Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-24
STRUCK DOWN AT HIS POST.
The Sudden Death of Representative
Burnes-Sketch of His Career.

House yesterday afternoon. as stated in TIE
STAR, died at Wizards hotel at l245 this morn
ing. As stated in THE SCAR yesterday. the first
attack came upon him while in his seat in the
House. He was assisted from there to the APP
preparations committee-room The force Of
the stroke increased, be lost consciousness.
and his condition from the first was regarded
as extremely critical Every attention possible
was given him by his colleagues. Doctors GAL
hnger, Shaw, and Atkinson, who, being men,
bers OF the House, were on hand at the mo-
ment, and DIR. Sewers who has been Mr..
Burnes attending physician. His son, ID. ID.
Burnes and his brother Fielding Burnes were
summoned and at o'clock the sufferer was
removed to Wizards. His condition became
more critical, the paralysis which at first had
been confined to his left arm and leg. extend
ing over his entire left side. 1t became evil
dent that the stroke had been caused by
THE RUPTURE OF BLOOD VESSEL.
After consultation, Drs. Sewers and Gal
linger decided that there was no hope for the
recovery of the stricken man. Dispatches
were sent to his wife and family, in Missouri,
and the report that their popular colleague
was rapidly nearing the last brought many
members of the House and Senate to the hotel.
Very few were admitted to the bedside of the
dying man. A crowd waited in the corridor.
Later DIR. Busey was called into consultation
but nothing could be done to delay the hand
of death. From o'clock until within few mo-
ments OF his death the patient was unconscious,
and at the last moment he was trying to speak
to his son and brother, who were by his side
during the whole time. He was not able to
speak after the full force of the stroke was
upon him. When death came Col. Fielding
Burnes, Mr.. ID. D. Burnes, Dr. Sewers Inter
state Commissioner Morrison. Representatives
| Dockery. Henderson, of Illinois, Gallinger.
Barry, Stahlnecker. and McCreary the son of
Representative Randall, Assistant Door
keeper j. H. Chinn, of the House; Edward
Deknlght, and Arthur Brown, his colored
body-servant, were at the bedside.
ABLE AND HONEST.
The death of Mr.. Burnes is a sad blow to
many warm friends he had in the House. He
was universally regarded as a man of ability
and high integrity. His hardest labors were
upon the appropriations committee. So highly
was regarded his judgment and honesty of pur-
pose that his colleagues in the House would
often abandon their own preconceived notions
to accept his presentation of case. He was
man OF nerve and force of character, and withal
one of the most amiable men in the House. He
was forclble without arrogance, and aggress-
I've without egotism so that he was very popu-
lar as well as much respected among his col
leagues. He was a large man. who worked
hard in House and committee. and took but
little exercise in the open air. For some time
he has expected the attack that came upon
him yesterday. having been warned by pre-
monitory symptoms which he recognized Not
long before the attack came upon him he ex-
pressed the fear that it was imminent yet he
continued on with his work.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
He was native of Indiana, where he was
born August %. 1892 He was the youngest of
the family when they removed to Platte county,
Mo-, in 1887; received a common and high
school education: studied law. graduating at
the Harvard law school class of 1858: practiced
law actively twenty years; was circuit attorney
In 1856; was presidential elector in 1856. voting
for Buchanan and Breckenridge: was Judge Of
the common pleas court from 1868 to 1872; was
elected from the fourth district to the Forty
seventh, Forty-eighth. Forty ninth and Fiftieth
Congresses as democrat.
THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS.
In accordance with the terms of the resolu-
| tions adopted by both houses of Congress this
afternoon, committee, consisting of Senators
Vest, Teller and Coke. and Representatives
Mansur, Stone of No., Wade. Sayers, Bynum.
Henderson Of Iowa, and Perkins. was appointed
to accompany the remains Of Mr.. Burnes to ST.
Joseph, Mo-, his place of residence, where the
funeral services will be held ON Sunday. They
will leave with the remains at 7:30 to- night for
that place, reaching there Saturday evening.
Imaginary Maladies Among Statesmen.
Washington Chat in the Philadelphia Telegraph.
presume there are twenty or thirty men in
each house of Congress who are victims of their
own imagination. They are always ready to
apply to themselves any ailments they hear of
others suffering from, and are constantly feel
ing their pulses to detect any sign of weakness
or variation. They are always on the lookout
for the destroyer. There are six or eight men
in the House who have their mouths and throats
examined at least once month by specialist,
under the impression that they are going to be
afflicted with cancer. The keeper of the CAPT.
tol cigar stand tells ME that talk of excessive
| smoking causing this dreaded disease has in
jured his business materially. was sitting
in the cloak-room of the House talking with
several members about the hot springs of Ar
kansas. Speaking of the efficacy of the baths
for various diseases, one of the members told
of colleague in the House who was nearly
dead from smoking too much, and saved his
life by these baths. He said that the man was
SO tobacco-soaked that the water in
which he bathed was stained a light
tobacco color. The other members
laughed at the story, but three of them
quietly threw away their cigars. One western
member came back after his fall vacation suf-
fering from colony of boils that had settled
on his neck and all over his body. He had
been standing the pain with Christian fortitude.
but unfortunately for him one of the papers of
his state published paragraph about his con-
dition. Since then he has been receiving num-
berS OF letters every day from doctors lnQuir-
ing after his health and asking questions about
his physical state that have made him nervous
For instance, one of these doctors asked some
very knowing questions about his bladder and
kidneys, and in that connection asked if he felt
certain symptoms (Which anyone who has
been afflicted with boils knows at once he must
feeD, and seemed to shake his head gravely
and intimate that the congressman had better
look out for himself. He wisely gave no ad-
vice. but the victim wrote promptly to know
what he meant by his intimations. and in a
state of alarm sought his aid. Nightmares of
Bright's disease have been annoying the con-
gresham since.
The newspapers published paragraph stat
ing that it was believed that another member
had cancer of the mouth. That gentleman has
suffered the pangs of anxiety and suspense
ever since, though he has no better authority
than this vague report for believing that he
may be so afflicted.
There are scores of others more or less nery-
Gus about their physical condition The dis
ease most commonly dreaded by our states
men is that known as ''overwork" Many have
insomnia from 1t; and the least intimation
to one of them that he is suffering from that
disease drives him at once from his desk and
incapacitates him for the next six weeks.
CrOss-eyed Girls and Bad Luck.
From the Lewistown journal.
"a cross-eyed girl is death to good luck on
the stage" said the old Snowman, who was in
a pensive and talkative mood.
'They are dead sure to bring bad luck-a
regular hoodoo, and no mistake. Lots of us