Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-13
yICE-PREsIDENTS.
SEVERAL BITS OF HISTORY.
uov the yIce-Presidents Of the United states
Died and Were Buried.

ting to the Cleveland Leader, says :
Five Vice Presidents died in Office, and
in every case the deceased has been
over sixty years Of age. George Clin-
ton, the Vice-President with Madison,
who died in 1872, was seventy-fonr
wears old. Elbridge Gerry, who be-
came vice-President at the next cleo
ton, died in 1914 at the age Of seventy;
william R. King, vice-president with
Franklin Pierce. died at sixty-seven IN
1853. and Vice-President Henry Wilson,
who died here in 1875, was sixty-three
wears old at that time. Three of these
Vice-Presidents have died in November,
and the other two In April, and, strange
to say, the dates OF their deaths are
almost at the same time Of the month.
George Clinton died April 90, and Will
liam Il. King on April II, Henry Will
son died on the 22d Of November, FL
bridge Gerry on the Odd Of November,
and Thomas A. Hendricks on the 18th
of November. The first yice-presiden-
tial death was that Of George Clinton.
1t took place here at Washington,
and his death was the first occa-
sion of the great destroyer's enter
ing the high offices of the Gov
eminent. lie had been the vice.
President for nearly eight years, serving
one term under Madison and one under
Thomas Jefferson. lie was as much, If
not more, noted in the politics OF the
time than Vice President Hendricks IN
those of to-day. Beginning life as
sailor in a privateer, he had been a
brigadier-general of the Revolution,
member Of the Provisional Congress,
and for eighteen years Governor of New
York. He died at Washington on the
Goth, and was buried here in the Con-
gressional cemetery on the 2lst of No
yember. In.lSl2 such thing as keep
ing corpse for weeks was unknown in
this country, and both Gerry and Gin
ton were buried the next day after
their deaths. The time Clinton died
Washington city contained I'M
der ten thousand people, and the fune-
raj could not have been very grand
one. The body was taken on its way
to the grave from the city to the Capt.
tol, and here a rest of half 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 to the grave were all Reyolu-
tionary soldiers. The Senate attended
in body, and on their return to the
Capitol resolved that the Nice-Presl-
dents chair in the Senate chamber be
shrouded in black during the session of
Congress then assembled. and that each
senator should wear mourning in the
shape of a band Of Grape on the arm
for thirty days.
The second vice-presidential death
occurred two years later, and Madi-
sons administration showed the GU
rious coincidence of two Vice-PresidentS
diving during its continuance. Mr.. Gerry
had presided over the Senate on the day
preceding his death, and he ate break
! fast at Mrs. Wilson's boarding house
that morning as usual, saying he felt
well, but had slight oppression of the
chest. After breakfast he walked out
to do some business at one Of the Gov
eminent departments. lie had gone
but short distance when he became
indisposed, and took carriage to re-
turn. When the carriage reached
his boarding house he was found to be
insensible, and on being taken from 1t
he expired without grOan or a sigh.
This was between 10 and / O'Clock in
the morning. The Senate at once adj
1 iourned, but the House continued its
session, though it adjourned for the fu-
neral next day. The funeral took place
at 3 o'clock, and from the Latelligencer
of that date | see that the Rev. ODE
diah Brown pronounced the funeral SER
vice. Gerry was buried like Clinton,
in the Congressional cemetery, and
though in his day he was one
Of the greatest Of men, not dozen
statesmen in this capital city have
seen his monument or know that he lies
here. lie was a graduate of Harvard
college, a delegate to the Continental
Congress, signer Of the Declaration,
and one of the makers of our Constitu-
ton. though he refused to sign it. He
had been several times in Congress,
once Governor Of Massachusetts, and
also Minister to France before he was
elected Vice-President, and his whole
career had been most stirring one.
During his early days in Congress he
narrowly escaped from the British by
hiding in a corn-feld when a body OF
troops captured the house where he was
staying and were searching for him.
lie was the first to inaugurate
as Governor of Massachusetts, the
present political system Of redistricting
a States congressional districts for Pc
litical purposes, and it is from Elbridge
Gerry that the term "gerrymandering "
comes. As a sample Of the newspaper
enterprise of 1914 aud 1872, cOntrasted
with that of to-day, the chief paper of
Washington city. where these two
deaths occurred, contained about quar-
ter Of a column the day after they died
in regard to their deaths. 1t described
the funerals of both in less than fifty
lines, and gave only the barest details.
Three days after the death of Gerry,
John Galliard, OF South Carolina, was
elected President pro tenn. Of the Senate
without discussion. and the Intelligencer
did not consider the situation OF
enough moment for an editorial.
| Vice. President King did not die in
Cuba, as some papers state. lie was
in Cuba for his health at the time of
his election, and had resigned from the
Senate some time before on account OF
i'll health. He had consumption, and
at the time he was sworn in before a
Consul in Cuba he did not expect to
live, and had to be prevailed upon to
take the oath. He was too feeble to
stand alone at the time, and had to be
supported while it was administered.
He sailed for America. and grew worse
during the voyage. When he landed