Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-06
kilograms to The Star.
"PRAY, EXCUSE Me-
Last Words of the Leader
of the Lost Cause.
THE SOUTH WEEPS OVER IT'S LOSS.
He Died Peacefully in the Midst Of
Family and Friends.
THE FINAL SCENE AT THE BEDSIDE
THE SOUTH wEEPS OVER IT'S LOSS
THE FINAL SCENE AT THE BEDSIDE
HIS ETERNAL AMNESTY.
Jefferson Davis Has Joined the Great
COnfederacy of the Dead.

in this city and was Immediately teegraphed
to all the leading cities of the south. The
death OF Mr.. Davis has been expected at any
time within the last month. Four weeks ago,
while travelling on a river steamer, he caught
cold, and his condition became so serious that
his physicians refused to allow him to return
to his home in Mississippi. Mrs. Davis was
sent for and Immediately joined her husband
and remained with him constantly until the
end. Mr.. and Mrs. Davis were as devoted to
each other as when in their younger days they
eloped to be married. For three days previous
Mr.. Davis had been getting steadily better and
was much improved, SO the physicians thought.
All day yesterday the favorable symptoms con-
tinued. and late in the afternoon, as late as
O'Clock, Mrs. Davis sent such cheering
message to Mrs. Stamps and Mr.. and Mrs.
Fenner that they decided, for the first time
since Mr.. Davis had been taken ill, to attend
the French opera At o'clock last evening,
without any assignable cause, Mr.. Davis was
seized with congestive chill, which seemed to
absolutely crush the vitality out of his already
enfeebled body. So weak was Mr.. Davis that
the violence Of the assault soon subsidized for
lack of vitality upon which to prey.
"PRAY EXCUSE ME-"
From that moment to the moment of his
death the history of his case was that Of a
gradual sinking. At o'clock Mrs. Davis ad-
ministered some medicine, but the ex-president
declined to receive the whole dose. She urged
upon him the necessity of taking the remainder,
but,puttng 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
consciousness. Lying peacefully upon his bed,
and without trace of pain in his look, he re-
mained for hours. Still clasping and tenderly
caressing his wife's hand, with undaunted
spirit he awaited the end. From the moment
OF the dread assault Of the congestive chill
those gathered about the bedside, who had
been watching and noting with painful inter-
est every change of symptom for the last
month, knew well that the dread messenger
was 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 mes
sage reached them they hurried to the bedside
of the dying ex-president.
THE DEATH-BED SCENE.
By 11:30 o'clock there were assembled in the
death chamber Mrs. Davis, Drs. Chaille and
Bickham, Associate Justice and Mrs. Fenner
Mrs. Nancie Smith, grand niece of the dying
ex-president and Mr.. and Mrs. E. II. Farrar.
Finding that Mr.. Davis was breathing some
what heavily as he lay on his back the doctors
assisted him to turn upon his right side. With
his cheek resting upon his right hand Like a
sleeping infant and with his lett hand dropping
across his chin he lay for some fifteen minutes
breathing family. More and more feebly be-
came his respirations till they passed into
silence, and then the watchers knew that the
end had come. The father of the confederacy
had passed away
"As calmly as to nights repose
Or flowers at set of SUM-"
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 crushing force upon the af-
fiicted widow. AS long as there had been work
for either head or hands she had borne I'D
bravely. and not until the sweetest of her
tender ministrations were lost did she seem to
realize the terrible force of the blow that had
fallen upon her. Knowing of predisposition
to heart affection the doctors were at once
gravely alarmed for her. They promptly ad-
ministered composing draught and at a late
hour this morning she was resting quietly. It
is believed that the foundation of the ex-presi-
dents last illness was malaria, complicated with
acute bronchitis. Careful nursing and skilled
medical attendance had mastered the latter,
but it is supposed that the congestve chill which
was the immediate cause of death, was attribut-
able to q return of the malaria. After death the
face of the deceased though looking slightly
emaciated, showed no trace of suffering more
nearly resembling that Of peaceful sleeper
than of the dead.
MESSAGES OF coNpoLENCE.
Messages have been received from Atlanta.
Memphis, Louisville and many other points.
all expressive of respect for the dead confeder-
ate and of sympathy for Mrs. Davis in her af-
Fiction. The remains will probably lie in state
at the city hall here previous to their removal
to Mississippi for burial The general senti-
ment among ex-confederates is that the obse-
quies of Mr.. Davis should be the most impos-
ing ever witnessed in the south and it is be-
heved the mourners at the grave will be num-
bered by thousands.
The illness of Mr. Davis had been watched
with deep anxiety here and arrangements had
been made to announce his death by the tolling
of the fire bells. Word was therefore tele-
phoned to the central station at II so this morn
ing and in q few minutes the mournful notes of
the bells conveyed intelligence of the death TO
the city. Many people at once gathered at the
hotels and at O'Clock hundreds were discuss
ing the event.
IT WILL BE A HISTORIC HOUSE.
The handsome residence of Mr.. ]. U. Payne
at the corner Of 1st and Camp streets is at pres
ent an object of interest to every friend Of Mr..
Davis because it was in the pleasant guest
chamber of this elegant home that the confed-
crate chieftain passed away. This residence,
built by Mr.. Payne, is one of the most comfort
able and artistic in all the city. It is of brown
stone stucco, two stories high, with broad
verandas and set in lovely grounds, where
camelia bushes are spiked with bloom, and
oranges hang in clusters on the trees
The house has wide hall running through
the center, with drawing rooms or, one side,
library on the other and on the rear corner of
the house is lovely and CHEEKY apartment,
into which the southern sun streams nearly all
day. Here lay the patient and distinguished
invalid. 1t is q wonderfully pretty room, with
q rich-toned. Persian-hued carpet ON the floor,
shades and delicate lace curtains at the four
windows, two fronting to the east and two to
the south. Pictures are on the walls and there
is @ lounge, easy Turkish chairs and pretty
carved tables and huge carved oak Victoria
bedstead on which the ex-president Of the con-
federacy lies in the embrace Of death.
His constant attendant has been Mrs. Davis,
who has never left his bedside since his illness
began. In comfortable wrapper of gray and
black this gentle ministrant was always at the
invaid's side, and II she left him for moment