The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-04-12

The End of a Remarkable Lite-Sketeh Of a
Career Covering Nearly Century Of Time
Romance, Sorroio and Retirement
The Baltimore Sun of April 5, contains
the following interesting description of
this lady
Madame Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte,
Of Baltimore, whose history in connection
with the family of Napoleon is so well
known, died Friday, at 1.15 o'clock, P.
NJ, in the 95th year Of her age, at the
residence Of Miss Il. NJ. Gwinn, corner Of
Cathedral and Richmond streets, where
she had long boarded. Up to within a
very short while ago Madame Bonaparte
was in the full possession Of her faculties
but for the past ten days her life had been
slowly ebbing away, and she died almost
by inches, her strong vitality and extraor
binary force Of will enabling her to retain
animation, even without food or nourish
ment, for length Of time almost incredi
Bile. She was buoyed by her wish to SEE
once more her grandson, Colonel jerome
Napoleon Bonaparte, who sailed from Eu
rope March Is on a summons by cable t.
her bedside, and who reached Baltimor,
March &c.
Madame Bonaparte had always believed
she would live until she was a hundred
years of age, aud was impressed with tn,
idea that strong viii would carry hel
over century. She had always taker
the greatest care Of her health; she lived
frugal, moderate life, Of late years rarely
going out Of doors, and using oil precau
tons which would tend to extend her days
She received every kindness from Mis-.
Gwinn and from her esteemed companion
Mrs. Sophia j. Clarke, besides the skilled
advice and attention Of DR.. Jas. S. Mac.
kenzie, who had been her physician fol-
thirteen years, up to the hour Of dissolu
ton. As late in her life as her Goth yeal
she was active in watching over her exten.
sive business affairs. When past her S5th
year she almost every fair day gave perso.
nal attention to the building of the fine
brick business house on South street, adj
joining The San Office. On the street
then, she carried yet the traces of that
beauty and vivacity which were the charms
Of her youth, aud her keen eye flashed
with lustre remarkable for her age, and
in her figure she showed no bending, and
her step was firm and even elastic.
From Thursday, March q, she began
TO fade away sensibly. Her left side be.
came paralized. For the whole interyen-
ing week she was unable to take any nour-
ishment, aud had to be kept up entirely
by stimulants Even this she was unable
to take in any quantity greater than by
the spoonful. On Tuesday, April /, her
mind remained clear, and on the afternoon
of that day she, for the first time, asked
for spiritual advisers, and requested that
Rev. DIR. John Leyburn be sent for. Rev.
Dr. Leyburn and Rev. DR., j, T. Leftwich,
Of the Presbyterian Church, spent some
time with her in the evening and admin
istered religious consultations. On the Cd
Of April she was not in condition to ap.
preciate anything; she remained unconsoi-
Gus all Of the I'd instant, and by degrees
her life ebbcd away at fifteen min
utes past ono oclock on the afternoon OF
the 4th Instant
Madame Bonapartes first serious sick
ness began in December, 1873, when she
was attacked with acute bronchitis. She
went to bed the day after New Years,
and since that time had bOen able TO be up
only at very rare or brief intervals Dur
ing her illness she took great pleasure ia
conversing with Dr. Mackenzie in regard
TO her past life, 10 the course Of which her
wit flashed frequently, giving spice to her
commentaries on contemporary women
in the gay world Of foreign courts, all Of
which she viyidly recalled. She also spoke
with pride of her attention to business and
the success which, working like clark
had attended her efforts TO achieve indie
pendenco in the structure of a large for.
tune. Towards the close Of her active
life she once avowed TO business man
that her ruling passions had been love,
ambition and and avarice. Love had long
since fed, ambition had brought disar-
pointment, bat avarice would remain.
The death Of Madame Bonapartc closes
a career Of peculiar aud mournf'ul interest.
II really removes from the world one Of
the most remarkable Of American women.
The life which has just ended was In itself
a historical romance, and had been so
linked with lives which were at one time
more conspicuous in the wars aud politics
Of the old world than any which had pre-
cedcd them for centuries, that whether ia
life or death, her name recalls the greatest
percentages and events Of modern times
On Christmas Eve, 1903, the marriage Of
jerome 3 naparte, the youngest Of Napo-
Icons brothers with Elizabeth Patterson
took place, and "a that limc Napoleon was
the ccnqueror Of Egypt and Italy aud
First Consul q France. The bride was
70 her 18th year. tshe Was born February
q 1880 and the groom was less than
four months older, having been born