The Indianapolis journal., 1885-09-24
A PREACHERS SAD DEATH.
Distressing Circumstances Under Which
Rev. Robert Sl0ss Died.
He Falls Seriously Ill While Alone in Dis
tant City and Dies Among Strangers
from the Effects Of Drugs.

Milwaukee hospital and the publication of the
details Of the alleged indulgences which brought
about the sad result, was received by the friends
of the pastor in this city with many misgivings.
One Of the pastors closest friends, DR.. Charles
N. Todd. said to Journal reporter that Mr..
Sloss was certainly not in his right mind at the
time of his heaviest drinking. AS is we'll known,
he was troubled seriously with Brieht's disease,
and it is supposed that the poison from this all
ment had caused septisemia, which had already
seriously affected his brain. DIR. Todd said that
about three weeks ago Mr.. Sloss had severe
attack of Brights disease, which terminated in
convulsions and it was then thought he would
either die or be bereft of reason. His trip North
was solely for the purpose of testing the value
of Waukesha spring water, which had been rec
commended as especially good for his constitu-
tional trouble. DR.. Todd believes that
while in Milwaukee he had a severe at
tack Of the disease and attempted to
relieve himself by the use of opium and
stimulants which formerly gave him relief and
was metally deranged by their use. AS to the
place in which the police found the minister
quartered, Dr. Todd said that Mr.. Sloss was first
at the PlankintOn House. the leading hotel of
the city, which he must have left after becoming
irresponsible for his doings.
Last year. while at Cincinnati, Mr.. Sloss was
prostrated with an attack of Bright's disease,
and it was noticed by his friends, who, with ply
sicians advice administered stimulants for relief
that the pastor was thrown into an unnatural
condition. He took stimuIants however, only
at the advice of his physician, and found almost
instant relief from pain in indulging in their use
at the time of an attack of his old enemy.
Rev. j. r. Mitchell, pastor of the Fifth Pres
Dyterian Church, stated yesterday that there
were extenuating circumstances in the case of
Mr.. Sloss that the public did not know. He
remarked that about three weeks since he found
the pastor suffering from Bright's disease and
advised him to visit Waukesha Springs for
relief. Mr.. Mitchell thinks the pastor was un-
doubtedly insane during his conduct at Mil
waukee, as he was truly good man, and would
have Stunned anything disgraceful in his normal
condition.
Mr. Sloss was twice pastor of the Third Pres
byter;an Church, Of this city, and was regarded
tation as a scholarly minister extended through.
out the country. and all who knew him testify
to his high moral worth Several years ago he
left to accept a pastorate of a church in New
York, and afterward he took charge of small
church in the mountains of Pennsylvania. but,
failing to be benefited in health there, he
returned to Indiana and located at
Greensburg, at which place he was
pastor at the time of his death.
Mr.. Sloss was forty FIVE years old, and leaves
died several years ago. In this city he was very
popular, and his splendid talents won the high
regard Of many citizens. He was not a man to
countenance evil, and his personal habits were
that he was mentally deranged by his disease
while in Milwaukee, and that he took stimulants
at the advice of a competent physician, only to
relieve intense bodily suffering, is accepted by
all who know him and his past history.
The following special dispatch to the Journal
regarding the death of Mr.. Sloss, was received
last night:
1.-THE remains Of the Rev. Robert Sloss, who
died at tho County Hospital last evening. will be
of his lately deceased wife. Mrs. Thompson, of
Greensburg, Ind, a cousin Of the deceased min
lister, arrived in Milwaukee to-day to take charge
of the body. She says that he was held in very
high estimation at Greensburg, his late resi-
dence. and at Titusville. Pa, where he formerly
had a pastoral charge. He was a great sufferer
from Bright's disease, and was on his way to
Waukesha to try the effect of the mineral
water He had been at Wausau for a couple
CITY ct rssk sre to ens supply e w.Rsa RsPt and in Rs
on his way to the latter place when he stopped
in Milwaukee. He was in the habit of taking
morphine to allay the pains Of his disease, and
1t is supposed he had taken so much of the drug
II.
plains the distressing circumstance of his enter
ing lonely, dingy room, over low saloon, and
being found there unconscious, after two weeks
of silent suffering. 1t transpires that the jugs
which he took into the room with him. and
which were supposed to have contained whisky,
were filled with mineral water. He never fully
regained consciousness after being found in a
stupor from his overdose Of drugs, and but for
letters in his valses his identity would have re-
mained undiscovered"
The following special from Greensburg, where
Mr.. Sloss lived. was received by the Journal
last night:
1.-THE news Of the sad death of the Rev. Robert
Sloss, at Milwaukee, last night, reached here
this morning, and fell like pail upon the com
munity. Mrs. Mary Thomson. cousin. whose
home is with the Sloss family, left here last
night for Milwaukee. and will take charge of the
remains and direct the burial which will be
at Titusville Pa, where his wife was
sisted of DR.. Sloss his mother, now nearly eighty
years old, son. Robert Sloss, jr., thirteen years
DID, and Mrs Thomson The old lady is in very
feeble health, which will prevent her and th 9
is almost prostrated at the sad news, and seems
hardly to realize her condition, after
the loss of her favorite child She
has daughter in New York city with whom she
Sloss has been with this church nearly six years,
and has built it up both financially and numer
ically. His death was feeingy referred to in the
regular weekly prayer-meeeting tonight Those
who have been most intimately connected with
DR.. Sloss, say that for the last year his suffer
ings from diabetes and similar ailments have
been so great that at many times his mind was
seriously affected thereby.
The Milwaukee Sentinel, of Tuesday, contains
the following relative to the illness Of the un-
fortunate preacher
'"rhe Rev. Robert Sloss, Of the Presbyterian
Church at Greensburg, Ind, who was found in
lonely room over West Waterstreet saloon in
an unconscious condition, from the effects of
county hospital, was in q precarious condition
last night. His recovery is doubtful. He pre-
sented sad sight in his bed at the hospital His
eyes rolled about wildly. Around his head
were bags of ice applied by DR.. Connell. He