Connecticut western news., 1889-05-22
DEATH OF MINISTER RICE
He Was to Have Sailed for Russia
 on the Day He Died.

Allen Thorndyke Rice, Minister to Russia and editor of the North American Review. died unex pectedly at the Fifth Avenue Ho tel, New York. He had not been strong for some time and has suffered from throat troubles. He was run down somewhat by the exertions required in settling his affairs in this country preparatory to going to St. Petersburg. But he had no question of his ability to sail this month, and had engaged quarters on the City of Paris. He had ar, ranged that Lloyd S. Brice should edit the North American Review while he was serving his term as Minister, and MT. Rice visited Mir. Bryce at Sands Point, Long Island He was not we'll when he went there, and when he came back to New York he was scarcely able to stand. He took a cab and went to the office of his physician, Dr. Edward l.. Reyes, who immediately ordered him to his bed at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Mir. Rice had plan. ned to be at a dinner party that evening, but had to send his regrets.
 No alarm was caused at first by MT. Rice's condition. The illness was pronounced ton silitis or quinsy with Liberated sores in the throat. Mir Rice began to feel worse, but he had an idea that it was dphtheria which bothered him. but this was not admitted by Dr. Reyes high fever prevailed, and his tonsils became m ore infamed, but his breath ing was not noticeably obstructed. His suf fering was intense for some days; when the abscesses began to discharge, his pulse became nearly normal, and his temperature was TO- duced. All this relieved him, and there was no unfavorable anticipation. The improve ment continued and pr, Reyes, two assistant physicians, the nurse and Mr. Rices valet of twenty years service, James Sargent, felt certain that the sick man was recovering as rapidly as could be expected. When MT. Rice gave mp his stateroom on the City of Paris, MT. Bryce, who was to have been his compan- ion, retained his and left with the steamer,-
 The physicians were so satisfied with Mir. Rices improvement that they announced that he would be sufficiently we'll to sail on the next steamer of the Inman Line, the City of Chicago. MT. Rice had some sleep toward midnight, and in the morning was asleep un- til two o'clock, when one of the attendants asked him how he felt He replied that he was much better. Those were his last words
 The nurse let him go to sleep, and then fear full that during his sleep the abscesses in the throat would discharge and obstruct his breathing, he attempted to awaken MT. Rice The patient did not answer the nurses words and even when touched on the shoulder failed to wake up The nurse was alarmed, and called Sargent, the valet. They moved the patient in bed but could not arouse him. The physicians were hastily called. Before they came Mir. Rice was breathing only with great difficulty, and when the doctors got there he was beyond assistance. He died at 3.3O 0. m. The trouble was one the doctors had looked for earlier in the history of the case 1t was in tho language of the profess ion, oedema of the glottis, or according to more ordinary expression, n choking to death caused by the swelling of the elottis. It had been thought this might occursolne days ago. and the fact that no symptoms of it appeared then, and that MT. Rice continued to i'm pro ve
 made all the attendants very hopeful The circumstance is rare in such cases