The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-07-30
GENERAL GRANT DEAD.
His IllustriO:ls and Honorable,
Career Brought to II
Close.
Surrounded by His Wife and Chill
llren His Death is Peaceful
and Painless.
Tributes Of President Cleveland
and Hosts OF Others to His
Invaluable Services.
The Physicians Desire to Make
an Autopsy but His Family
Will Not Consent.

an Autopsy DuC HIS flnllIy
Will Not Consent.
MOUNT MCGHEcoR, July 23.-Gen. Grant
breathed his last ut sos a. M, surrounded
by all the immediate members OF his family
aud Drs Sands, Shrady and Douglas The
general maintained his consciousness to tho
very last 4 few minutes before s O'clock
DrR Douglas. Shrady and Sands stood on the
cottage veranda, conversing on the condition
of Gen. Grant, and discussing the probabili-
ties of his death and the limit of life left the
sick man. Mrs Sartoris and Stenographer
Dawson We're csnversing little distance
away, when Henry, the nurse, stepped hastily
upon the piazza and spoke quietly to the
physicians. He told them he thought the
general was very near to death. The med
ical men hastily entered the room where tho
sick man was lying and approached his side.
Instantly upon seeing the patients face DR..
Douglas ordered the family to be summoned
to the bedside. Haste was made. and Mrs
Grant, MI. Jesse Grant and wife. U. s. Grant,
Jr.. and wife and Mrs Col Grant were
quickly beside the doctors at the sick mans
cot, and Mrs. Sartoris and MI. Dawson had
followed the doctors in from the piazza, and
INC cnClfC family was present.
AT THE BEDSIDE.
Col Grant seated himself ut the head of
the bed with his left arm resting upon tho
pillow above the head of the general, who
was breathing rapidly, and with slightly
gasping rcspirations Mrs. Grant, calm, but
with intense agitation braveiy suppressed,
took a seat close by the bedside. She leaned
slightly upon the colonel, resting upon her
eyes, into the generals face She found
there, however, no token of recognition. for
tho sick nan was peacefully and panlessly
passing into another lie Mrs Sartors came
behind her mother, and leaning oyer her
shoulder, she witnessed the close vi life in
which she had constituted a strong element
of pride. Directly behind Mrs. Grant and
Mrs SartOris, and Il little distance removed,
stood doctors Douglas, Shrady and Sands
as s:,sctatOrs OF a closing life their
efforts ana ::s1;psel had SO prolonged
On the opposite stdo of tic bed from his
mother and directly before her stood Jesse
Grant and U. S. Grant, Jr., and near the cor
Eer of the cot, on the same side as Jesse and
near to Zach, was n. f. Dawson the generals
stcnOgrarher ana confidential secretary At
! the foot OF the bed, and ga E~ directly down
Into the generals face. was Mrs G.,l Fred
Grant and Mrs. u $. Grant Jr., and Mrs.
Jesse Graat Will, somewhat removed from
the family circle, Henry, the nurse, and
Harrison I'yrell, the generals bydy servant,
were respectively watching the closing llfe
Of their patient their master. Dr.. Newman
had repaired to the hotel for breakfast and
was not present The generals little grand
children, U. s. Grant, Jr., and Nellie, wcro
sleeping itn sleep of childhood in the
nursery room above. Otherwise the en-
tire family and household were gath
cred at the bedside OF the dying man.
SUMMONED JUST IN TIME.
The members OF the group had been sum-
mOnel not moment sooner than was
prudent. The doctors noted, on entering
the room and pressing to the bedside, that
already the plrplish tinge which was one of
natures signals of final dissolution had
settled beneath the finger nails The hand
that DR.. Douglas ,ifsaa was fast growing
colder than it had been through the night.
The pulse had i,utteYed beyond tue point
where the physician could distinguish il
from the pulse beat in his own finger tips,
The respiration was very rapid and was a
successia,; OF shallow painting inhalations,
but toward tic cisIn they became less labored
and almost noiseless. t!+ls fact was tn it's
result a comfort to the watchers ~ TIE bed
s1lD to whom was spared the scene OF ;444
neonizng or otherwise than peaceful
death. The wife ALMOST constantly strokcd
the face, forehead and haluis ct the dying
general, and at times, as the passionate long
ing to prevent the event 50 near would rise
within her, Mrs Grant pressed both his
hands and leaning forward tenderly kissed
tbe face of the sinking man. Col. Fred
Grant sa; silently, but with evident feeling,
though Ais bearing was that of a soldierly
son at the deatl1bed OF {. hero father. U. S.
Grant, Jr., was deeply inuveG, b.t Jesse bore
the scene steadily, and the ladies', ;shi,s
watching with wet cheeks, were silept as
bettted the dignity of a life such as wa. clos
ing before them. The morning had passed
| 1ive minutes beyond o'clock and there was
not one CT
THE STRAINED AND WAITING WATCHERS
but VINO could mark the EcArpess of the life
tide to it's fnal sbbing. Dr. Douglas notoq
the nearness OF the supreme moment anQ
quietly approached the bedside and bent
above it, and while he did so the sorrow OF
the gray haired physician seemed closely
tallicA with that of the family Dr. Shrady
also drew pear. It was seven minutes after
8 o'clock and TIE esaa Of the general were
!
as the last functions of the Aea4t I'D lungs
were fastened to the closing OF the e& -ptesi:-
dents life. A peaceful expression seemed to
be deepening in the firm and strong lined
I face, lMd it was reflected as a closing COM
fort in the sad t1sscts that beat quickly under
the stress of loving sust,eEYe. A minute more
passed and was closing as the seTfcral drew a
deeper breath. There was an exLalation
like that OF otuc relieved of long and anxious
tension. The members Of the group were
impclled each TO step nearer the bed, and
each waited to note the next respiration,
bnt it did not come then; it meyer came.
! There was absolute stiffness in the room
and q hush of expectant surprise. No sound
broke the silence save the singing of birds in
the pines outside the cottage and the meas
ured breaking III the engine that all night
had awaited by the lst*ls mountain depot
down the slope.
THE END OF ALL
ut is all over" quietly spoke d.. Doug
las, and then came heavily to each witness
the realization that Gen. Grant was dead
Then the doctors withdreY; the nurse
closed the eyelids and composed tie dead
generals bead, after which each Of the fam
lily group pressed to the bedside one after
the other and touched their lips upon tho
| luce 50 1abEiy stllicu. N. !oIifaQy passed.
out upon the piazza, and as he did SO he ntot
DR. Newman fastening up the steps. Gle is
dead" remarked DR.. Shrady quietly. The
fact of having been absent from the side OF
the dying man and his family at the last
was a cause of sorrow and regret to the cler-
gyman, who had awaited all right at the
cottage. He had been summoned from his
breakfast a moment too late. ard reached
the cottage oIly in time to minister t. the
family sorrow and gaze upon the scarcely
hushed lips of the general, to whom Dr.
Newman's love had bound him in such close
| relations
| LOOKING BACK.
Soon aftef Drs Douglass and Shrady loft
the death bed tAcy conversed feelingly OF
the latter hours of Gen Grants life The
pulse first had indicated failure, aud the II,
tellect was lest to succumb its clearness and
u