The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-07-13
Death of a Stranger.


off the eastern bound express train OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Staunton,
and asked to be shown to q hotel. II was one
O'Clock in the morning. He complained OF
being very sick, and urgently asked that some
warm water be furnished him. MIR. X. A. Ham
ilton, special night policeman, took him to the
| American Hotel, but not being able at that
hour of the night to instantly procure warm
water, he started with the stranger to Dr. NC
Chesney's, to get medical aid. The Doctor
was out on professional business. Dr. Harris
office was next approached and that gentle
man found at home The stranger told the
| Doctor he was very sick and wished some
warm water. In answer to questions as TO
the nature of his illness and the treatment he
had undergone, he could give no connected
| response, his paramount plea being for instant
relief. Such remedies as suggested them
selves to the Doctor were instantly obtained
and administered. In the meantime the
stranger had sank down into chair, and at
| ter taking the prescriptions Offered and eX-
periencing some relief, he was invited to lie
| On the bed and make himself as comfortable
| as possible. After reclining for half hour he
| got up and undressed himself. While doing
SO it was noticed that he used only his lett
| hand in taking off his clothes. lie then re-
turned to the bed and tell into dtzc-Dr.
! Harris watching 10y his side until six O'Clock
| in the morning, when the symptoms mani
| TEST indicated serious illness and probably
paralysis In the interval, from the time the
| stranger arrived ut the doctors rooms until
! he passed into eomatose condition, 1t was
learned that he had been ut the Hot Springs,
and he stated that he had been doctoring HIM
self tor the rheumatism. Drs. FultZ and Han
ger were called in, aud several gentlemen,
among them Messrs. Meade F. White and j.
Howard Wayt, came in to offer their assis-
lance. His papers were examined, and it
| was found that he had been Mt the Springs for
two or three weeks, as the receipted bills
| showed 1t was also discovered that he had
purchased a regular ticket on the railroad to
Charlottesville, and had sleeping car ticket
| from there to Washington-that his name
WAS A. F. Carter, of New York, of the firm
! St. John, Kirkllam & Co., wholesale boot and
shoe ieacrs-that his son was travelling in
Ohio and that his wife was at their summer
residence in Connecticut. These parties were
| all Immediately conan Inicatcd with by telt-
! graph. Answers came from the firm and the
wife. to give every attention possible, and
| that one of the house and the lie would
come here MS quickly as the railroad could bring
Them During the whole of Thursday, Dr.
Harris remained by his side, applying every
remedy that could be suggested, and bntf1ing
the messenger of death for the time. About
dark telegram was received from the firm by
nm ucqua intance of the stranger, residing
here, Mrs. William Rawson, to spare no efforts
to save the life of the patient. DR.. Getzen
.ianncr was then called in, and in consultation
with the physician in charge, DR.. Harris, reg
newed the fight for the life OF the sufferer,
but the indications all pointed to u speedy
and fatal termination of the struggle. 1t was
deemed advisable to remove him to more
conmouious room, and about o'clock he
was taken to Kalorama HOTEL where he ex-
pircd about o'clock, from what the certifi
cate of death, signed by Drs Harris and
Gelzendanner, termed chronic Brght's dis
case. During the time intervening between
his arrival and his death, after it became
known that Mr. Carter was here, prOttcrs of
assistance came from numerous citizens, Ia
dies and gentlemen, and everything that med
ical skill and kind attention could do was
| IN ba OF
ger.
On the evening train, of the following day
after the death of Mr.. Carter, the wife and Mr.
Julian Heath, of the firm Of which Mr.. G.
had been member for thirty years. reached
Staunton. They were met at the depot by
Mrs S. E. Erwin an acquaintance, and Mrs.
Carter taken to her residence. The son reached
here Friday night, about - o'clock, by special
train from Harper's Ferry, and on Saturday
morning the remains, accompanied by Mrs.
Carter, Mr.. Carter, the son, and Mr.. Heath,
were conveyed from Stanton on the Valley
train to New Canaan, Connecticut, for hu-
| rial e
Subsequent 10 the death Of Mr.. Carter, We
were informed that when he reached Millboro
Depot, from the Hot Springs, he expressed
himself as feeling like new man, and deter
mined to go to the White Sulphur to spend a
brief time. On his return he stopped few
hours at Millboro, where he was acquainted
W it'll Mr.. Warren, and seemed to be in an inn
proved condition. 1t was after he left Mill
boro, on his way to the east and while on the
cars, that he received the attack that termin-
atcd fatally.
We learned from Mr.. Heath that Mr.. Carter
was about So years of age-that he had been
actively and successfully engaged in business
for thirty years, and had amassed comforta-
BILE fortune, but that two years ago he was
compelled to relinquish the cares and exac-
tions of his engagements because of ill-health.
He had travelled all over the United States,
and last summer visited the Hot Springs, in
company with his wife. in hopes OF finding a
remedy for the malady which was sapping
away his life. In all of his travels Mrs. Car
ter had been his companion, until this sum-
mer, when he persuaded her to remain at their
country home, while he visited the mountains
of Virginia, and availed of the baths of the
Hot Springs. 1t was under such circum-
stances that death invaded this household
wife and husband and son and father absent
from each other, and forbidden by an inscru-
tibIe ordering OF Providence from exchang-
ing those last, sad, fond looks and endear-
ments, which rob death of its sting and il
lume the gloom of the grave
1t was one of the saddest and most dis
tressing deaths it has ever been our duty to re-
cord. We shall never forget the sweet,
resigned, grief-stricken countenance of the
agonized wife, telling how deep was her sor-
row, how the bleeding, throbbing heart found
expression in stified signs, and how the "a
dance OF an implicit faith in the goodness OF
the mysterious Providence that had ordered
the death blow, spread over the countenance
and mingled with the glistening as they
chased each other down the cheeks. The weak,
imperfect, faltering humanity could scarcely
Withstand the cruel, crushing dispensation,
but the soul was anchored upon the assurance
that He who tempers the winds to the shorn
lamb orders all things well, and imparts q
spirit of resignation to the severest trials to
which flesh is heir. Away from family and
those most dear the summons came, but that
touch of kindness which makes the whole