Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-11-08

I
/ cause of the want Of will, but because tht
:. strength is shorn.''
q The Rev. J. ID. Wickham replies to tt
: statement as follows:
: "The writer of this communication W
more than fifty years ago Il resident of Ne
Rochelle. N. Y. Where the body OF Pail
was buried. His grave was in one corn
. of farm, which having been conliscate
as the property of Tory during the Re
olutionary. War, had been presented I
Paine by the State of New York for h
patriotic service in aid of the Revolution
On this farm he spent his latter days Wit
a solitary female attendant. have hear
the physician who visited him describe th
condition in which he was accustomed t
find his patient. and to which his viciou
habits, and especially bis habitl,al drunken
ness, had reduced him. This he represent
ed as revolving to his sensibilities. maxim;
even his necessary calls to prescribe tor hi
relief exceedingly mwelcome and repul
sivc. This physician was an esteemed el
der in the church Of which | was at tia
time pastor. highly regarded not only TO
skill in his profession. but rs man o
sound judgment and unimpcachable vera
city. He has been dead many years. Bu
| the name of Matson Smith. NJ. d.. is still
held in honored remembrance by ill WHO
knew him.
On the appearance Of the letter of DIR.
iaE
from the Rev. Charles IIawley. d. d.. then
and now the distinguished pastor of the
First Presbyterian church Of Auburn. n.
y. confirming DR.. W's. statements in re-
gard to the character and habits Of Mr..
Paine.
(From the New York Observer, March 9, 1876, ]
The statement of Rev. DR.. Wickham.
who preceded NE in the Presbyterian
church o! t!'at place (New Rochelle) some
twenty years. accordS entirely with the
wcll-known facts concerning Paine's llab-
its as given me by the older residents, and
which. until quite recently. have remained
nncontradictcd. The venerable Matson
Smith. whom DR.. Wickhxm gives as his
principal authority. was an elder in the
church at New Rochelle from its organiza-
ton until his death, a period of more than
thirty years. esteemed and trusted by all
for his Christian integrity and professional
skill. have heard from him substantially
the same account Of Paine's degradation.
from personal knowledge AS his physician.
the particulars Of which are too loathsome
TO be described in print. He came to lose
all sclt-resPect and regard for decency in
his personal habits. Which were ut times
simply beastly. Ills drunkenness became
habitlEl and notorious before he lett New
Rochelle; and lie was not unfreQucntly
found lying by the roadside. so hclplessly
that he had to be carried honle
Is have been told BY persons who had
)efriendcd him in that pi;iable condition.
"Thcic were some who. in spite of the
shame and degradation into Which he had
allen, still cherished lingering respect
or what he had been. and in consideration
If the service he had rendered the RevOlu-
ionary cause by his political writings; but
10 one in that vicinity. as late as 30 years
go, would have had the temerity to deny
hcse things, much less to call them wick
d inventions of the clergy DR.. Smith
vas accustomed to refer to Paine's powers
II conversation as somewhat remarkable,
nd even fascinating, when he was himself;
nd never gave me the impression that he
poke from religious prejudice, but rather
With regret that one so capable of better
hings should have sunken so low"
This much for the life Of Paine. Now
or his death. The testimony contained in
he following article we copied from the
sew York Tribune Of March y. 1867. 1t
us been published again and again. and.
o far as we know, has never been i'm
cached. The extract from the journal of
tephen Grellct was also printed in the
'bserrer of january 20, 1860. with note
tat:ng that it was from the Memoirs OF
tephen Grellet, a Quaker, whose Life
nd Gospel Labors" were published in
1850. Mr.. Grcllct, at the
inc alluded to, resided in Greenwich, then
suburb of New York, where Paine re-
ided and where lie died:
rom the New York Tribune of March 81, 1877.
THOMAS PAINE.
His last Hours-Ertract from an Old
Journal.
o the Editor of the Tribune.
Sir: am much pleased With your edi-
)rial Thomas Paine's Bust" In the
ournal of Stephen Grellet, noted and
lost worthy minister of the Society of
riends, find the following record made
/ the Fall OF 1909:
Il may not omit recording here the
cath of Thomas Paine. A few days pre-
lOus to my leaving home on my last re-
gious visit, on hearing that he was i'll and
very destitute condition, went to see
i'm, and found him in wretched state;
II he had been SO neglected and forsaken
Y his pretended friends that the common
to u sick man had been withheld
ON him. The skin Of his body was in i,
)me places worn OIL, which greatly in
'eased his suiIerings. A nurse was pro-
(led Tor him and some needtul comforts
ere supplied. He was mostly in state
stupof, bat something that had passed /.
tween us had made such an impression .
pom him that some time after my depart
re he sent for me, and On being told that
was gone from home. he sent for another {
riend. This induced valuable young
riend. MARY RoscOe). who had resided
my family and continued at Greenwich {
iring part of my absence, frequently to +,
, and take him some little refreshments I
litable for an invalid, furnished by /,
,ighbor. Once when she was there, three I
his deistieal associates came to the door,
I'd in a loud unfeeling manner, said {
'Om Paine, it is said you are turning
hristian, but We hope you win die as you s
I'VE lived;' and then went away. On
l. I " l