The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-05-01
Death Of the POet-Priest.
s.pemoerat Special |


9:0I o'clock to night Father Ryan,
the Poet-Priest of the South, clos.
ed his eyes in his last sleep, sur.
rounded by friends and priestly
brothers who loved him.
The last scene was a peaceful
one. Early in the afternoon the
holy man began to sink rapidly,
and at 3 o'clock he was uncon.
scious. From that hour he never
opened his lips or recognized anx
one about him. Bishop McClos.
key was at his bed side and admin.
istered the last sacrement, as were
nearly all of the local priests of
the city.
Father Ryan came to this city
about four weeks ago to go into
retreat, his friend Father Mccall.
lion coming with him. About a
week after he arrived he was Ia.
ken with a slight fever, of which
but little was thought. AS he did
not seem to improve, Father
Ubaldus Webersinke, with whom
he was, called in physician who
gave such attention as the SEEM
ing indisposition required. This
continued for two weeks, when
the symptoms became alarming
and another physician was called
in. Father Ryan was then IN u SO
rious condition. There were in.
dications Of serious brain troubles,
and at times he was delirious.
This gradually increased until dur.
ing the past few days he has had
few conscious moments.
In his rawlings he would con.
stantly 20 over scenes ana Incl
dents of the war. At intervals he
would preach to an imaginary au.
dience, then would be working on
his "Life of Christ" which he in.
tended to complete after his re-
treat. This morning he was con-
sci0us tor q few moments only,
then sank into a seeming deep
sleep. AT 1 o'clock his physicians
saw the end was near. He was
rapidly sinking. At 2 he sank into
u comatose state, from which he
never rallied. His physicians say
the cause of death was organic
heart trouble and lack of sufli.
cient blood which caused brain
fever.
Abram j. Ryan was born in Vir.
ginia in 1910. lie was educated
as a priest. The war breaiing out
just as he was of age, and his
brother entering the army. Father
Ryan also followed bis fortune in
a sacerdotal capacity. During
these years he was the warm friend
of Bishop Queenland of Mobile
At the close of the war he was
located for q time at Nashville
and later at Clarksvillc. For {
number of years he was at Biloxi
Miss, near Beauvoir, the retrea
Of Hon. Jefferson DAVIS, ant
there became more closely the
friend Of the ex president Of the
confederacy.
In 1883 be was for time a
Boston College and at Montreal
and later made lecture tour o
the Northern States. He is bes
known as a welcome contributor
to Donahoe's Magazine and othel
! Irish and Catholic periodicals, ant
, as the author of volume of po
etry written: always In a Hur
, , ry." He says in the preface it wal
collected only upon the urgent re
: quest of a young lawyer frien'
who took the risk and shares tn
profits Of publishing.
: His poetry is full of fervor an,
: nervous strength. He was a grea
) admirer of Gen. Robert Il. Lee
and one of his poems is to th
: sword of the hero general. Ar
= other poem is on the poets brotf
. or, who was killed in battle. On
of the most striking fancies of tn
poems Is made yignette for th
first pages. The southern flag
flying aloft through the clouds I
the stars, and beneath runs th
legend, wrought into 1.-THE Hea'
= ems"
:, "The warriors banner takes Its flight
To greet the warriors soul"
. One of the latest productions {
. Father Ryan's pen is a poem, "Fou
y Thousand Years. in Donahoe
9 Magazine for January, 1886.
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!. The Biggest Tow.