Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-05-15
NUMBER 6.
CHEF JUSTICE CHASE,


Some Account Of His Death and Last
Hours.
The New York Tribune of Thursday
contains the following interesting par
ticulars of the death and last hours of
Chief Justice Chase:
"The first knowledge the people had
that the Chief Justice of the United
States was in New York was conveyed
in the brief announcement of his death.
One week ago last Thursday decisions
were rendered in the Supreme Court
and the Judges dispersed. Mr.. Chase
left Washington Saturday morning for
New York, and arriving hece that even.
ing went directly to the house of his
youngest daughter, Mrs. Janet r. Hoyt.
No. 4 West Thirty third street. He
spent Sunday quietly, riding in the
afternoon to Central Park. On Mon
day morning some of his friends who
had learned of his arrival in the city
came to pay their respects, and with
one of the most intimate and
trusted of them, Mr.. Hiram Bar
ney, he walked down Fifth ave-
nue. and discussed in . pleasant and
familiar way tbs topics of the hour, and
among them Charles Francis Adams's
Grafton on Seward. In parting, Chase
urged Barney to come and see him
often, and exacted . promise that he
should come On Wednesday morning.
He did so, and came just in time to see
him die. On Monday evening there:
was not discernible any shadow Of the
disaster SO fast approaching. he seem.
ed in his usual health, and in. very
good spirits, although complaining Of
= little fatigue, and entered into an
mated conversation with those friends
who were present. To one of them he
detailed his plans for the coming sum-
mer. Tkis morning he was to have
gone to Boston, remaining there with
relatives two or three weeks. Returning,
his intention was to stop in this city =
a few days on e.. his way to
Washington, and after complet-
ing matters of business and do
mestic interest there, to make . jour.
ney to Colorado Springs by early
stages, visiting his friends in Cincin-
natl and at other points along the route.
These plans he gave. with the repeated
and emphatic condition, "1f I live. "
About ten O'Clock, his usual hour for
retiring, he said goodnight and left
the room. These were the last worde
he spoke, except that, next morning,
his servant understood him to ssy
Fire, in motioning toward the fire.
place. On Tuesday morning, about 81
o'clock. his servant entering his room,
found him sleeping quietly with his
hand under his face, a. he habitually
lay. On approaching the bed 4 few
moments later, the servant saw the fea.
lures were convulsed, and light fever
appearing on the lips. Doctors
John e.. Perry, Metcalf and Clark
were at once summoned, and it
was pronounced IN appolectic attack,
with paralysis of the left side. The
paralysis of the attack of June, 1870,
was of the right side, and had virtually
disappeared, there being still very
slight traces of it in the lips and right
hand. This attack was the more unex.
pected, from the fact that Mr.. Chase
was assured by his phyeicianslast sum:
mer that there was NO longer any dan:
ger of a reoccurrence of paralysis.
From the time of the attack Tuesday
morning he remained entirely uncon
scious. His head was motionless while
the right arm was Testlessly active
The convulslve spasms REQUIRED fire.
quently during the day, and the doctorl
finally placed their patient under the
influence OF chloroform, which was ap
pied on a handkerchief to the face when.
ever q spasm was seen to be approach
ing: Its, effect was immediate. All
Lunremitting attention and care that
affection could suggest found no re
sponse. At q few minutes after nine
o'clock yesterday morning, it became
evident that he was sinking fast. Hi.
breathing became more and more L.
bored, until finally, at ten o'clock pre-
cisely, it ceased altogether. A spas
modic twitching, beginning with thu
lower portion of the body, followed
which lasted for few seconds. and thel
all was still. There were present il
the room at the time Senator Spragu'
and Mrs. K. G. Sprague, the Chic
Justices eldest daughter, Mr.. w. s
Hoyt and Mrs. Janet r. 9. Hoyt, Mi
Edwin Hoyt and Mr.. Hiram Barney.