Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-02-18
DeAtA u Aeveray johnson.


cidtnts mintulaleiy anteceusnl were told III
| he special dispatches 10 the sun hereiute pub
! lshcd. IL seems ~ lie the general impress ion
| among those auOut the Governors mansion
| thhl Mr.. JabnsUn sudden wash 10 leave the
| dining room and the pleasant company there
assemnIed arose trUm feeling Of oppression
| the nature vi which he would not admit to
| himself lie was well known 10 have been i'm
| patient Of any service, however kindly offer
ed, that implied n recognition Of infirmily
When he suddenly desired 10 20 into the par
! Tor from The dning-rUom there il no doubt il
vas 10 Obtain relief from threatening pressure,
and when he induced Gov. Carroll % return
~ his other guests, who were smoking chat
! ting, Mr.. Johnson sought The fresh oulsde air
in hope Of getting relief, but was overlaken
| by vertigo or partial apoplectic stroke, fell,
| aud met his sad death.
II is difficult 10 describe how the accident
occurred without giving some idea OF the
| premises. Mr. johnson descended from The
main door Of the executive mansion facing
east, through porch and down five or six
steps to the brick walk, turned 10 his left
down grassy slope, defended ty a low para
| pet wall, 10 the carriage-way, which passes
under The porch. Here in what is a carriage
erea, he seems 20 have stumbled or fallen for
ward striking his head against the granite base
| OF the mansion, leaving blood stains ON the
stone, fractured his skull, and died without
| pain.
Dr. w G Tuck furnishes a certificate that
| Mr.. Johnsons death was occtsioned 10y an ac-
cldental fall in the yard Of the executive
mansion
DR.. Lewis II. Steiner, Senator from Frede-
rick county, Md and chief Inspector Of the
sanitary commission of the army OF the Po-
toiuac during the late war, says:
'Ar. johnson either stumbled over a piece
] s.f al l..t,. 81
cipient symptoms of apoplexy, aud striving to
save himself moved towards the west, slngger-
ing along by the northerly side of the exccu-
| tive mansion, at each step his body gaining
| additional momentum, so that having reached
the door leading into HE basement he swayed
| around TO the south and fell striking his head
against II sharp corner Of the granite base
course of the house, which gave the first
| wound on the head reaching the pavement,
made Of rough cohble stones, IA second wound
was received on the head. At this instant
| probably, the bones OF the nose were fractur-
ed and one joint Of the second finger OF the
| right hand was dislucated Whether after
struggles account for the abrasions of the
| knees and the fingers of the left hand cannot
he positively asserted, although it is probable
The wounds in the scalp were accompA uied
with fractures of the external bones Of The
crannm, accompanied with probable rupture
have resulted almost instantly"
In the Court of Appeals Mr. johnson, as
socaed with Edwin Higgins, was to have
appeared next day as counsel in The case of
Metcali VS.. the Brooklyn Life Insurance Com
psny, that being the first assignment upon
The books A gloom seemed 10 have fallen
over all in the chamber, and at the hour OF
/ 80 A NJ. When Chief-Justce Bartol and
associates, with the exception Of Judge
Bowie, look the bench, perfect quiet reigued.
That public announcement Of the death Of Mr.
johnson would be made in the court, was
known 10 hut few and scarcely dozen
persons, senator's, delegates and others were
present, beside members Of the legal profess
sion. Mr. Higgins arose and advancing 10
the bar ad dressed the cour, AS follows:
With The permission of the conrt, it is my
painful duly TO announce to this court the
sudden death of INV colleague and brother the
Hon. Reverdy johnson Privileged with the
friendship Of the great lawyer. jnrst and
Statesman whose sudden death we mourn
associated with him in the cause which is the |
first in The assignments this morning; having
accompanied him to this CITY, and spent iu |
social intercourse with him the closing hours |
of his liie-as junior member of the court | |
beg permission to give expression to those |
emotions which now stir my heart. | would |
wreath u frail, humble cha plet for his memo
~, and yet il is fragrant with the love and |
veneration which youth owes to a ripe old |
age, ennohed by great experience, vast learn
ing. exalting pat iotism aud, may | add that
crowning virtue, Christian character Revcrdy
johnson will need not the pen OF the biogra-
pher TO transmit his name to postcrity 1t is
intimately interviewer in the history of the
Jurisprudence OF our state and nation lis
adds lusire TO that history. II shines with
no unequal hight in the line of iIlustrious