The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-23
Ex-Alderman Radkey.

No business man in this part of
Texas was better known than Bernard
Radkey, the Hian who stood at the
head OF the popular Whoie5ale and re-
tail hprdwAe store on the Avenue;
and no death could have caused deep
er regret than the sudden demise of
the man whose name stands at the
head of this article. Death is sad
thing let it come in any shape, but
when its fatal shaft is dealt to one in
the prime of life, amid the active
SceneSof business CccupatiOn. and in
the seeming bloom of robust health and
strength it is doubly sad, and grief
is far more keenly felt. AS the eX-
alderman walked along our streets
Sunday evening or fodein his carriage
by the side of his wife, he appeared
the last man to whom the unexpected
summons would be made. He
pleasantly chatted with his friends
and to ala appearances no man in the
city had longer lease Of life than he.
He had known hardly day Of sick
ness and never complained of an ache
or pain possessing strong body
and an iron constitution injured to
hard work active in all the demands
of life, no one imagined that beneath
all this subtle disease was eating at
the very chords of life. and the strings
Were liable to snap in the hour of
night without warning, and the physi-
cal machinery stop, with the bloom
upon the cheek and the smile still
lingering upon the lips. Such was
the fate of this man.
SUNDAY
he was, to all appearances. as well Us
at any time during his life. He spent
the most of the day at home with his
wife and four children. In the after
noon he took walk, and later he and
his family enjoyed a ride together;
when he seemed more cheer
full than ever, though at all times he
was of the happiest demeanor. Quite
early Sunday night he and his wife
retired, sleeping upon a temporary
bed on the back porch of their resi-
dence-the four children also occupy
ing cots on the same porch. The de-
ceased SOON passed into pleasant
slumber and quietly slept in the cool
breeze, until about 4 o'clock yesterday
morning, when large dog, belonging
to the family, came to The yeranda,
where he was lying. and awakened
him. He rose in bed and spoke to his
wife. saying; what is that Mrs.
Radkey replied that it was only the
dog and he lay down again and soon
dropped into the same quiet sleep
from which he had been aroused.
Those were the last words that Ber-
nard Radkey ever spoke on earth.
About o'clock, near the breaking of
day, Mrs. Radkey was awakened by
her husband gasping for breath and
on getting up she found him dying.
The frightened wife sent one of the
children to summon his uncle, j. II.
Cummings, ana he came in few
moments afterwards, but Mr.. Radkey
was dead before he reached the
house. In fact. he scarcely breathel
after Mrs. Radkey became aware OF
his troubles. So soon rs j. r. Cum
mingS came he summoned his brother,
the doctor, and he reached the death
bed in very short time, but too late
to do any good. DR., Swearingen was
also summoned. but the only good
either of the able physicians could do
was to ascertain
TIE CAUSE OF DEATH.
From the diagnosis of the case and
VIC dpklCQ1 ttlllc "a oAC OOSCeloO0 e4AS1
found two causes had worked together
to produce his sudden demise, First,
there was unmistakable evidence OF
fatty degeneration of the heart. which
hadno doubt been going on for some
time and the character of this disease
is to make the parts of the heart thin,
so that they are liable to burst,
and this breaking of the membranes
is what results in the sudden death.
There was also pnmistakable evidence
Nof bl0Dd-clot and this no doubt oper-
afed in conjunction with the fatty
dege, Grafton and resulted in the. in
stantaneons death of the man without
the slightest " rning.
this BIOGRAPHY
of Bernard IL 3 " is a most remark
able ont. and co bother evidence of
what poor q 18th industry. good
Judgment AZ pest, fair dealing
can do ll'~ 3 country to