Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-06-30
VALLANDIGHAM.
Interesting Details of the Closing Hours of
His Life = Remarkable FOrtitude with
which He Met His Fate-HOw the Accident

aV1d1ty. Many newspaper reporters
visited the scene on Saturday, and all
give details of the same character. The
accident occurred while Mr.. Vallandig-
ham was demonstrating how he be-
ieved Meyers, the supposed murdered
man, shot himself. 1t appears that
when the pistol was discharged, Mr..
Vallandigham was hardly aware of the
severe nature of the wound, as he
walked around the room while before
lying down. Gov. McBurney, alarmed
at the sudden appearance of tragedy,
rushed to The adjoining room and sum-
moned aid? As soon Us the person
came, Mr.. Vallandigham said it was a
foolish act, and later adverted to it as
he seemed to be conscious that he was
badly hurt, he appeared decidedly
hopeful. During the early hours, Rev.
Mr. Haight called to see him, and Mr..
Vallandigham, taking him by the hand,
said substantially that he had too much
faith in the Calvanistic doctrine to be-
lieve he would not get safely through
this misfortune. Once he told the sur
geons to take care Of the pain, and he
would manage the rest.
When impressed with the approach
of his dissolution, he was calm, and met
the news of his condition bravely.
After DR.. Reeve arrived from Dayton,
he soon had the room cleared, and when
no one was present intimated to Mr..
Vallandigham the very serious nature
of his wound. The patient, seeking for
something on which to build hope, re-
minded the doctor of two bad cases of
injuries not fatal, known to both, and
asked If this were worse than they, to
which the reluctant reply was Possibly
not"
The doctor then told Mr.. Vallandig-
ham, who was suffering from pain, that
they would have to administer medi-
cines of sedative nature, and suggest
ed that if he had anything to say that
he had better communicate it then.
Mr.. Vallandigham then conversed with
the doctor concerning his private mat
tiers, giving directions in regard to his
business, after which medicine to relieve
his pain was injected by the Hypoder-
mic process.
After this there was no time when he
was not under the influence of opiates,
and that affected somewhat his sensi-
bilities. He nevertheless appeared to
keep possession of his faculties until the
last.
AT $3.50 o'clock he seemed to be dying,
| and his friends were called to his bed
! side. From that time he rapidly sank.
| The pulsations at the wrist appeared to
| have ceased, though he was remarkably
calm, so much so that DR.. Drake said
he was the coolest man under such cir
| cumstances he had ever seen. He still
| of agony. AS death approached, his
face wore an ashy paleness.
His last words were request for ice,
and medicine to allay his pain. In his
last moments there were signs about
the face that indicated great physical
suffering.
| At Is minutes before 10 o'clock Sat
urday morning he was dead. There
were present in the room when he died
his son Charles, II years old, the only
living child, with whom he had a
touching interview on his arrival, to
which allusiOn was made in Friday
nights dispatches; also John M Sprigg,
of Day a nephew of his wife; j. L.
Vallandigham, nephew from Hamil-
ton; James Vallandigham, distant
relative from Hamilton Lieut.. Gov.
McBurney, and Ben. Pittman, of Gin
cinnati; David Allen, of Lebanon, and
few others.
During that night and morning he
was visited by the veteran Judge Smith,
of Lebanon, Gen. Ward, Judge Haynes,
and many others. Gov. McBurney was
constantly at the room contributing in
every way to the dying man.
The niece of Mr.. Vallandigham,
young girl who resided with him, ar
rived from Dayton after his death, and
was greatly grieved.
A sad feature in the case was the alb
sence of Mrs. Vallandigham, who had
gone the same evening to Cumberland,
| called there by the death of her brother,
Judge Mcmahon.
The body was Immediately placed in
ice preparatory to its removal From
this time until the departure of the re-
mains the hotel was besieged with per-
sons who came to see his face, which
was left exposed. The features and ex-
preston were admirably preserved.
The remains left Lebanon for Dayton at
o'clock p. m. in charge of Judge
Haynes, Mr.. Vallandigham's law part
ner, and Judge McKenny, of Dayton.
The sad event cast a general gloom
over Lebanon. Mr.. Vallandigham dur
ing the trial had made numerous
friends, and had by his department
beaten down many prejudices All were
looking forward to his speech N defense
of Mcclellan, which would have been
delivered on Saturday. Mr.. Vallandig-
ham doubtless had made unusual
preparations. He intended the effort
to be his great criminal one at the bar
He appeared to have thoroughly worked
up the case. He entered into it with
characteristic energy and enthusiasm,
and fell while he was endeavoring to
still more satisfactorily explain it's mys-
teries
From detailed accounts published in
the papers, it appears that Mr.. Vallan-
digham, with his associate counsel had
been out, on Friday afternoon, making
experiments with a view to ascertaining
how near the muzzle of pistol could
be held to cloth without burning it.
They had made the test, and were re-
turning Two balls had been fired from
the pistol with which Mr. Vallandigham
afterwards killed himself, and Mr.
Milliken, on the way to the hotel, urged
him to discharge the remaining three
balls, Mr.. Vallandigham said: No,
never mind" and, though Mr. Milliken
repeated the suggestion, Mr.. Vallandig-
ham declined to discharge them, and
laid it beside the empty one, which he
intended to use in the argument on
Saturday. This led to the tragedy