The New York herald., 1879-08-07
CHARLES ALBERT FBCHTER
Story Of His Last Illness
" and Death. 90 ,a-'l@s
THE GREAT ACTORS SUFFERING.
for a Quiet Flu.
neral in Philadelphia. !,

Arrangements for a Quiet Fue
neral in Philadelphia. +,
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALp.l
PHiLADELPHIA. August 6, 1879.
The body of Charles Fechter. the great sctor was
brought to this city to-day by way Of the North
Pennsylvania Railroad. The train upon which il
was borne due at the depot ut eleven O'Clock and
at that time this morning the engine puffsd into the
station The remains of the eminent tragedian were
enclosed in an ordinary cebox. and accompa.
MED by the widow, her sister MRS. Susan Price) and
Mr.. Arthur LIE Clerc for many years the intimate
friend and business agent Of Mr.. Fechter The hour
of arrival had not been publicly announced and
there not present to receive the distin-
guished dead q deputstion from the profes.
sion of which he was the brightest orpa-
ment. AS unattended and simply IS though
it were but vulgar clay the body of Charles Fsehter
was hastily conveyed the residence OF the family
of Mrs. Fechter at No. 230 Cherry street. whers in
plain but scrupulously neat little house. live the
mother two sisters and the brother OF Charles Fech
ters second wife, professionally known % Miss
Lizzie Price, a ols1- eif' .ii n
Here in the little psrlor -tthe front room the
street foor) the HERALD correspondent was permit
ted to look upon the face Of the dead. The wonder
fully expressive eyes closed and the complexion
was yellowed with jaundice; put the noble fore
head was there with its clustering ring
let's. and the placid features were a. clearly
outlined and az full Of strength and gran
deur as in life. All signs Of suffering
had been smoothed away when the tragedian fell
asleep in DEATH and the face refined and repose
full and recalled to the visitor the mys.
terious resem blsnce between death and sleep. pa
Mrs. Techter was overcome with grief ct the great
loss she has sustained. Her eyes were red with
weeping ana her face did not need the corrobors-
ton Of her words to tell the story of many seepess
nights and anxious days passed In loving nursing
aud weary, patient Watching by the bedside Of her
dying husband. Although tears choked her voice and
suused her eyes IL seemed to afford her some relief
to tell friendly the sad story Of her husbands
illness and death. One could not but be impressed
by the passionate devotion Of the widow to the
dead husband. and it was indeed affecting to hear
her recount the melancholy incidents OF the past
few weeks 1t would be an indecorous disclosure In
me to attempt public repetition ofssll that Mrs.
Fechter told me. 1t will be sufficient for the readers
of the HERALD to know such Of the particulars Of
tho illness of Mr. Fechter the world has the right
several YEARS. aso It appears Mr. Fechter found
himself suffering from indigestion. The disease
steadily grew upon him. and he was finally Induced
ling in his profession and delighting and amazing
the world by his wonderful performances. He did
take medical advice from time to time In different
cities, always selecting the most eminent doctors
but as he found that they nearly all put different
them. and was inclined to believe them oil wrong.
Fechter. among his many other accomplishments:
had good knowledge Of medicine. He had studied
in the hospitals of France and had graduated and
obtained . diploma, fact which has not been pub
lished in any Of the obituary sketches Of him.
Fechter always declared that his heart was affected,
au trouble v.
thing else. t
g. GROWING WORSE. .ty S..@ -is s-D
~STss whn and wa. pas ssdens he ss hi. much &
gestive organs affected. When he
ate anything he suffered intensely from hatasncy
creased his size few weeks ago Mr.. Fechter's
suferings increased very much. He had great will
cuar strength. He could not bear the idea of being
i'll and helpless and it CALLED him to feel that he
was becoming an invalid. At this period there were
days ut time when he would not leave his bod.
little over two weeks ago his condition had be.
came so painful that his wife induced him to
who attends Mrs. Fechter's family. The day was
got dressed hrst % was her custom, and then went
70 see her husband. Addressing her by pet name
he SAID
mined to telegraph for Dr. Pancoast to como to the
farm 70 see Mr. Eechter She aia :o % and he came On
that her husbands liver was very dangerously
affected; shat It was greatly enlarged. and that II
probably weighed twenty-five pounds. He SAID that
il he could hnd medicines to reach the diseased
gan Mr.. Fechter might recover. II he could not
he must die. t'..ar
81 asked him. said Mrs. Fechter. "iow soon
might expect change one way or the other. In
eight days., he answered. 1t was ON the tenfh
day the change came and my husband died"
DIR. Pancoast visited his patient four times before
he died, but could do nothing to relieve him.
During the last week Mrs. Fechter speaks Of her
husbands suferings as something indescribable.
endured. Toward the last his sight failed him and
he was seized with . partial paralysis One day he
said My darling. bring me my sketch book" for
he was a clever draughtsman we'll q fine sculp-
tor, and had often amused himself with the pencil.
His wife brought him the drawing materials. but HIS
His nerveess fingers could longer grasp the pen.
ell. II ptiful TO hear the widow describe the
despair OF the dying man when he found himself SO
About four O'Clock on last Monday morning Mr..
Fechter was seized with violent convulsion. He
urew black In the face. his eyes protru.
ded his limbs distorted and twisted.
and he lay unconscious for some time in spite
Tho neghbors and Dr. Meyer. . physician from
Quakertown. had been sent for when the alarm was
given ana II was feared that the great actor was
dead, as indeed he nearly was But he came back to
life and st begged that ell would leave him hut
his wife. He loved her with deep affection. always
TO leave HIS side. allowing no hand but hers to min.
lister to him. I.l Ultt
when her husband was restored to consciousness
after the CONFUSION Mrs. Fechter that the hand
of death him, and she at once, 81 about half
past Ave In the morning. teegraphed to Philadelphs
for Professor Gross and Professor W. H. Pancoast to
come at once to consult with Dr. =. Pancoast. not
knowing that the old school physicians to which
the two hrst named bslong, will not recognize the
homppathists, to which system DR.. $. Pancoast is
devoted DIR. Gross out oftown. and as stated in
this mornings HERALD. Dr. Pancoast and Dr. J. v.
Shoemaker finally went to the dying man.
They arrived in tho evening and found him past
hope. Professor Pancoast says he broke through
his usual rule end told the suffering man that hs
could not live. He describes somethng impress
in the extreme the great actors agontxed words
when the physician gravely told him that he must
let his wife lift him. the slightest muscular exer
tion might kill him. There was world OF love aud
pity for his wife In his face as lie realized that he
once giant In strength and power-must be bur-
den for his dear babe" ~ he called his wife,
THE END.
The two Philadelphia ply sicians left Richland
about nine o'clock Monday night to take the train
back to city. MIR. Fechter had remained perfectly
conscious up to this times but they had scarcely
4. ind aloiad deauairiuu