Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-04

Senator Beck of Kentucky Dies from
Paralysis of the Heart.
WASHINGTON, Nav Ex-senator James
K. Beck, of Kentucky, dropped dead at
the Baltimore and Potomac station at 4
o'clock this afternoon He had lust ar
rived from New York, accompanied bv
his daughter, Mrs. Goodloe, the wife of
Major Goodloe, of the o. S. Marine Corps.
He got off the train with the rest of the
passengers, and walked with his daughter
the entire length of the platform and
through the gate leading to the station
proper. He seemed to walk with sn eff
fort and TO breathe with labor, but the
symptoms were the usual accompaniments
of exertion with him for some months
past. After passing into the station the
Senator and his daughter stopped and
were Joined by his private secretary, who
had brought carriage to take them home.
A few words were exchanged with regard
to the care of the baggage when the Sena-
tor suddenly turned pale and with the re-
mark, 81 feel dizzy" fell into the arms of
his companions.
They could not support his weight and
he dropped to the floor. where he swooned
away. Willing hands were numerous, and
the limp and helpless body was borne into
| the Office of the station master, about
| twenty feet away.
When the physicians arrived there was
| nothing for them to do except to examine
| the body and determine the cause of
| death. A superficial examination only
was possible at the time, but sufficient to
satisfy the physicians that death resulted
from paralysis of the heart.
The news was telegraphed to the Capt.
toll and subsequently spread over all sec
tons of the city. Representatives.
Breckenridge, Caruth, Stone and others of
the Kentucky Congressional delegation re-
paired to the station at once and ar.
ranged for the removal of the remains to
q more suitable place.
Senator Beck had not been regular in
attendance upon the sessions of the Senate
for two years, and was in bis seat but few
times this Congress. The last legislation
of general importance with which he was
connected was the differentiation bill,
which passed the Senate in March, 1888.
He worked on that measure with constant
devotion, says Senator Allison, who was
associated with him, until il was disposed
of. One morning, shortly afterwards, he
came into the room of the committee say
ing he had been sick the night before and
was not feeling well then. That was the
first time he had ever been known to be
sick, and from that time forward he was
never a well man again.
/ tuc ucDhtc III TUG 66u6l6 on L0o
substitute for the Mills bill he was not able
to take part, and his absence was a great
loss to the Democratic ranks.
he was not able to be present at the open.
ing of the special session of the Senate in
March, 1889, and was sworn in by Presi-
dent pro tenn. Ingalls, some days afterwards.
He visited the Capitol occasionally since
the opening of the Fifty.first Congress, but
took no part in the proceedings except to
vote. His last appearance in the chamber
/ was on the day the case of the new Mon
tana Senators, Sanders and Power, was
| settled.
Senator Beck was greatly beloved by the
employees of the Senate for his uniform
kindness and courtesy and his active in
terest in their welfare.
James Burnie Beck was born in Dumfries-
shire, Scotland, February IL, 1922. He received
an academic education in his native country
and, coming to the United States with his pa
graduated at the Law School of Pennsylvania
| University in that place in 1876 He then prac.
ticed law in Lexington, and in 1866 was elected
| to Congress- serving four successive terms, from
| 1867 till 1875. In May, 1876, he was appointed
member Cfthe Commission to define the Virginia
| and Maryland boundary, and in the same year
| was elected to the United States Senate, which
| office he held continuously to the time of his
| death. During his Congressional career Mr..
Beck had served on important committees, and
had often been prominent in important debates.
He had been especially interested in questions
| relating to the tariff and the currency.l