Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-05

ocean, perfectly helpless. 1 have treated
Sshnn for many years, and 1 have always
%relied mainly on his wonderful power o.
Twill to bring him through. His brain ha.
S5never been shaken before and he has al
szways been perfectly self-possessed. II
4athis has been his great strength. Hi
S8Oody, as mere physical frame, coulC
g4neVer have resisted One-half the sufferlns
e5he has undergone and survived.
"a You understand that if YOU use an,
Norgan of the body excessively it wearl
ssOut. He has been able to do but little
physical work, and his whole energies
%naVe been poured into his mental organ
Az the mental ganglia, or gray substance O.
#the DraIn-that part of the brain in which
Hthe mind eXists-the outer surface of the
SzOraln. The continued and excessive use
aofth organ has induced a nervous ex
K ahaustlon, under which it has failed en-
atlrely, and left him without the power tC
#rally. 1t may be that excessive study
&has, produced rush of blood to the
@brain that resulted in capillary engage
Hment, or it may be that it has brought
y about depletion of the brain. In any
@eYent 1t Is the constant and excessive use
H0t his mind that has produced his death
#For example he has been unable to sleer
HSlnce | came, and consequently unable to
5glve the brain that rest that was impera.
%tively needed.
VI We had about determined this after
Nnoon TO force him to sleep tonight bY the
4 %use of chloral. Two or three hours ACC
1--WE were discussing it. We discovered
EOefore using the choral that he was dv-
Eing, and that nothing could save him. ii
Eve had used the choral he would have
&lied under it, and the public might then
EhaYe judged that the choral had produc-
Ned the death, which it now appears was
Ninevitable with or without it.
l determined to see if | could not bring
zhim to fix his mind ON something. l an.
sproached his bedside, sharply caught him
Sand arresting his eye, said decisivelv
d Mr.. stephens, who am l? He looked up.
Shls bright eyes flickered for moment.
2then steadied themselves on me. and he
#said: "Why, doctor, how are you? Is
AAirs. Steiner with yOu?" and pressed my
shand just as he used to do. He then
seemed to be trying TO concentrate his
lthoughts for moment, and evidently in
<tended to ask my wife and myself to come
%to the mansion, or to his home in CraW-
Gfordville, L could not understand def
snitely which. Indeed, before he had ut
Etered his thought he was off again, and |
Edld not attempt to arouse him.
I'm response to an inquiry as to whether
-=AtC OhNNt III liiC NONtIlOf iFlD 10 NdN0li-
3nah hastened his death. DIR. Miller said:
s L think not. He was very careful OF
Ahimselfon that trip, and while he may have
%taken cold, he had commenced to decline
ssbeIore he went to Savannah. He had
~called my attention to his increasing
SndispositiOn several days before we start
Sed to Savannah, and had myself noticed
Bit. Shortly after his return from Savan-
3anah, and his illness had increased, be.
'Scame satisfied that his condition was en-.
l$tlrely different from what it had been in
sshis former fits of prostratiOn. For in.
#stance, when he was attacked be.
#tore, his sickness was always accompa.
Snled with exquisite suffering. 1t was neu-
%ralgIa Of the bowels, or bronchitis
%Or rheumatism, or some such ailment that
Hbrought with it constant and rackino
%paln. His present illness has been en-.
Atlrely painless and without any special
Nfeature except an inability to assimilate
4the nourishment he took. ! was very glad
Ntnat Dr. Steiner, who had been his physi-
@clan Tor years and was thoroughly ac-
&qualnted with his system, was summoned
Ato his side. DR.. Steiner stated that the
Nattack was different from any he has ever
chad before, and he shared my views in re-
4gard to the causes and probable results.
II HIS mind has been gradually failing, but
enc maintained persistent struggle for con-
seriousness up TO Wednesday night. BY
%the way, you were mistaken in saving that
khis last official act was signing Governor
SColquitts commission, 1t was some-
2tnih@ more characteristic thansa mere
Sclerical performance, On Wednesday
kaiterno0n q petition for pardon came up
$for MS action. He had examined it before.
EA7 he was about to sign it Mr.. Seidell
Nsald: Governor, perhaps we had
kDetter delay this matter for few
Sdays." Mr.. Stephens Immediate
Ely replied. Il know very well what
am DOING" and signed the pardon. i
athink that the last definite consciousness
aWas the recognition of DR., Steiner. He
Sdid not know that DR.. Steiner had been
zsent for, and when he appeared at his
sbedside and spoke to him there was al
I kclcar and instant recognition. He talked
sWlth him for moment and asked
shim to accept the h0spitalities of
sthe mansion while he was in the city.
1t IS uncertain yet what were the last
SWords uttered by the great statesman be-
sfore his death. 1t seems to be agreed
3that his last clearly conscious conyersa-
stion was with DR. Steiner. Mr. Seidell
ssays tfat yesterday afternoon he recOg-
snlzed hr. John Stephens, his nephew
sMr. stephens asked the Governor if he
skneW him, and he replied; 'sFes, it's
sJohn.' DIR. Raines says further that af-
Ster this occurrence he was attending to
gsome OF his wants, and moving him in
zhis bed when he said:
doctor. you hurt me-
DR.. Raines says that those were the LAST
swords he ever uttered. This was purely
gam accidental exclamation.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-Several dis
spatches announcing the sad death of
sGovernor stephens were received here to-
5day There is no expression hut that of
snnlVersal regret. The Georgia delegation
Et00k suitable action. The general inn
spreSsion here is that Representative
sBlount VIII be Mr.. Stephens successor.
AUGUSTA, March 4.-The Chronicle
4says: 1.-The death of Governor Stephens
sIs calamity to the State. All denomiI
enations and classes, irrespective of party
adre profoundly moved by the death Of this
sstatesman, patriot and philanthropistl
Z Though dead, he will live as the most
5illustrjOus of Georgians."
Alexander Hamilton Stephens was born
5ln Ialiaferro county, Georgia, February
I'll, 1872. His name, '-AleXander,v was
athat OF his grandfather, who fought
3in the revolution on the side of
zthe patriots. Hamilton he added inl
gratitude to his benefactor and pre-
5ceptor, Rev. Alexander Hamilton Web
sster, OF Wilkes county, noted preacher,
sof the time. His father, Alexander EI
stephens, died when the subject Of this
sketch was fourteen years old. His mother
she lost in infancy. BEFORE the death of
7his father he attended the school in thel
.neighborhOOd, and on losing his parent. all
sthe invitation of Aaron W, Greer. his
JUNGLE, he made the latter's house bisI
shome. About this time he attracted thel
notice of Mr.. Charles Mills. his SundavI
school superintendent. by whose as
sslstance he was enabled to EN-
ster classical school at Washingl
ston, Ga, where he also becamel
n member of the Presbyterian Church
ION the death Of his preceptor, through the,
said of several gentlemen of Washington.
,he prepared for Franklin College, Athens.
swhere he matrIculated in August, 1923.
1 Il was the wish of his friends that heG
sshould give himself to the ministry. But
pm the course of time he began to doubt
sais fitness for the sacred office.
land he communicated his misgivings to-
shis uncle, who readily gave up to hisI
,nephew, who was still minor, his portionl
sof his fathers estate, which relieved him.
From his embarrassment. Thus fortified
ipeSaniarily, he paid his way through COLI
Ilege and graduated IN 1882 with the high-ll
lest hOnora