The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-12-07
JEFFERSON DAVIS DEAD.
THE SOLDIER, STATESMAN
AND SAGE NO MORE.
Surrounded by His Loved Ones He
Peacefully Falls Asleep Leaving
the South to Mourn In Poignant
and Personal Grief.


and Personal Grief.
New ORLEANS, La, December g.
From the beginning of his fatal illness
Mr.. Davis had insisted that his case wa
quite hopeless. though the dread of pail
or fear of death never appeared to TAX
the slightest hold upon his spirits, whiCl
were brave, and even bouyant from th'
beginning of the attack. In vain did thu
doctor strive to impress upon him thai
his health was improving. He steadily
insisted that there was no improvement
but with christian resignation, he was
content to accept whatever Providence
had i'll store for him. Only once did h'
waver in his belief that his case showed
no improvement, and that was at al
early hour yesterday morning, when h'
playfully remarked to Mr.. Payne: "I
am afraid that | shall be compelled t
agree with the doctors, for once, anc
admit that | am little better
All day long, the favorable symptoms
continued, and late in the afternoon, as
late as + o'clock, Mrs. Davis sent such q
cheering message to Mrs. Stamps and
Mr.. and Mrs. Farrar, that they decided
for the first time, since Mr., Davis has
been taken i'll, to attend the French
opera. At o'clock last evening, with,
out any assignable cause, Mr.. Davis was
seized with a Congestive chill which
seemed to absolutely crush 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. From that moment
Al. ,,t 1, a.. Lao,
of his case was gradual sinking.
At o'clock, Mrs. Davis administered
some medicine, but the ex-President de-
Clined to receive the whole dose. She
urged upon him the necessity of taking
the remainder, but putting 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 i'll
his look, he remained for hours silently
claSping and tendcrly Caressing his wife 5
hand. With undaunted Christian spirit
he awaited the end.
From the moment of the dread assault
of congestive chill those gathered around
his bedside, who had been watching and
noting with painful interest every
change of symptom for the past month,
knew well that the dread messenger was
even at the door.
About half past 10 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 message reached them,
they hurried to the bedside OF the dying
ex-President.
By half past II o'clock there were as
sembled in the death chamber, Mrs.
Davis, Messrs. Chaille and Bickham,
Associate Justice and Mrs. Fenner, Mrs.
Mamie Smith, grand niece OF the diving
ex-President, and Mr.. and Mrs. E. H.
Farrar.
Finding that Mr.. Davis was breathing
somewhat heavily as he lay upon his
back, the doctors assisted him to turn
upon his right side with his cheek resting
upon his right hand. Like sleeping in
fant and with his left hand dropping
across his chest he lay for some fifteen
minutes breathing softly, but family.
More and more feeble became his respira-
tion till they passed into silence anu
then the watchers knew that the silver
cord had been loosed and the golden
bowl broken. The father of the conted-
eracy had passed away as calmly as to-
night S repose, or flowers at set of sun.
Despite the tact 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 afflicted 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 that
had fallen upon her. Knowing of her
predsposition to heart affection the doc
tors were at once gravely alarmed for
her. They promptly administered COM
posing draughts, and at late hour this
morning she was resting quietly.
1t is believed that the foundation of the
ex-President's last illness was malaria,
complicated with acute bronchitis. Care
ful nursing and skilled medical attention
had mastered the latter, but it is sup
posed that the congestive chill which
was the immediate cause of his death
was attributable to the return of mala-
ria
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.
When the family had partially recov-
cred from the terrible shock, Mr.. Farrar
went to the Western Union telegraph Of
flee and sent dispatches to Miss Winnie
Davis, who is in Paris with Mrs. Pu-
liter; Mr.. Davis son-in-law in Colorado
City, and also notified Governor Lowry,
of Mississippi, as he deemed it but right
that the executive of that State should
know of the death of one of its most dis
tinguished sons.
Senator Jones who started from Iowa
some days ago to pay visit to his old
friend and comrade, did not arrive yester-
day as was expected; and when he
reaches this city to-day, will only behold
the remains of him whom in life he es-
teemed and to see whom he Travelled
from far off Iowa to the sunny South.
Mrs. HAYES, Mr.. Davis daughter, who
was due here yesterday was detained
last night at Fort Worth and is not ex-
pected to be in the city until Saturday
morning.
Judge Fenuer and Mr.. Farrar have the
affairs OF the dead statesmanin hand but
the latter gentleman last night stated
that he and Judge Fenner would not
take any steps looking to the funeral
until they had held a consultation with
Mrs. Davis, who is it present too much
grieved by her severe loss to be approached
on the subject. Mr.. Farrar is fully
acquainted with all the details of Mr..
Davis will, but he stated that he did not
know but That Mrs. Davis received some
final wish from her husband regarding
fireplace of burial. Mr.. Farror did not
know if the burial would take place in
this city or elsewhere; and although he
and Judge Fenner had been requested to
not ne fhev 60 " 81 IN he DramiSPS Mrs