Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-07-24
A Brilliant Lady Hounded to Death,

W stdte tHdt inc supJoCb VI tho ehoiSh
has since died.
Mrs. Edward M. McCook, formerly
Mary Thompson, of Peoria, H., is dy.
| ing at this moment-a sad sight for a
woman of brilliant beauty, warm heart,
and social and intellectual culture. She
was literally bounded to death by the
chivalrous politicians Of Colorado, and
such vagrant and corrupt newspaper
writers here in Washington as could be
hired to assail everything that her hus.
band held pure and holy. Her husband
was Major-General of cavalry-one of
the seven McCooks, brothers and cou-
sins, who went out at the beginning of
the war from the region of Steubenville,
Ohio. The old man was shot.by guer-
illas. One of the sons was murdered by a
claim,iumper at Yankton, Dakota, and
the chivalrous grand jury failed to in
dict the assassin for murder. But they
and he we're better than the murderers
of this dying woman, who said yes;er-
day to her husband Teddy, they have
killed me. But forgive them" Other
McCooks are in the regular army and
navy; one is a Presbyterian clergyman
in Philadelphia. They are steady, self
reliant, successful men of the Scotch.
Irish race.
Edward NJ McCook was Minister to
the Sandwich Islands and Governor of
Colorado for full term. He and his
brother fell in love at the same time
with Miss Thompson while she was at
boarding school at Philadelphia. She
was remarkable Tor enamel skin, perfect
ly natural, with roses in it, and her large
and beautiful dark eyes, and luxuriant
gold colored hair. Educated, vivacious,
and adapted to public life, she was the
social administration wherever her hus-
band went, and her descent was in a
measure eminent. She was the grand
niece of Charles Thompson, Secretary of
the Continental and Federal Congress,
and also of Benjamin Thompson, Count
| Rumfurd, the celebrated statesman and
saUant. Her father, Sylvester Thomp.
son of Peoria, was the step-brother OF
the daughter of Oliver Wolcott, Mrs.
Knowlton, who is still living in Wash
ington. Governor McCook was very
proud OF his wife. His enemies began
by saying that she had great influence
with Mrs. Grant, and a more mysterious
influence with the President himself
and that she was another Mrs. Williams
The little chap with scared white face
who sends drivel to the Chicago Times
was about the only person capable Of
abusing this young and interesting lady
in this way.
Governor McCook made haste to send
his wife to Brooklyn; but this evidence
of sensibility only showed the slanderers
that they we're on the right course, and
the shafts of cowardly venom were con-
tinued upon this poor, weak creature,
than whom no man alive ever had a
purer wife, sister, or mother. Although
of consumptive tendency, she did not
die in the natural course of that disease
She died of typhoid pneumonia, the fe
yer coming first, and of shattered ner
vous system, the result of trouble, fright
and sleeplessness. Just as the fever
found her, she crawled back to Washing.
ton to die in her husbands sight. Re-
moved from Willard's Hotel to the resi-
dence of her husbands old comrade,
Gen. Morgan Smith, Mrs. McCook show
ed by her incoherent utterances that
every malicious arrow was striking in
her brain. Her husband, whose love for
her was the vital principle of his exist
ence, sat up by day and night until his
hard head also seemed to yield to ex.
haustion and grief, and he was scarcely
lucid, so that they led him in and out
like child. 1t was to me the saddest
scene in political life, te see this beauti.
ful woman bitten by asps, who will have
to answer for it more than they know.
Girls, HEAR THIs.-Girls do not al.