Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-02-24
(From the Evening Expressly
The Late DR.. ssnnwpy.

Our community was taken con-.
pletely by surprise in the announce
ment of the death of DR.. r. s.
Stairway, which occurred about 7
o'clock Thursday evening, the 2lst
instant. Up to the day of his death
the Doctor was to be seen about
the streets ard in the transaction
of business, and he appeared as
vigorous and hale as ever; only his
more intimate friends knew of his
falling health, and probably none
knew better than himself that his
days were rapidly speeding to their
close. About month previous he
had suffered a stroke of apoplexy,
being suddenly attacked while
driving into the city after making
a professional visit to the family of
Mr.. Temple at the Puente. AL
though he recovered from the stroke
apparently with undated faculties,
his constitution was, doubtless, left
a complete wreck, and it was only
owing to his great vital force and
superabundant energy, that death
was prevented from claiming its
own long before the final collapse.
Thursday morning the Doctor
complained Of being somewhat in
disposed, and, consequently, re-
NAMED at home. Toward noon his
condition grew rapidly worse, and
a friend was summoned to assist in
caring for him, the family still
supposing that no serious results
would ensue. To the keenly per-
ceptive mind of the physician him.
self, however, the case presented
itself differently, and he knew that
the hand of death was upon him.
still, refraining from precipitating
the distress upon his family
a moment sooner than it
should become inevitable, he
took advantage of a moment when
his wife was absent from the room
to inform his friend that the sick
ness was fatal and to give some d.
rections about his affairs. AS soon
as possible thereafter Doctors Kurtz
and Wise were summoned to the
bedside and they pronounced their
patient suffering from congestive
chill. Every remedy known to the
profession was employee ed to sustain
the vital spark, including the APP
plication to the body of powerful
poultices and irritants. rubbing,
beating and the sustaining of arti-
fetal respiration, together with the
application of two strong galvanic
batteries; but they only proved of
avail so far as to sustain an uncon-
scious existence for possibly an
hour or so after 1t
would otherwise have de-
parted. Shortly after O'clock, as
stated, life became extinct.
DR.. Stairway was in the forty
fourth year of his age and at the
very acme of his usefulness. To
thorough schooling in foreign
medical university, and subse-
quent graduation from a similar
institution in this country he had
added years of the most varied
practice as a physician and surgeon.
Since taking up his residence in
Los Angeles, seven years ago,
he had occupied the
very first rank in his profession,
enjoying large and lucrative
practice up to few months since,
when he retired, transferring his
office and good will to Drs. Gui.
berson and Mcclure. The time
since then he has devoted to an in
spectIon of his mining claims In the
Ord District and to settling up hi
business affairs. Had his life been
spared, we believe it was his in
tenti0n to remove to San Francisco,
and there resume practice. BY his
untimely decease he leaves II most
devoted wife, who is all but heart
broken at her irreparable loss.
Those who were familiar with DR..
Stairway will readily recall little
imperfection in his gait which
could hardly be termed a limp, and
might have PASSED the notice of u
casual observer. This was a re-
membrance of his three years of
service in the army as surgeon to
the 102d Regiment Illinois Volun-
teers, and as it illustrates u chapter
in his history as well as trait of
his character, we may be pardoned
for relating the story. We quote
from the published record of the
regiment, which says:
During the time we were sta
toned at Lavergne, Tennessee,
Capt. VIM. A. Wilson and Surgeon
II. S. Stairway became the princi-
pal actors in very exciting adj
venture. They had been visiting
the stockade at which Co. d was
stationed, ten miles from Lavergne,
in the direction of Nashville. At
dusk they set out for camp. 1t was
a bright moonlight evening and
they anticipated nothing but
pleasant ride on their return.
When nearly half way to camp,
riding leisurely along, under the
shadow of some dense Cedars, they
were confronted by four men on
horseback who leveled revolvers at
them with the words, "Surrender-
you are our prisoners" In an in
slant, DR.. Stairway had his pistol to
his eye and his first shot was fired
simultaneously with volley from
the party of four. One of the
guerrillas threw up his hands ex-
claiming, 'I'm hit"
The combatants were so closely
together that their horses heads
almost touched each other when
the ARRAY commenced. Others of
the guerrillas, who had been sta
toned at the roadside, now closed
in upon them. The Doctor was
blazing away at them, and the
Captain had commenced in good
earnaat when hani-lo. h nd fipht