The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-07-22
Mrs. Mary Lincoln.



4 SPRINGFIELD, H., July lG.-Mrs. Mary
Lincoln, widow or the late President Abraham
Lincoln, breathed her last a. s 10 this evening
at the residence of her broIher.in.law Hon
1 Nlnan w. Edwards. The public is aware
4 that for some years past she has been an inva
lid Her movements from time to time, since
the tragic death of her husband, have been
generally noted Last March she, after u pro-
onged visit to New York, where she was un
der medical treatment, returned to Spring
field, and made her home with her sister
Mrs. Edwards. Since that time until her
death she has been under the care of Dr.
Dresser Occasionally she was driven out in
a carriage, but aside from these times none
but her near relatives were permitted 10 see
her. Her death may be considered q sudden
one nothing in her case being looked upon
as alarming until yesterday morning. The
immediate cause of her death was apOplectic
paralysis The last words she was heard to
utter W, re spoken last evening at 10 O'clock,
when she looked at Mr. Edwards and said :
81 am dying" From that time until her
death she was unconscious. To those &C
quainted with her condition her death was
not surprise In all these years Of trouble
which has been Mrs. Lincoln's fortune to
live, she has been telderly cared for by
pSplIN, hiib hd' DSCi ah oOJCSt vi
their most earnest SOlctudc. They ever re.
cognized the fact that but few women OF her
day and generation were ever s. shocked and
shattered in their lives.
Mrs Mary Lincoln was born Dec 10, 1918,
in Lexington, Ky. and died IN her Gath year.
She was the daughter of X. S. and Elizabeth
u. Todd. She came to Springfield III 1899.
She was married to Abraham Lincoln Nov.
>, lS4? and from that time up to the assass.
nation she shared the successes and fortunes
OF her distinguished husband. She came
from distinguished southern family, and
during her young womanhOOd was a relgnlng
belle. She leaves behind her three sisters
residents Of Sprngtield-Mrs. G. NJ. Smith,
Mrs n. w. Edwards, and Mrs. DR.. Wallace
Her only living child is Hon. Robert T. Lin
coin, secretary Of war, who was not present
when his neither died lie is expected To
reach Springfield on Tuesday morning, when
the arrangements for inerrng the remains at
OakIidge will be made.
Mrs. Lincoln was a woman of extreme good |
nature, and was a loving wife and mother.
She was known by her close friends rs an
ambitious woman, and doubtless spurred on
ler husband 10 seize opportunities to advance
himself that had he been left alone, he would |
probably not have thought of. 1t is generally !
believed by her friends that her reason was
seriously disturbed by the assassination of her
husband She had always been of a nervous
temperament, and the terrible shock subse-
luent upon her husbands untmely end GER
ainly developed strongly marked SYMPTOMS
ii insanity She was weighed down with
woe, and the burden was greatly increased by
he death Of her youngest son, Thaddeus, or
Iad as he was usually called. She became
possessed ofsome very peculiar whlms. Among
thcrs was the idea that she would suddenly
ONE to want, and she could not be shaken
n this belief, despite the fact that she had
ONE 100000 and was entirely free from debt.
Another queer fancy she had was for accumu-
ating window curtains, and while she was
tayipg at hotel in Chicago, without any idea
i ever again living in house Of her own, she
nd piled up about her room over sixty pairs
f window curtains. There were many other
nings which indicated insanity as tar back as
800. Persons IN this city who had known
er since 1854, and who saw her frequently IN
S65, expressed themselves at that time Of the
pinion that Mrs. Lincoln ives insane. She
ad made two trips to Europe since her hus-
and's death, merely for advertisement but
pparently without any benefit to herself. She
eturned from Europe the last time on the
anne vessel that brought the French actress to
AMERICA, and 1t was told by gentleman on
oard that Mrs. Lincoln was much affected
n their arrival in New York harbor at the
ttention paid to Bernhard, while She the
fife of Americas great president, was ne.
lected by all save very few immediate
-lends.