The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-12-05

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been seriously affected before the presidential
election took place. After that time, and be
fore his fatal illness, it is understood that h,
was examined by Dir. Brown, of the Bloom
ingdale Asylum, aud other medical experts
and that the opinion given was that even hac
it been possible for him to have survived thu
sickness which has resulted 10 his death, be
would have remained victim Of meancho
LA, one Of the most incurabe forms of de.
mentia.
WHERE AND HOW He DIED.
Mr. Greeley died in the house Of DR.. Geo
Choate, near Pleasantvile Miss Ida Gree
ley, who through all the sad moments preser-
we'd wonderful self control sat at the bedside
through it all. supporting when needful her
fas hers head. At half -past five Mr.. Greeley
was lying unconscious, when an old and dear
ly loved frierd. whom he aud his family knew
as ''Auntie'' hanson, entered the room and
approached the bed. Mr.. Greeley did not
stir until Mr.. Stewart reused him and asked,
sDo you know who this is?" He feebly said,
/ eyes" and stretched up his hand in greeting,
and then rclapsed into his reverie. All
through the day he had recognized and greet
ed in the same way the members Of Doctor
Choate's family and the friends named above.
Later he was asked, '.Do you know that you
are dying p and 10 the same manner, with
out tremor or apparent emotion, he answer
cd, eyes" The pulse at this time " gone
and the breathing so Quick aud faint thai it
seemed as if every gasp were The last No
sound above whisper was heard in the out
er room, where few persons were gathered,
and whittier came out every few moments
from the back room, where the dying man
lay, the report, always the same. ''No appa-
rent change, except increasing weakness =
| A few minutes before six Mr.. Whitelaw Reid
arrived, and his inquiries were answered by
the attendants in the same wav.
After few minutes conversation with DR..
Choate and Mr.. Stewart, Mr.. Reid was taken
into the sick-room, and went to the bedside.
Mr.. Greeley making no sign Of notice or Of
recognition Mr.. Stewart put the question,
Greeley looked up with immediate recognition,
and lifting his hand grasped Mr.. Reds feeb-
ly and said family, but promptly, Eyes. =
| When asked if he was in pain, he laid his
hand upon his breast, but without otherwise
replying, and returned to his semi-uncon-
scous state, lying now with closed eyes and
hands sometimes twitching nergously, but
generally still. Or. Choate then said that
death would probably ensue in half an hour,
| though possibly not in two hours. The for
mer opinion proved correct. At half-past
six Der. Greeley stirred uneasly, and began
to mutter indistinctly something which the
l.. IL oI i IL
Mr. and Mrs Stewart, Mr.. Carpenter, DR..
Choate and Aunt;e Lamson were all in the
ROOM and anxiousIy bent over the bed to in
terpret if possible what they feared. with
good reason, we've the last words. Mr.Gree
ley still indistnctly murmured for awhile and
at last uttered family, but clearly enough for
the attentive ears to catch them, the words,
'sET IS DONE
| Then there .as a relapse into quiet for
time Ida Greeley sat at the head Of the
| couch supporting tenderly the dying mans
head. After a silence Of some minutes the
| muttoring was again heard, but was all uniI-
te!gihle Miss Greeley, however, bending
close to the couch, thought she distlng uished
request from her father that his head be
lifted higher. The pillows were accordingly
! arranged In such way as to render the faint
| breathing as easy as possible, and hush fell
| again upon the room. There was no more
murmurinc The pulse had died out long
before. The breath was caught shorter aud
shorter, and heard fainter and faiuter. and
three and four times within the last fifteen
| minutes the attendants believed it had come
and gone for the last time The eyes we're
closed, and as the last breahinss came tie
| right hand was stretched out again in the ia
nliiar gesture, and death almost instantly
followed There was no evidence of pain in
the last moments, and indeed the nature of
the disease forbids its suppostion The face
hardly changed, only settling little into
look of perfect peace. Mr. Stewart escorted
from the room Miss Greeley, who was won
derfully calm, and Mr. Carpenter brought
the sad news to the reoeption-room, where
friends were waiting.
Fearing that the opinion which he express
sed regarding Mr.. Greeley's dementia may be
misunderstood from its imperfect representa-
ton by the reporters, DR.. Hammond wishes
to say that he made no mention Of hearing
that Mr.. Greeley was demcnted before the
election, nor did he express tho opinion that
he was worse than dclrous during his last
illness; and Mr. Weed, who, it has been in
accurately stated was at Mr.. Greeley bed
side, simply called toinquire after his health.
The World closes u long and interesting
account of the last illness Of Mr.. Greeley, as
follows
Mr. Greeley gradually became worse, and
failed to recognize the few intimate friends
aud relatives who visited him. His daugh-
ter Ida was with him night and day. So Vi
olent did he become that it was necessary to
remove most Of the furniture from the room
At one time he tore the watch presented to
him by the employees of the Tribune apart
and again he threw kerosene lamp on the
floor, setting the room on fire and narrowly
| escaping being burned to death. As his
strength left him he became more quiet. but
did not show any signs Of uncousness until
abou ap hour before his death. He died at
precisely ten inmates ofseven withouta strug-
gle.
Mr.. Grceleys religious belief was that Of
| Unitarian Restorationlst. He says in a
letter to the Rev. j. N. Austin :"I believe
that the moral character formed in this life
will be that 10 which we shall awake in the
life to come, and that many die so deeply
stai. ed and tainted by lives OF transgression