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


The End of a Remarkable Life-Sketch ofa
Career CoreriHg Nearly Century Of Time
Romance, SorroI 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 lis 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-
dinary force Of will enabling her to retain
animation, even without food or nourish-
ment, for a length of time almost incredi-
Bile, She was buoycd by her wish to sec
once more her grandson, Colonel Jerome
Napoleon Bonaparte, who sailed from Eu-
rope March 10 on summons by cable 10
her bedside, and who reached Baltimore
March 26.
Madame Bonaparte had always believed
she would live until she was a hundred
years of age, and was impressed with the
idea that strong will would carry her
over century. She had always taken
the greatest care of her health; she lived a
frugal, moderate life, of late years rarely
going out Of doors, and using all precau-
tions which would tend to extend her days.
She received every kindness from Miss
Gwinn and from her esteemed companion,
Mrs, Sophia j. Clarke, besides the skilled
advice and attention Of Dr. Jas S. Mae
kenzie, who had been her physician for
thirteen years, up to the hour Of dissolu-
tion. As late 10 her life as her Goth year
she was active in watching over her exten-
sivc 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, ad-
joining The San Office, On the street
then, she carried yet the traces of that
beauty and vivacity which we're the charms
of her youth, and 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 "a, 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. DR.. John Leyburn be sent for. Rev.
Dr. Leyburn and Rev. DR.. j. I. Leftwich,
Of the Presbyterian Church, spent some
time with her in the evening aud admin
istered religious consultations Ga the I'd
Of April she was not In condition TO ap-
preciate anything; she remained unconsci-
Gus all Of the Sd instant, and by degrees
her life ebbed away at fifteen min
utes past one o'clock on tho afternoon Of
the 4th instant.
Madame Bonapartes frst serious sick
ness began in December 1878, when she
was attacked with acute bronchitis. She
went to bed the day after New Years,
and since that time had been able TO be up
only at very rare or brief intervals. Dur
ing her illness she took great pleasure 10
conversing with DR.. Mackenzie in regard
to her past life, in 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 wildly 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 large for.
tune. Towards the close Of her active
life she once ayowed to business man
that her ruling passions had been love,
ambition and aud ayarice. Love had long
since fed, ambition had brought disap.
pointmcnt, but avarice would remain.
AhN NCNttt VI 4tbouutt DbudDdIlD Closes
a career Of peculiar and nournful 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 80
linked with lives which were at one time
more conspicuous 10 the wars aud politics
Of tho old world than any which had pre-
cedcd them for centuries, that whether il
life or death, her name recalls the greatest
personages and events Of modern times
On Christmas Eve, 1903, the marriage Of
jerome Bt tuaparte, the youngest Of Napo-
Icons brothers with Elizabeth Patterson
took place, aud at that time Napoleon was
the conqueror Of Egypt and Italy and
First Consul Of France. The bride was
in her 18th year. lshe was born February
g l7s5,) and the groom was less than
four months older, having been born