Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-02-23
The Death Of Reverdy johnson
BALrfxoR.. Nd Fab


BALTIMORE. Nd. Feb. 10
MIR. johnson arrived at Annapolis lasf.
night to argue the case Of Baker %. Frick
By invitation of Gov. Carroll, he became.
his guest at the Executive Mansion TO-DAY
The Governor invited Chief Justice Bar.
ton, of this State, and several other gen.
tlemen, to meet Mr.. johnson at dinner an
Il e mansion They dined at about Ave
p. IN. AT dinner, Mr.. johnson APPEARED
in excellent spirits and his usual health
and entertained the company by his con,
versation and relating anecdotes. At din
ner he took one glass OF Madeira, and
refused 10 take any more. After din
ner he suddenly asked the Governor
to take him to the parlor. He took the
Governors arm, and walking in there sat
down on sofa. At the request of M
johnson the Governorrejoined the guest,at
the table Shortly after servant Appeared
At the door, and beckoning the Governor.
out, told him AIR. johnson was lying in,
the yard, on the stones Gov. Carroll
went imme diasely to the place and found
Mr.. johnson lying ON the cobbOe stone.
carriag1-wsy that passes under the porch
OF the mansion, close up to the wall, and
near door leading into the basement.
He had evidently gone down the front
steps and around to the side of the house.
and fallen where he was found.
This was about :15 p. M, and the i'm
preston is that he had been there at least
half an hour. He was then dead, and
had been bleeding profusely from the
wounds on the right side of his head and
face.
There are large wounds on the right
side of the forehead, two fractures of The
skull from the upper portion of the fore.
head to the eyebrow, dislocation of
finger Of the left hand, and cuts on the
hands and the legs. The physicians are
examining the body to determine the
cause Of death.
ANNAP LIS, Feb. II.
DR.. Lewis H. Stein, State Senator from
Frederick County, distinguished phys-
clan, and Chief Inspector Of the Sanitary
Commission in the Army of the Potomac
during the war, who examined the body
shortly after it was found, gives the fol.
lowing as his theory of the cause of death:
Mr.. johnson either stumbled over piece
OF coal, or, being seized with apoplexy.
and striving to save himself, moved
toward the west, staggering along by the
norlherly side of the Executive Mansion.
at each step his body gaining additional
momentum, so that having reached the
door leading into the basement he swayed
around to the south and fell, his head
striking against the sharp corner of the
granite base of the house, which gave the
first wound on the head. Reaching the
pavement OF rough cobblestones, second
wound was received in front of the
first. AT this instant probably, the bones
OF the nose were fractured, and one Joint
OF the second finger of his right hand was
dislocated. Whether his subsequent strug-
giles may account for the abrasions on his
knees and the fingers of his left hand can
not be positively asserted. The wounds
in the scalp were accompanied with frac-
lures of the external bones of the Uranium
and the base If the skull also, with the
probable rupture of some of the arteries
at the base. Death must have resulted
instantly.
Mr.. Gwynne, the Attorney. General of
the State, and son in-law of Mr.. John
son, is OF the opinion that he was seized
with vertigo and fell as he had a similar
attack, lasting three hours, while attend
ing trial in South Carolina several years
ago.