Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-12
CHARLES SUMNER.
Death of the Massachusetts Sen.
ator:
Details of His Sudden Illness.
Scenes of the Dying Hour.
al Want Quiet; 1 am Tired"
stake Care of My Civil Rights
Bill"

WASHINGTON, March 11.-Senator Sum-
ner passed quiet nigh. Under sub-clIta-
neon> Injection of morphine. This morn
ing at o'clock he was sleeping under the
effects of it without material change. Sur
geon General Barnes and DIS johnson
and Lincoln were at that hour in consulta-
ten at the residence of the Senator. Yes
terday, in the Senate, he had a slight
attack, affecting the nerves of the heart,
but when he returned home was sufficient
ly well to entertain two friends at dinnet,
at the close OF which lie made ailusion to
the condition of his heart, and between 9
and 10 O'Clock he was taken so sick as to
require the attendance of a physician, and
an hour or more thereafter he had a second
attack of his old disease, angina pretoris.
Several of his nearest personal friends were
sent for and remained with him during the
night.
Later.
Senator Sumner does not seem to suffer
any pain, being under the influence OF strong
Opiates, but his extremitieS are very cold.
and physicians do not think their natural
warmth can be restored. An immense
number of anxious visitors, including a
| great many colored people, have called at
the residence. The condition of the Sen
atOr was such about that time that his
physicians sent dispatch to Geo. +. Hoar
that he was dead, which was afterwards
| cOntradicted.
| At 12-45 Sumner was fast failing. In
addition to the physicians, Senator Schurz
and Representatives Pierce, Geo. +. and
L. r. HOar are with him. The parlorS and
! halls Of his mansion are filed with anxious
| friends.
Senator Sehurz,
| in leaving Summers room, at half past
twelve, took Sumner by the hand and
asked: "Do you know me-" Sumner re-
| piled "YeS, but | cannot see you.n At
once Senator Sumner fell into an easy
slumber, which encouraged some of his
friends to believe he was somewhat better,
but consultation of physicians held about
that time did not establish any reason for |
such impressions. DR.. Brown Sequard has |
been telegraphed for and is on his way to |
this city.
At 2 Senator Sumner was still sleeping, |
though at intervals he would awaken, at |
which time he was in great pain. He is |
perfectly conscious when awake, and |
knows all his friends, occasionally rallying |
to the effort of saying few words.
The Curtain Drops.
Senator Sumner died at a quarter to three. !
He passed away calmly, without strug- |
gle. During the last two hours of his in |
tellect seemed to be much clearer, and he |
was perfectly conscious 10 the last. This |
condition was doubtless the result of his |
recovery from the effects of the morphine /
which had been freely administered to him
this morning. His sufferings towards the
last seemed TO be intense, and he several /
times exclaimed 81 want quiet; am tired"
He recognized friends who came into the /
room. EX-AttOTney General HOar was the |
last he spoke toto whom he said, "take care
Of my civil rights bill" About a
quarter befiIre three O'Clock, he was attack
ed by slight spasm, in which he died. |
Around the bed at the time were eX-AttOr-
ney General HOar, DR.. w. p. Johnson of
this city, Maj. Perley Poore, George T.
Downing and James Wormley. Other
friends who had been with the dying Sena-
tor Throughout the day had left just previ-
Gus, not anticipating death would be soon.
Senator Schurz and Hon. Montgomery
Blair, entered the room Just as he breathed |
his last, but Mr.. Summer was
then too near dissolution to recognize
them. The only relative that Senator Sum-
ner has is a sister, the wife Of a physician |
in San Francisco, and to her the sad news
was telegraphed Immediately after his |
death. During the day the house was Wis
tied by great number of members of both |
Houses Of Congress and other prominent |
men. among whom was Fred Douglass. |
The sidewalk il front OF the residence was
filled with anxious and saddened friends al |
the time of his death,and when the sOrrOw-
ful announcement was made many, eSpeci- |
ally of the colOred people, found vent in |
heartfelt eXclamatiOns of grief and weep /
ing. Seargeant-at-ArmS French, Of The |
Senate, was sent for Immediately and that |
Cfficial.in connection with a committee, will /
have charge Of the funeral arrangements, |
though of course no time has vet been fixed |
therefor.
The Funeral Ceremonies
will take place in the Senate chamber |
Summers age at the time Of his death was |
63 years, months and Z days. Senator |
Sumner had been sOliCtiOuS for his health |
for several days past. The earnest part he |
was taking in the questions before the |
Senate having given him occasion to paw |
especial regard TO it, and he remarked last |
night to a friend some hours before he was |
attacked with the serious spaSm which III |
few hours eliminated IN his death, that he
wanted to talk TO him about his health. lie |
was afraid he was working too hard.
His Last Day In the Senate.
Senator Sumner about o'clock yester- |
day evening, moved from his seat in the /
Senate chamber to one beside Senator Sar- |
gent, and inquired of Mr.. Sargent, |
who, like himself, had taken a prom
inent part in the opposition to the Centen-
NAL bill, whether he had received any /
anonymous insulting letters on the subject,
adding that he (Sumner) had received a
number of such letters and packages Of a
more offensive character, both through the
mails and by express. He seemed cOnsid-
erably annoyed by these insults, and Mr..
Sargent therefore turned the conversation
to the resolutions ofthe Massachusetts, Leg
islature resembling its censure of Sumner,
and he expressed himself greatly pleased
with this action.
An hour or more afterwards Mr.. Sumner
called Senator Ferry of Connecticut aside,
TO a seat on a sofa in the Senate Chamber,
and talked with him as he had frequently
done before in regard to their respective
states of i'll health, both resulting from an
affection of the spinal chord. He told Mr..
Ferry that he suffered so much from his
heart the night previous that he had sent
for his physician to obtain some relief by
an injection of morphine under the skin.
He asked Mr.. Ferry's opinion of such hy-
perdermic injections, and from time to time
complained of severe pain while they were
talking. Finally, little before 4 o'clock,
Mr.. Sumner took his hat and overcoat and
went home, his last words in the Senate
Chamber having been uttered in the con-
VersatiOn with Mr.. Ferry.
Many of Mr.. Summers friends expressed
their apprehension that he was over doing
his strength in these efforts. 1t is regarded
as a remarkable and fortunate coincidence
that the resolution of the Massachusetts
Legislature resembling its vote of censure
upon Mr.. Sumner should have been pre-
sented and read in the Senate before he
left il on the last day Of his presence in the
chamber as member Of that body.
Cause of His Death.
DIR. Brown Sequeard, Of New York, Sen
atOr Summers consulting physician, arrived
here this morning. He expressed the
opinion tonight that death resulted from
rupture of a blood vessel at the heart.
After Sumner had parOxsms, his body re-