The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-04-27
DEATH or 4 FAMOUS cESrE04RI4N

Within the past three weeks, in differ
ent parts of the country, three men who
were each credited with having lived
several years in the second hundred of
their mortal existence have died. The
first of these was a 6ner Hnntlslp-
Cuba, New York, who " came of age in
time to vote for Washington for presi-
dent at the election in 1885," and was
consequently past one hundred and nine
years of age; the second was Augustine
Picard, of Rochester, who is said to have
been born at Saint Pierre, near Quebec,
March "a, 1867, and was therefore one
hundred and ten years of age when he
died, and the last was Captain Frederick
Lahrbush, who died in New York last
week. He claimed to have been born at
London March 9, 1866, which would
make him upwards of one hundred and
eleven years old at the time of his death.
OF all the centenarians in the United
States, the late Captain Lahrbush was
undoubtedly by far the most generally
known by reputation. For some years
past he had been made a good deal of
lion in New York city, and accounts of
his appearance and and of his birthday
celebrations have furnished material for
many newspaper articles.
According to the story of Lahrbush's
life which he told himself, and which
was generally accepted in New York as
correct, he entered the British army in
1889, and in 1898 went with the expedi-
tion sent from England to Holland un-
der the Duke of YoIk. He also served
with CORVALLIS in Ireland in 1888, and
with Nelson at Copenhagen in 1901. He
witnessed the interview at Tilsit between
Napoleon, the king of Prussia and the
emperor of Russia, being at the time on
his way from Memel to Dantzic. After
the kingdom of Westphalla was formed
Lahrbush was forced into the French
army, and was made first lieutenant. He
was taken prisoner by the British after
the battle of Wagram, and sent to He'll
goland. From there he went to England
with British recruiting officer. Going
to London the Duke of Cambridge
took an interest in him, and by his in
huence he received a commission as en-
sign in the Sixteenth Foot, and served IA
the peninsular campaign und9r Yelling
ton, being promoted after the battle of
Busaco In 1912 he was assigned to duty
at the Cape of Good Hope, and was mar
- 81, l. T.,
he was an officer in the guard of Napol
con at st. Helena. In 1918 he sold out
his commission in the British service,
and after being in all parts of the world,
came to New York and permanently set
tied in 1S4S, with widowed daughter
and grandson, both of whom soon died
and left him alone. For several years
his birthday was celebrated by parties
given by Gen. De Peyster, and when the
Prince of Wales was in this country in
1860 he received the venerable captain
with great cordiality. Thurlow Weed,
the late A. Z. Stewart and other promi-
nent citizens of New York were great
friends of the captain. His death was
caused by illness contracted through ex
posure on cold morning in February
when he went to make call on Mrs. a.
T. Stewart.
The claim of the captain to having
been born in 1866 has been criticised by
Dir. Thems, the editor OF Notes and
Queries, and the indefatigable exposer
of centenarian humbugs. Mr.. Thoms'
researches show that Mr.. Lahrbush's
commission in the Sixteenth Foot bears
date 10th November, 1909; that he never
was a captain, that he did not sell out,
but was cashiered. Mr.. Thoms says:
'' In army list of 1919, undT the head
of " cashiered,' will be found the name
of Lieut.. De Lahrbush. sixty f. And
in connection with this unhappy Incl
dent, Lahrbush has furnished evidence
tha this statement that he was born
in 1866 is not true. Had he |
been born in 1866, he would have
been fifty-two in 1918, whereas in 1916,
writing to the war Office on the subject
of his services, he pleads, as an excuse
for the conduct which led to his removal,
youthful errors Youthful errors at
ffty-two!" Mr.. Thomas is of opinion
that I.ahrbush was born in 1886 and that
he never served in the low countries
If born in 1856 he would have been
ninety-one years of age at the time of his
death--a great age, it is true, but not a
longevity which would attract attention.
1t is said that when Prince Arthur
visited this country in 1S69-7O, Captain
Lahrbush waited upon him, but was not
received. But it is to be said in the
captains favor that neither the re-
searches of Mr.. Thomas, nor anything
else, ever weakened the faith in him OF
his NeY York friends.
"But whatever the exact age of the
late Captain Lahrbush may have been,
there is no question that he was a very
old man, as were the other two persons
who it is claimed were centenarians
whose deaths have been mentioned. AS
suming that each of them was centena-
rian, the lessons of their lives seem to
indicate that there is no particular road
to centenarism. Huntley lived much in
the open air, and was very abstimious;
Picard had smoked for nearly one hun
dred years of his life, and had also habi-
tually drank whisky for many years;
while Lahrbush was a confirmed opium
eater, and during the latter years of his
life daily consumed enough poison to
have killed two or three men pnused to
the drug.
The French commission charged with
devising means of arresting the ravages
of the phylloxera in the vineyards has
decided that the only remedy will be the
tering up, under government supervis-
ion, of all vines afflicted with the pest.
The canton of Geneva, in Switzerland,
has adopted similar course, and has ar