The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-11

was thought the end wonId set be postponed
soma weeks. \ portion Of his family. antlci-
pating no danger, was at the opera liSC msn., nfs
stood around his bedside in his last hours on
~ his doctors and his immediate family.
HOW THE NEWS WAS LEARNED.
Not thc flintcst suspicion OF the serious at
tack which killed Mr.. Davis or OF his death
came out until a relative went to the western
Union Telegraph office to file caoicgr;n 10
Europe, announcing 10 his uaushleI, nov
abroad, on account OF her health, her lather
DEATH This was the first news the press hau
Of it. The only other person nolihcd WAS
Mayor Sllak eSl,eare. He was reused rom ms
bed about in the morning by tme 'Hriy, hnSc
Mr. Davis's body lay, and there IN cohSulla-
tion with the family, drew up his proclaiiila.,
ton announcing to the public MT. Davis
death and appointing committee OF proihl'
ncut citizens 10 arrange for the 1unerai.
PREPARING FOR THE FUNERAL.
Al an carly hour this morning conference
of the committee was held at the city nan 10
tLe mcmb bcrS Of Mr.. DaviS'S family, inc CITY
officials. the various Confederate Veteran AS
sociations, the officers OF the Siate nliliiu'
the Federal officials, the presidents of the sev-
cral commercial exchanges, the State anu eiIy
judiciary, and all the leading clergy OF Inc Inc
city and other prominent citizens, the large
hall being crowded with visitors.
WEDNESDAY TIE FUNERAL DAY.
It had been first determined the funeral
would take place on Sunday, but before Tue
in from ali parts of the South, asking for the
date Of the funeral and announcing LhtI !,
number OF persons drSlreu 10 oe plescht, anu u
suggesting that time be allowed for thcn 10
get there This induced the conference 10
poStronc the funeral till "Wednesday noon. SO
ms to give all who decided TO come hero ample
time 10 do So , ,,o,
or Shakespeare teIegraphed to all the South
ern Governors, notifying them of the arrange
ments made and asking them to take part III
the funeral ceremonies. The question OF
THE PLACE OF BURIAL
vos also discussed The family burying
rroupd of the Davis family is at the Rriarfield
homestead, Just below Nicksburg: Here, IN
this beautiful spot, Mr.. Davis's elder brother,
Joseph Davis, is buried, ana mere Inc tNifrs' II,
as it i'm possible TO hold the funeral cerelno'
mics at lirartic!d, 1t was decided to lay the re,
mains temporarily at rest here III the tomb o
| the Confederate Veterans Association OF the
army of Northern Virginia, iE Metairie Gem
etery.
| TIE BODY TO LIE IN STATE.
AS soon as the news of the death was cireu,
ed through the town by the papers Tic
| Frnncr House was visited by such large
number of persons that it WAS determined
that the body should be removed TO the CITY
| Hall to lie in state there In the council cham
| ber until the funeral. Mrs. Davis asked that
the corpse remain in her charge to-day, bul
consented to allow its transfer to some puDiit
place Tonight provided it was made quietly
and unOstentalously.
| TIE DEATIIBED SCENE.
From the beginning of his fatal illness MIR
| Davis had insisted that his case was quite
hopeless, though dread of pain or fear o.
death never appcSred TO take the sllGnleSI st
attack. In val did the doctor strive to im
press upon him that his health was improv
! ing -Ee steadily insisted that there was nc
| Improvement, but with Christian resignation
he was content to accept whatever Providence
| had in store for him. Only once did he waFci
| in his belief that his case showed no improve
ment. and that was carly yesterday morninG ~;
| when he playfully remarked to Mr.. Payne, 81
am ufraid that shall be compelled TO agree
! with the doctor for once AMI admit that ain
a little better" All day favorable symptoms
continued and late in the AFTERNOON, as late us
! 4 O'Clock Mrs. Davis sent such cheering mes
| sarcS to Mrs. Stamps and MIR. and Mrs. Farliil
| that they decided 70" the first time since Mr
| Davis has been taken Ill TO attend the French
opera. ,,,. ~
| sirnablc cause Mr. Davis was seized with 4;
| congCStive chill, which seemed to crush tho
! vitality ont of his already cnIccblcd body
So weak was he that the violence OF the as
saul, soon subsidized for lack of vitality upon
which 10 prey. From ;hat moment to the
morning of lis death the history Of the case
was gradual sinking. Az O'Clock Mrs. DAVIS
| administered some medicine, hut the EN-
prpsidcn; d. clincd to receive the whole dose
pray excuse me- he sail, as lie pushed the
glass away gently.
| Gradually he grew weaker but never for al
instant seemed to lose consciousness. Lying
peacefully upon his bed, and without trace o
pain in his look, he remained for hours silent
| is claSping and tendcrly carcsSinS his VIE!
hand. With undaunted CHRISTIAN spirit NJ
awaited the end. From the moment OF tho
dread assault Of the chill those gathered
around bis bedside, Who had been watching
and noting with painful interest every change
j of SYMPTOM for the past month, knew wei
that the dread messenger was even at Tho
door.
At half past 10 o'clock Associate Justice
Fcnner went to the French Opera House u
call Mr. and Mrs. Farrar and Mrs. Stamps
! AS soon rs the message reached them they
hurried to the bedside OF the dying EN-Presi
dent, and by half past IL o'clock there were as
sembled in the death chamber Mrs. Davis
Drs. ChaiIe and Beck ham, Associate Justice
and Mrs Fenner, Mis-. Mamie Smith, grand
niece of the dying man. and Mr.. and Mrs. T.
| II. Farrar. Finding that MIR. Davis was
breathing somewhat heavily as he lay upon
his back, the doctors turned him upon hls
| right side with his cheek resting upon his
| right hand like sleeping infant. He lay iol
| fifteen minutes breathing softly but family
More and more feeble became his respiratons
| till they passed into silence, and then the
! watchers knew that the silver cord had been
looscd and the golden bowl broken. The Fa.
ther of the Confederacy had passed away
:'As calmly as to nights rcpose,
| Or flowers at set OF SUM-"
Dispute the fact that the end had come slow
| ly and peacefully, and after he had been face
| TO face Tor hours with the dread reality the
blow fell with crushing force upon the afhict'
ed widow. AS long as there had been work
for either head or hands she had borne up
bravely. and not until the sweet uses for her
tender ministrations were lost did she seem
to realize the terrible force Of the blow.
Knowing Of her predispoSitiOn OF heart afiec-
| tion, the doctors were at once gravely alarm
| ed. They promptly administered COM
pound draught, and at q late hour this morn
Ing she was resting quietly. 1t Is believed
that the foundation Of the Ex-Presidents last
illness was malaria combined with acute
bronchitis. 4 congeStive chill was attrlbuta-
BILE to the return OF malaria.
After death the face Of the deceased, though
looking slightly emaciated, showed no trace
Of suffering more nearly resembling that of a
peaceful sleeper than Of the dead.
When the family had partially recovered
from the shock, Mr. Farrar went to the West
ern Union Telegraph office and sent dis
patches to Miss Winnie Davis, who IS in Par
is, with Mrs. Pulitzer, to Mr.. Davis's son-in-
law in Colorado City, and also notified Gov
ernor Lowry, Of Mississippi.
DELICACIEs FOR THE SICK MAN.
FciendS constantly sent beautiful flowers, OF
which Mr.. Davis was very fond, but these
were not allowed to remain In the sick room
for any length Of time. At the outset jellcs,
fruits and all manner of invalid's delicacies
were proflered, until Mrs. Davis was compell-
ed to decline them. The sick mans food was
only milk. ice, beef tea and, rarely, a broiled
chop. Mr.. Davis remained in bed all the time
and was never left alone, being guarded low
ingly by his wife and a capable quadroon hir-
ed nDrSn lydia and Mrs Ioyis'S own little