The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-12-13

congestive chill which seemed to absolutely
crush the vitality out of his already en-
feebled body. So weak was he that the vio-
lence of the assault soon subsidized for
lack of vitality upon which to prey.
From that moment to the moment of his
death the history of his case was that of q
gradual sinking. At o'clock Mrs. Davis
administered some medicine, but the ex-
president declined to receive the whole
dose. She urged upon him the necessity
of taking the remainder, but putting it aside
with the gentlest of gestures he whispered:
"Pray excuse me-" These were
HIS LAST WORDS.
Gradually he grew weaker and weaker, but
never for an instant seemed to lose con-
sciousness. Lying peacefully upon his bed,
and without a trace of pain in his look, he
remained for hours silently clasping and ten
derby caressing his wife's hand; with I'M
daunted spirit he awaited the end.
From the moment of the dread assault of
the congestive chill those gathered around
his bedside who had been watching and
noting with painful interest every change
of symptom for the past month knew we'll
that the dread messenger was even at
the door. About 1890 o'clock Associate
Justice Fenner went to the French opera
house to call to Mr. Davis bedside Mr.. and
Mrs. Farrar and Mrs. Stamps. AS soon as
the message reached them they hurried to
the bedside of the dying ex-president. By
u:3O o'clock there were assembled in the
death chamber Mrs. Davis, Doctors Chaille
and Bickham, Associate Justice and Mrs
Fenner, Miss Mamie Smith, grand niece of
the dying ex-president and Mr.. and Mrs
E. H. Farrar. Finding that Mr.. Davis was
BREATHING SOMEWHAT HEAVILY
as he lay upon his back, the doctors as
sisted him to turn upon his right side.
With his cheek resting upon his right
hand like sleeping infant, and with his
left hand dropping across his chest, he lay
for some fifteen minutes breathing
softly but family. More and more
feeble became his respirations till they
passed into silence and then the watchers
knew that the father of the confederacy had
passed away Despite the fact that the end
had come slowly and peacefully, and after
she had been face to face for hours with
the dread reality, the blow fell with crush
ing force upon the afflicted widow. 1t is
believed that the foundation of the express
ident's last illness was malaria complicated
with acute bronchitis. Careful nursing and
skilled medical attention had mastered the
latter. But it is supposed that the con-
gestive chill, which was the immediate
cause of death, was attributable to a return
of the malaria. After death the face of the
deceased, though looking slightly enact
ated, showed no trace of suffering, more
nearly resembling that of peaceful sleeper
than of the dead.
Jefferson Davis was born on June 3, 1903,
in Todd county, Kentucky. He was edu-
Gated at Pennsylvania college, Kentucky,
and was appointed by President Monroe a
cadet in the military academy at West
Point, where he graduated in 1928. He was
in the army seven years, and he fought
against the Indians in the Black Hawk war
of 1882, and against the Comanches and
Pawnees in 1884. In 1885 he married a
daughter of Zachary Taylor, then a
colonel in the army and aft
erward president of the United States.
Davis became cotton planter in Mississip-
pi and spent several years in study in order
to fit himself for public life. In 1S45 he was
elected representative to congress and took
seat as Democrat. He soon distinguished
himself as speaker on military affairs, as
we'll as upon miscellaneous topics. He
served under his Ather-in-law in the Mexi-
can war as colonel of the Mississippi volun-
teers. He participated in the storning of