Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-01-24
CHARLES BEasTEH DEAD.
His Last IIIness-A short Sketch Of
His Life ana Career.

Ex-P -PTothonotary Charles Beasten die,
at his residence, IN Mlddletown, at IL. 4
p. III. saturday evening. His funers
took place yesterday afternoon at
O'Clock and the remains were inferred q
Forest cemetery, near Middletown.
Mr.. Beasten WAS In his usual heslti
up TO Monday night Week. Un the Thurs
day preceding he visited Wilmington io
The last time and spent the day here.
%. Monday evening ueek he complained o
feeling unwell, but was able tu sit VI
ana read, until the Light teem9d TO groW
dim to him, when no threw his news
paper aside and said he would have tt
give it up. About 7.30 o'clock he started
down the cellar to look at the heater and
coming to the end OF the baluster, ht
missed one of the steps, taking two steps
down in the place OF one. This gave his
system severe shock, which his attend
ing physician said was the immediate
cause OF the passive congestion OF brain
and lungs which resulted IN his death.
DR.. Barr was called in Immediately
afterwards and attended him until his
death.
Wednesday morning week DR.. Barr pro-
nounoed his patient much better and III u
fair way TO recover; but his condition
had grown worse by evening aud DR..
John ]. Black of New Castle, was tele-
graphed for as consulting physician. DR..
Black arrived on Thursday morn.
ing and consultation was then
held. The PATIENTS pulse was then
about 1875 and temperature about 1860,
but the physicians entertained strong
hopes OF his ultimate recovery. They
agreed that mis- illness was attributable
originally to All attack of malarial fever,
aggravated, al above related, b1 the
shock to his system caused by the mis-
step in going down his cellar.
On Friday morning it WAS evident that
there WAS little hope of Mr.. Beasten's
recovery. His tongue had become
partially paral, zed, 30 that he could ouly
articulate fragments Of sentences, but
his brain WAS active and he was perfectly
rational. He sank rapidly from that
time until he expired.
Charles Beasten was born on Bohemia
Manor, Cecil county, Md, May 2lst, 1913.
He received common school education
at his boyhood's home and came to Mid
dletown about 1888, where he entered the
store of Ex-Governor Cochran as clerk. ln
1886 he removed to Cantwell's Bridge,
now Odessa, which was then very im
portant grain market, and there went
Into business for himself. He was one OF
the men most interested in the bank at
Odessa, OF which he remained a director
until 1875.
He WAS the first president of the
Middletown Agricultural Society and
always took a live interest in ;Is pros
perity. He wss in business tor many
years at ODESSA, first as a member of the
firm Of Polk q Bsasten snd Afterwards of
Beasten q Watkins. The firm dealt
largely i'll grain, owning its own vessels
in which the same was transported to
market.
Mr.. Bessten was life long Democrat
and Influential in the policy OF his party
in this county aud State. He was a MEM
Der OF several State conventions, OF the
Democratic national convention of 1868 and
as a member OF the electoral college cast
his vote for Seymour and Biair. Prior
to the campaign in which John p.
Cochran was elected governor, Mi.
Boasten was strongly urged to become
candidate Tor that office, but yielded at
once to the claims OF MIR. Cochran when
that gentleman's friends began to urge
HIS candidacy.
10 1875 Mr.. Beasten was appointed, by
Governor Cochran, prothonatUry for this
county. His official term expired in
1880, when he retired to private life and
built himself tine residence al Middle
town, which his friends hoped he might
live for many years TO enjoy.