Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-12
DEATHS OF VICE PRESIDENTS.
How Clinton, Gerry, King, and Wilson
Died and were Buried.

over 90 years or age. george clinton. tD'
Vice President with Madison, who died il
1912, was "a years old. Elbridge Gerry
who became Vice President at the next
election, died in 1914, at the age of 10;
William R. King, Vice President with
Frank Pierce, died at 66, IN 1853, and Vice
President Henry Wilson, who died in
1879, was 63 years old at that time.
Three of these Vice Presidents have died
In November, and the other TWO IN ApFil,
and. strange TO say, the dates OF thelr
deaths are almost at the same time OF the
month. George Clinton died Aprll 20. and
William r.. King on April II: Henry Will
son died on NOV. p, Elbridge Gerry on
Nov. %, and Thomas A. Hendricks on
Nov. ..
The first Vice Presidential death was
that OF George Clinton. 1t took place at
Washington, and was the first occasion
of the great destrOyer's entering the hlgn
Offices OF the government. He had been
the Vice President for nearly eight years,
serving one term under Madison and one
under Thomas Jefferson. He was as
much if not more noted in the politics OF
the time than Vice President Hendricks
Is in those of to-day. Beginning life as
sailor in a privateeT, be had been a
Brig adler General OF the Revolution,
member Of the Provincial Congress, and
He died at Washington on the 10th, and
was buried in the Congressional ceme-
fery on Nov. 81. In 1872 such a thing as
keeping a corpse for weeks was I'M
known in this country, and both
Gerry and Clinton were buried the
next day after their death.
The time Clinton died Washington city
contained under 10000 people, and the fu-
neral could not have been very grand
one. The body was taken on its way to
the grave from the city to the capitol, and
here q rest Of halt an hour was taken.
Thence it marched onward in martial
parade. A company OF militia preceded
the hearse, and the eight pail bearers who
carried the coffin from the hearse 70 the
grave we're all Revolutionary soldiers.
The Senate attended in body, and on
their return to the capitol they resolved
that the Vice Presidents chair in the SEN
ate chamber be shrOuded in black during
the session of Congress then assembled,
and that each Senator should wear mourn
ing in the shape Of band OF Grape on the
arm for 80 days.
The second Vice Presidential death oc-
CURED two years later, and Madison's adj
ministration showed the curious coinci-
dence Of two Vice Presidents dying dur
ing its continuance. Mr.. Gerry had pre-
sided over the Senate on the day pTeced-
ing his death, and he ate breakfast at
Mrs. Wilson's boarding house that morn
ing as usual. saying he felt well. but had
q slight oppression OF the chest. After
breakfast he walked out to do some BUSH
ness at one Of the government depart
ments. he had gone but a short distance
before be became indisposed, and took
carriage 10 return. When the carriage
reached his boarding house he was found
20 be insensible, and on being taken
from it he expired without
groan or a sigh. This was between
10 and IL O'clock in the morning. The
Senate at once adjourned, but the House
continued its session. though 1t adjourned
for the funeral next day. Gerry was
buried like Clinton, in the Congressional
Cemetery, and though in his day he was
one OF the greatest of men, not a dozen
statesmen in the capital city have seen
his monument or know that he lies there.
lie was a graduate OF Harvard College, a
delegate to the Continental Congress, a
signer Of the Declaration Of Independence
and one Of the makers Of our constitution,
though he refused to sign it. He had
been several times in Congress, once Gov
ernor Of Massachusetts, and also Minister
70 France before be was elected Vice
President, and his whole career had been
a most stirring one. During his early
days In Congress he narrowly Q 'caped from
the British by hiding in a cOrnheld when
where be was staying and were searching
for MIN. He was the first to inaugurate,
as Governor Of Massachusetts, the present
political system Of re-districting a States
Congressional districts(for political pur-
poses, and it is from Elbridge Gerry that
the term 'gerrymandering" comes. As a
sample OF the newspaper enterprise Of
1914 and 1872, contrasted with that Of TO-
day. the chief paper Of Washington city,
where these two deaths occurred, con-
tains about quarter of a column the day
after they died in regard 70 their deaths.
IT describes the funerals Of both in less
than fifty lines. Three days after the
death OF Gerry, John Galliard, of South
Carolina, was elected President pro tenn
Of the Senate without discussion.
Vice President King did not die in Gu.
ba, as some papers state. He was in
Cuba for his health at the time Of his
election, and had resigned from the SEN
ate some time before on account Of Ill
health. He had consumption, and at the
time be was sworn in before Consul IN
Cuba he did not expect to live, and had tC
be prevailed upon to take the oath. He
was TOO feeble to stand alone at the time
and had 70 be supported while IL was ad
mtnistered. He sailed for America. anC
grew worse during the voyage. When
he landed in Alabama il was eViden
that he would never get to Washing
tOHs ne QleQ bne Gay aItef ~
landed. The departments were no
closed in honor Of his death, and hi
old not have a public funeral. He wal
the first bachelor ever elected to one
Of the two highest offices OF the nation
ana be had long been senator, having
served for more than ten years as Presi
dent pro TEN. Of the Senate before he was
elected Vice President. Like Hendricks
he bad been member Of g. constitutional
convention OF his state. and he was elect
ed 10 his first term In the Senate during
the year in which Vice President Hen
bricks was born. he was for so years q
United States Senator, and had "a years
OF continuous service there. In addition
70 this, be served five years In the lower
House, and two years as minister K
France. He was six feet tall, and very
erect He was good talker, and was
probably the great "Reminiscences man O
his latter DAYS.
The last Vice Presidential death befor,
that OF Hendricks was thatOf Vice Presl
dent Wilson, who died in Washington
just about ten years ago. He bad beer
sick for some time, and at New York ha,
had an operp ton performed in which biz
spine was scared. Returning 70 Wash
1ngt0n after the operation, he indIscreetl,
took a warm bath In the Senate batI