The National tribune., 1886-10-21
THE LATE E. M. STANTON.
The Circumstances aad Facts OF His Death-He Did
Not Commit Suicide.
[ Waslington FrcnfnQ Stdr. J

lie was with MI. stanton almost nouriy during
the war, being the custodian of ell his private
papers and the secret war dispatches, and be-
ing by his side all day and all night frequently.
Being so close to him all those trying years
Major Johnson declares that Stanton was the
great power that held the Government to-
gether. L have seen him." the Major says,
when he was as kind, calm, and placid as
man may be. i have seen him when his pas
sion was terrible to look upon. He trusted no.
body; he watched every one"
Speaking with Star reporter the other day
about the story which was refuted at the time,
but which has since been revived, that Seere-
tary Stanton's death was self-inhicted-that he
had cut his own thrOat-NlajOr Johnson said:
know Mr.. Stanton did not take bis own life.
/ was always very close to Mr.. Stanton. and
knew his habits better, probably, than any
other man. i attended TO many of his private
affairs. He was poor man. l drew his salary
for him every month. aud expended it for him,
paying all his bills, etc. He would not even al
low me to render him an account. This used
to render to Mrs. Stanton, as / insisted upon
being relieved of the responsibility.
q" was at his funeral. / was in the house
when the family were overcome with grief and
when these false rumOrs were circulated by
those who were his enemies even unto death.
l was in the room with the casket just before 1T
was brought down into the par!or for the
funeral services. Ii was in the front bedroom
over the parlOr. 1t was lying east and west,
with the head to the west, aud was surrounded
by many distinguished men. remember there
was Col Forney, Senator Hooper. Senator
Chandler, Surgeon General Barnes, Gen. Thos.
T. Eckert. Secretary Belknap, Senator Sumner,
Mr.. Justice Swayne, Edwards Pierrepont, esq,
Postmaster General Creswell. Senator Ed
munds Chief Justice Cartier, Gen. Townsend,
and 10 or 20 other public men, Members, Sena-
tors, etc, besides Mr.. Harvey, the undertaken.
Ii will be remembered by those who have seen
Secretary Stanton or have observed his portrait
that the top of his head was bald all except a
small tuft of hair on the very top, but there
was circle of hair around the back of his head,
and as he lay in his coffin his long beard COW
cred his breast. Col. FOrney, who stood look
ing at the dead mans face. asked Surgeon Gen
eral Barnes for lock of his hair. Gen. Barnes
replied by taking small pair of scissors from
his vest pocket, stepped up 10 the casket and,
as Mr.. Harvey raised the dead mans head, cut
the hair from the back all the way round, and
put it in white envelope he took from his in
side coat pocket. When the head was replaced
Gen. Barnes put his hand under the dead states
mans long flowing beard and raised it up, fully
exposing the neck. i was standing between
the General and the foot of the casket, and
could see very plainly that the flesh was per-
fectly free from scar or discolOration.
IF any corroboratOry evidence of the falsity
by the certificate of death by Surgeon General
Barnes and the fact that Mr.. Stanton had a life
insurance policy that was paid. SurgeOn-Gen-
eral Barnes's certificate is on file at the office
Of the Board of Health in this city.
Moreover, tho cause of Secretary Stanton's
death was well known to all his friends, and
the death was by no means sudden. Ii had
been coming on for six weeks or month, and
was the result of al illness of several months.
Ha EnffaFar frnpt asthma I'm his
return from Steubenyille, where he had been
to see his mother. he took a terrible cold. IL
was the most violent ever saw. IL afflicted him
like consumption. On the night before the
morning of his death the family retired, as
usual, and left him alone with his nurse, David
Jones who was constantly by his side. The
first alarm occurred between 10 and IL o'clock,
when the nurses attention was attracted by
the sick mans hard breathing. The family
was at once aroused and DIR. Barnes was sent
for. The Doctor, 10 quiet Mrs. Stanton, told
her that her husband would revive; but il soon
| became apparent that he was past all hope, and
the Rev. DIR. Starkey, of Epiphany church, was
sent for. The sick man was conscious
and calm, expressed a desire to live. and
| did not think he was dying. He wished to live
/ 20 take his seat upon the Supreme Bench of
the United States, TO which he had been nomi-
mated. 1t had been his ambition to be Chief
Justice, but President Lincoln had appointed
Secretary Chase to that position, saying that
| he could not spare Mr.. Stanton from the Wal
Department at that time. Mr.. Stanton had
sought very earnestly for this position, and hi:
claim had been presented by Bishop Simpson
the eminent Methodist divine of Philadelphia
whose influence was very powerful with the
President; but, as is we'll known, Salmon p
Chase got the appointment, and for the reasons
| i have stated. Stanton, as Secretary of War
was admitted by everybody, friend and foe, tC
| be master of affairs, and Mr.. Lincoln could not
spare him from his post when the bravest and
| mightiest adversary on earth was still clutchinl
at the vitals of the Government. The Presi
dent told Bishop Simpson this, but said If hC
could find him another such man for Secretary
Of War, Stanton should be Chief Justice. Tha
settled il, and Mr. Chase was appointed.
But now that the war was over he had beer
nominated and confirmed as Associate Justice
and his eagerness TO get upon the Bench i
shown by the fact this know TO be true) tina
he frequently sent his son to the White Hous,
after his commission which the President haC
not yet sent TO him. This was one thing, i
there was no other, that he wanted 10 live for
and know he did not kill himself
"But there are copies of letters on file at the
War Department touching this subject which
wish you could publish. They were published
in New York at the time, but they are of inter
est enough now to reappear.
The first IS a letter from surgeon Genera
Barnes TO Hon. Edward Mcpherson. He says
In reply TO your inquiry the late Mr. Edwin NJ
Stanton was for many years subject To asthma in
very severe form, and when lie retired from Tn
War Department was completely broken down u
health. In November, 1862 the dropsy of cardia
disease " manifested itself latter very eXhaustiv
argument in Chambers in "A legal easel and frOI
that time he did not leave his house rarely his bee
| For many days before his death was with him al
most constantly. and al no time was he without til
most careful attention by members of his family o
nurses. On the night OF Dec - the drop-iCh ell "a
ion in the pericardium had increased to such
tent, and the symptoms were so alarming, that tn
Rev. DIR. Starkey, rector OF the Church OF Tn
| Epiphany, was summoned and read the service M
pointed for such occasions. lie, with Mrs. stanton
| Mr.. Il. L. Stanton, the three young children, Mis-
Bowie their governess) myself, and several OF Ill
servants by his bedside until he died, at fou
a. IN. Dec. q, 1862 After the pulse became impei
ceptible at the wrist placed finger on the caroti
; artery, afterward my hand over his heart an
when its action ceased announced II To thos
present. 1t is incOmprehensble To me how an
suspicion or report Of suicide could have originates
except through sheer and intentional malice.
there not the slightest incident before or du
ing his long sickness indicative OF such tendenC
nor possibility of such an act Fully aware OF IA
y critical condition, lie was calm and composed, m
! wishing To die while unteTrified at the prospect
death During the lifetime of his widow and of h
son, Mr.. r. L. Stanton. l did not feel called upon
] make any written contradiction OF the lnfamoI
{ and malignant falsehoods you allude to- but nov
in view of your letter of April Ii, and in behalf
I | Mr. Stanton's minor children, do most emphati
= ! ally and unequivocally assert that there ~ .
foundation whatever for the report that Mr. Edw
e NJ. Stanton died from other than natural causes,
o that lac attempted or committed suicide.
q Very respectfully, yours,
JOSEPH X BARNES NJ d.
q "The other letters were FROM William s. ID
!. pee, Secretary Stanton's messenger. and Dav
q Jones, the nurse who was with the Secretal