Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-09
A MUTE'S DEATH-BED.
The Touching Circumstances of
Young Edward Miller's Demise.
LAST WORDS In SIGN LANGUAGE.
First Death in Many Years at the Deaf and
Dumb Institute.
DEEP SORROW OF ALL THE OTHER MUTES

1
Eddie Miller. He met it bravely, in the
big, handsomely turreted brick building
that stands on the road midway between
Williamsburg and Edgewood. The Silent
Messenger found him there, silent suf-
ferer. The deft fingers at last
touching his thin lips could not
palsy the tongue. Eddie had never
talked. The grim hum of Deaths song, or
the roar of dark, unseen waters could not
affect the lads hearing. In the 16 years of
his life Eddie had never heard sound. He
was deaf mute. The spirit hands could
only draw down his weary eye-lids.
Eyes that speak are always beautiful.
| But when human being has never had the
power to articulate, the missing voice is re-
placed in double sense by the eloquent
language of the eye. A complete deafness
in the same person only increases the luster
of beaning orb, and makes it indeed
window to the soul, through which the light
of intelligence is received as well as i'm
parted. To close such eyes would be to end
all. But very gently, as well as silently,
were those of Edward Miller sealed.
| A DYING WISH.
1t was the first death in the Western
! PENNSYLVANIA Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb in nearly eight years. The boy, am
bilious to succeed in the world notwith-
standing his terrible affiictlon. was one of
the brightest students in the school. He
had come there year or two ago from
his home in Saegerstown, Crawford
| county. He was a general favorite
with the hundred other deaf mutes
| in the institution, and the members of the
faculty have naught but good words about
his conduct. Thursday week ago he was
in his usual seat at school. The next day
he was excused from study on account of
feeling ILL He took to his bed on
Saturday afternoon, and, when the ply
siciau pronounced it a dangerous case
of pneumonia, Rev. DR.. Brown, the princi-
pal, saw the chances were against his pupil,
and, by the sign language, asked him if he
would like to see his parents.
The eyes frightened with the answer long
before the nimble fingers had spelled out
the words:
eyes, oh, yes! send for father! would
love to see my mother again; but she cannot
come so far.''
BY THE SIGN LANGUAGE.
Edward was one of the few pupils who
DR.. Brown had succeeded in teaching to
articulate very slightly. There were lew
words which he could pronounce almost cor
rectly. Two of these he murmured quite
frequently during his illness. They were:
'Oh, dear! Oh, dearI'
There was an indescribable pathos in the
way he family uttered them, and the lips,
in forming the exclamation, were more ex-
pressive than the actual words. -
All other communications with the diving
boy, such as questions and replies, had to
be made in the sign language or In writing.
He was proficient in both. Naturally
good, he was not afraid to die, and seemed
cheerful when the finger alphabet was used
to talk of religion. From the very first he
believed he would die, and for this reason
refused his medicine toward the last
Mrs. Brown, the wife of the Principal,
at one time was holding a handkerchief,
wet with cologne, to his nostrils, when he
the telegram Eddie's father arrived on Tues
day. He and the boy conversed
freely by means of signals, al
though those speaking, hearing. tear
less eyes were kept fastened on the
| father, until the mist of another dawn
veiled him from the boys vision. He died
Thursday evening at 5 o'clock.
THE soRRowING MUTEs.
Silent grief is always saddest. That
night the other deaf mutes were given the
privilege of visiting the hospital room to
see their dead friend. One by one, and in
groups of half a dozen, they passed in.
| Over the whole school a dark shadow had
| fallen. There had never been death among
them before-that is among those now at the
home. Ali were impressed deeply. Some
were fairly overcome by their grief
The death chamber echoed with soft foot
steps. Many of the boys and girls were
crying, but still the silence of death itself
was unbroken. Tears heaving breasts,
awe-stricken faces, trembling hands-but
no sobs. 1t was the deep, mute sorrow pc
culiar to this unfortunate class of people.
Yesterday morning the balance of the
pupils went into the room to see "Ed' as
he Law on the bed as though asleep. Then
the coffin arrived. In the afternoon the
body was taken to Pittsburg by DR.. Brown,
and shipped to Crawford county in the care
of Mr.. Miller. The father had simply said
his son had found better home in wilkins
burg than under his own roof. Now he has
gone to home still better.
This morning at 9 o'clock the silent stu
dents will all be assembled in the chapel of
the institution for a memorial service. DR..
Brown will arrange for a beautiful way of
remembering their dead companion. Prof
B. R. Although will, in the sign language,
tell the boys and girls what death is, and
strive to point them to a land where they
will talk and hear as well as see.
A REMARKABLE RECORD.
The death of young Miller was remark
able in another way. Deaf mutes, as a
rule, are delicate and susceptible to dis
ease. By no means all of them are born
deaf and dumb. The majority, perhaps,
become mutes through disease. The dregs
of those diseases are never eradicated from
their system. The result is an impaired
constitution, weak and rarely able to com
pare with those who are strong mentally
and possessed of all their senses.
In this instance the care and excellent
sanitary arrangements of the Western Penn
sylvania Institute is demonstrated. In the
13 years of its existence there have only
been two deaths from diseases originating
in the building. There were Just two other
deaths. One was from a disease the child
was suffering with when coming from home.
The other was the killing of one of the
nunils in the Twentv-eiphth street ro;lroad