Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-06-05
Sad Fate Of Daniel Webster's Grand
Son
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| A pihble sight Is presented in the
accident ward of the City Hospital to-
day. Lying upon low cot bedstead,
with his scared body completely
swathed in bandages, is the descendant
of one of the greatest statesmen which
the world ever produced. A man of
high culture and good education, with
thoughts and impulses of the highest
order, has allowed himself to be dragged
gradually downward, step by step, IN
| til by his habits of dissipation he has
brought upon himself certain death.
Daniel Webster Appleton is a grand
son of the great statesman whose name
he bore, and is only 26 years of age.
! He was at one time engaged in the
study of law, in the course of which
| he became acquainted with a large
number of young associates, who en-
ticed him away from work, and into
| the practice of vice in many forms.
Commencing with the hotel bar-rooms,
he descended to groggeries and broth
els; until, finally, he was the lowest of
the low drunkards who walk the streets
of this city. Times without number he
has been picked up in helpless state
of intoxication by the police and taken
to the station house, where, in consid-
Grafton of his family, he was registered
only as disorderly," and discharged
without being brought into the court.
Efforts were frequently and persistent
~ made by his friends to effect
reformation, but, although he
would promise to do better, his
moral nature was too weak to enable
him to carry out his good intentions,
and he would soon relapse into a state
of sottishness. So degraded did he
| become that he would stand on the
| street corners when in semi-imbecile
condition from drink and solicit money
from the passers-by with which to Sc
cure the means of gratifying his appe-
| tite. Last September he married a
young lady in Southbridge, and OBJ
tanned small farm thereon which he
set up housekeeping, with the avowed
declaration to reform. But reforma.
ton was impossible. Two months af-
ter his marriage he was again an in
mate of the police station,
and last evening he met
with injuries which will proba-
bly, result IN his death. He got off
from train on the Old Colony Rail
road at Neponset Station, and was too
drunk to stand upon the platform, fall
ing helpiessly on his face. He was
lifted up by officer Stephen Moulton,
who took him in custody and locked
him in a small wooden building which
is used as a station-house in that To-
cality. Before turning the key, how
ever, the usual search was made of Ap-
| pleton's person, and it is presumed
that his pockets were empty Had
such been the fact there would have
been no necessity for writing this par
agraph. Unfortunately, amatch was left
in one pocket, and after the officer
had gone away the prisoner laid down
on his bed, lighted his pipe, and be-
gan to smoke, throwing the match on
the floor. 1t fell on pile of straw,
which became ignited, and the flames
slowly spread to the bed where the I'M
fortunate man was then in drunken
slumber. The smoke soon began to
pour through the windows, attracting
the attention of people outside, and
the fire was soon extinguished. The
! firemen entered the building and broke
I open the door of Appleton's cell, find
ing him in horrible condition.
His clothing was nearly all burned off
from his body, and with the exception
of small speck on his breast he was
! literally covered with blisters. He was
promptly removed to the City Hospi-
tai, where the physicians ascertained
that, Notwithstanding the fearful ordeal
through which he had passed, he was
still intoxicated An examination de-
veloped the fact that the burns were
only of superficial character, there
being no evidence of internal injury,
but that they were so extensive that it
would be almost impossible for the pa
tient to survive. His system is in a
PROSTATE condition from the use of in
toxicating liquor, which will probably
incapacitate him from recovering from
the shock