Daily Kennebec journal., 1874-03-13
MIR. SUMMERS ILLNESS AND
DEATH.

The special Washington correspondence of
the Boston Advertiser of yesterday has the
following:
"No death siice tina. of Mr.. Lincoln has so
stirred all classes in Washington as that of
Mr.. Sumner. The Senate adjourned with
out reading the journal upon the announce
ment that he was thought to be dying. The
House stopped in the midst of business and
adjourned, on receipt of a despatch saying he
was dead. To all except a small circle the
news came with the shock that attends the
tidings of sudden DEATH Mr.. Sumner had
attended the Senate yesterday, and was the
object of universal attention, from the fact
that Senator Boutwell,, who occupied his seat
for the first time in a number of days, had
tvken that earliest opportunity to preesnt to
the Senate the resolution Of the Massachu-
setts Legislature resembling the censure
passed upon the battle flag resolution. Mr.
Sumner was greatly moved by this event, and
talked about it to his friends in quite cheer
full manner for some time. Before the sess-
ion closed, however, the excitement seemed
to have wearied and depressed him. In con-
versation with Senator Schurz, he spoke de.
spondingy of his health, and said he felt
called upon to make another speech on f.
nance, but that, while he would not care to
admit it to all, the fact was, he had not physical
strength to undertake it. To Boston friend
he spoke at length of his fears that another
severe attack was coming on him, and the re-
| suit might be very serious. Until yesterday
he had almost uniformly spoken with conf
deuce in regard tc his return to health, and
his marked depression attracted the attention
of several of his friends. However, on his
way home, he appeared to rally, and during
the evening sat at dinner until nearly nine
o'clock, with Representative Pierce and Ma
jor Poore, when these gentlemen left him
with no uneasy thoughts in regard to his con-
diti0n. Two hours later he had sent for Mr.
Pierce, and by one O'Clock several physicians
and friends had been summoned. lie had
been seized with an attack similar to the pre-
ceding ones, and but little, if any, more yio-
lent. At two o'clock he was quiet, and those
with him thought the worst was passed. In
the morning. however, he grew worse, suffer-
ed much, and by the agreement of all his
physicians the case had become extremely
critical The morning papers announced that
he had been seized with symptoms of a bad
attack during the night, but was much easier,
and his friends generally, in the city, were
not generally alarmed. When congressman
began to gather, about eleven O'Clock, de-
spatches from the hotel next to his residence
| announced his condition to several members
of erch House. Senator Schurz had called
early in the morning and remained. MIR.
Sumner recognized and greeted him with
much cordiality. Mr. Pierce remained with
him through the night, as did his friend Major
Poor. The brothers Hoar came instantly
upon the first news received at the house, and
Messrs. Dawes and Hooper also drove down.
They were all in time to be recognized, though
the medicine administered to check the pain
kept MIR. Sumner throughout in half stupor.
To one or two he named the civil rights BILL
and addressed himself particularly to Rock
wood Hoar. He said: ''You must take care
of the civil rights bill, Judge" Like the
above, the few observations he made to those
about him indicated that he was quite aware
of his condition. AS Judge Hoar was hold
ing his hand and rubbing it to restore cifcula-
ton, Mr.. Hoar said, "Mr. Sumner, | wish to
do something to warm your hands; and to
this he replied, "You never will" Only 10
minutes before he dred he said, Judge, tell
Emerson how much love and revere him."
After this, he closed his eyes and repeated
several times, ooh, how tired, how weary"
At thirteen minutes before three he was seiz-
ed with spasm and was raised up to a sitting
posture, but almost immediately sank back
and died without struggle. Judge Hoar
and Mr.. Hooper, with his physicians here,
were the only friends with him at the s,oment
Of his death