of Kentucky" and one OF the
greatest turf men living Cincsmna@ I'm
quirer, May II. ~ g-'Eae r1ij9l 10. 3.