Rock Island daily Argus., 1888-04-18

I
| friends of the dead senator.
Judge Coke came to the door shortly after
2 o'clock Wednesday morning and announced
the death. Mr.. Conkling died in the rear
chamber on the second floor of the residence.
| His bed faced the west. 1t was dreadful
struggle that the patient fought against grim
death, but at the last his end was peaceful
and unaccompanied by pain His sorrowing
wife and daughter were weeping at his side,
but the once keen eyes were glazed and set
| in the struggle.
| New YORK, April l7.-Mr. Conklng was
evidently worse Tuesday morning, and his
watchers and the physicians showed by their
statements and theio faces that they feared
the worst all day. At S;l5 it was reported and
| telegraphcd all over the country that the pa
| tient was dead, but this turned out to he n
mistake. The report arose from the fact that
the nurse came hurrying down stairs through
the room where the reporters We're waiting,
and in reply to question whether Mr. Conk-
| ling was dead nodded his head as he passed
| along 1t seems that he mistooli the patients
stupor for death. A slight return of anima-
| ton soon followed, but no revival of con-
sciousness, and life continued to ebb swiftly
away,
Dr. Barker seemed quite overcome as he
stood on the steps of tho dying mans resi-
| dence and told the reporters of the impending
dissolution. His eyes We're suffused with
tears AS he had just come from the ex -sena-
tors bedside, and his voice husky with
emotion. He made no effort to conceal the
fact that the death Of the ex-senator was ex-
pected at any moment. A feeling of sadness
seemed to have spread among the guests of
the Hoffman house, and there was an oppres-
sive quietness and solemnity among the
crowds in the corridors. Voices were hushed
and all were talking in low tones of the last
sad news about the ex-senator.
The friends who came late to the
bouse went away with sorrowful ex-
pressions, but said very little. The hopes
that the doctors had had of Mr. Conklings
recovery were based upon the splendid ply
sique Of the patient; and that was, perhaps,
the very cause of his last sickness, which dates
from the day of the great BLIZZARD March 10,
when Mr. Conkling walked to his home on
West Twenty fourth street from his Office at
Q Wall street. He delighted in telling the
story of his struggle, and how lie nearly got
lost in a snowdrift in Union square. For Two
weeks thereafter he continued to work,
but on March 30 had TO give up On April
he called In DR. Agnew, and on April 0 the
operation involving the cutting of the mastoid
bone, the projection behind the left ear, was
resorted to for the purpose of letting out the
pus that had accumulated in the honeycoinbl
formation Of the bone. Many believed that
his sickness dated from his terrible blizzard
experience
All the afternoon the sick statesman lay
upon his bed Very little motion of the body
was noticeable except Il slight movement of
his arms, which were under the covers He
lay upon his right side i'll a way that would
not irritate the cut in the side Of his head
At 500 Dr. Anderson said that Mr. Conk-
ling was fast passing away. He did not
think the ex-senator would last longer than
two hours. Mr. Conkling was then uncon-
scious. Mrs. Conkling and Mrs. Oakman
were with him.
At 5:30 DR.. Barker issued this official bul-
letin: "Mr. Conklng is failing fast His
lungs are fast filling up with blood, owing to
the failure of the heart, which has resulted
from the gradual wasting away of his
vital powers" Dr. Barker would not say
definitely how long Mr.. Conkling could live,
but he said he could not possibly survive the
night
At G:10 p m Ed Stokes came out of the
house, and was at once surrounded by an in
quiring crowd He said "Mr. Conkling is
sinking very rapidly. His death is question
of very short time. Mrs. Conkling and the
others are at the bedside" Mr.. Stokes was
much affected, end hurried away.
Drs. Barker and Sands left the sick cham
ber at 9:35 p. m. DR., Barker said Mr. Conk-
ling was sinking rapidly, and would in all
probability die before morning. His system
was giving way rapidly. He was very weak
and had lost all consciousness. Pulse, 40;
temperature, 1925; respiration, 60.
DIR. Barker called again shortly before II |
o'clock, and left at Ills. He said that Mr.. |
Conkling was unconscious, and would not |
regain consciousness. His limbs were becom- |
ing cold, and he had no perceptible pulse The |
doctor added that Mr. Conkling would prob
ably die in two or three hours from giving |
away of the vital forces. Judge CoXe Mrs. |
Conkling, Mrs. OalSnan, and DIR. Anderton |
were at that time in the sick room.
Roscoe COnkling was borp in Albany, n Y |
Oct. 80, 1922. His father, Albert Coukling was a |
representative in the Seventeenth congress, and |
afterward filled the positions of United States |
Judge for the northern district of New York and |
minister TO Mexico. Roscoe received II common |
school and academic education Removing to |
Auburn and Geneva with his father, he studied |
law three years under his tuition. In 1876 he en-
tered the law office of Spencer & Herman in Utica,
and in 1S49 was appointed by Hamilton Fish dis
trict attorney Of Oneida county, several months
before he attained his majority. On the day he
was 81 he was admitted to the bar. During the
next decade he disclosed rare qualities OF manage
ment. and became a leader in local politics. In
law he ranked with the first of the profession as
an advocate The trumphs he achieved at the
bar, and which were his passports to public pref
erence, were gained before he reached the
age of -. After that he accepted but few
cases. but In these his success was marked. He
married Julia Seymour, sister of eX Governor
Horatio Seymour hi 1858 he was elected mayor
of Utica, and in November Of the same year he
was elected representative in the Thirty sixth
congress- took his seat in that body at the begin
ming of its first session, in December 1859, ses
sion noted for its long and bitter contest over
the speakership. Hewas re elected in 1860 his
brother, Frederick A. Conkling, being elected at
the some time for New York city district. The
two brothers entered the Thirty seventh congress
At the opening of the special session convened by
President Lincoln July A. 1861. In this congress
Roscoe Coukling was chairman of the committee
IN tha District OF Columbia and also of a special
appointed to frame bankrupt law
candidate for reelection to the Thirty -elghth
congress he was defeated by his old law partner,
francis Herman In 1864 Conkling defeated him,
ervug on the committees on ways ana means
md on reconstruction
In February, 1862 he opposed Spauldng legal
ender act by speech and vote, sustaining con-
rary To the prevailing party policy, Horton
amendment providing for the issue of an interest
'ehTing note, and voted against the final passage
# the I'm as amended by Thaddeus Stevens In
he same session he voted for the payment OF in
crest thr debt in coin, Mr.. Conkliug was
lrm uphnlder Of all legislation tending to uphold
he hands OF the administration in prosecuting tne
var for the suppression of the rebellion In the
all OF 1856 he elected to the Fortieth congress-
mt before that congress met he was elected to |
ucceed Judge Ira Harris a. United States senator
rom the state OF New York lie took his seat in
he senate March l. 1887 and was reelected twice. |