St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-16
WALKER BLAINE DEAD
The Eldest Son OF the Seere-
tapy Of State Sueeumbs to
Pneumonia.
La Grippe the Primary Cause
Of His Almost Painless
Death.
Only His Two Unmarried Sis
terS Were Present at the
Dissolution.
Devotion to His Fathers In
terests Retarded His Own
Advancement.


and eldest living son of Hon. James &.
Blaine, secretary of state, died sud-
denly and without premonitiOn at the
family residence-the old Seward man.
sion facing Lafayette park-at 500
O'Clock this evening. of acute pneu-
monia, superinduced by an attack of the
grip. There were with him at the
time of his death only his two unmar-
ried sisters. Harriet and Margaret.
though all the the family except Mrs.
C0ppinger and James G. Blaine Jr.,
were in the house at the time, those ab-
sent from the city having been hastily
summoned here by telegraph today.
! he end was painless. life passing away
while the sufferer. who had been delir-
Gus all day, was unconscious. He had
been i'll only few days and his death
is a sudden and severe shock tp
an unusually large circle of friends,
who were not aware that lie was
dangerously i'll until this morning,
while the family, who were all de-
vOtedly attached to him, are totally
prostrated with grief at The sudden and
uneXpe' ted bereavement. DR.. q. Lloyd
Magruder, the family physician, fur
nlshed tonight the following statement
of Mr.. Blaine's sickness: Walker
Blaine was
ATTACKED BY ia GRIPPE''
on Friday evening last. The malady
was ushered in by chill, followed by
a high fever. Severe catarrhal syinp-
toms Immediately attacked both lungs.
This continued through Saturday and
Sunday. but in an ameioraled condi-
ton. On Monday Improvement in the
left lung was noticed, though
pneumonia congestion was present
in the right lung. On Tuesday
all of The symptoms became aggravated.
Well developed pneumonia supervened
IN the right lung, accompanied by high
fever and delirium. which continued
until his death. which occurred almost
without premonitiOn tS:20, and was due
TO pulmonary etfusion. Walker Blaine.
while comparatively strong, had not
entirely recovered from the accident in
the spring by which his leg WAS broken
and from an attack of malarial fever
from which he suffered during the
autumn. DR.. Magrudrr had in consul
tatiOn with him DR.. Joseph Faher john
son. The news of Mir. Blaine's death
quickly became known, and friends
called during the evening to express
their sympathy. The president and
Mrs. Harrison called very soon after
A.r. Bla'ne's death. and Vice President
ard Mrs. .Mmten c; ME soon afterwards.
Justices Harlan and Gray, of the su-
preme court. most of the members of
the Maine delegation, Representative
Hit aid many others all known in
official and social life, also called. No
arrangements for the funeral will be
made until tomorrow. the family
BEING TOO MUCH OVERCOME
to give thought TO the burial as vet.
Walker Blaine was born in Augusta,
Me-, May s, 1855. lie first came to
Washington to live in 1867, five years
after his fathers election to congress.
lie was graduated from Yale in 1877,
and from the Columbia Law sclInol
In New York two years later.
lie then went to st. Paul.
Mimi, where for two years he was in
the law office of Cushman K. Davis, at
present senator from Minnesota He
came 10 Washington In 1881, and was
appointed third assistant secretary of
state. In the winter of 1882, he went
to South America with Mr.. Trescott on
a special mission to use the good
Offices of the United States to negotiate
settlement of the troubles between
Chill and Peru. He was then charge
d'atfalreS in Bolivia for several months.
Late in the year 1852 he was appointed
assistant counsel of the court of Ala
hama claims, which office he
held until 1889. He lived in
Chicago from 1886 to 1888, re-
turning to this city Jan. l, 1881. He
assisted his father in the work which
devolvtd upon him when he became
secretary of state. and on March 13 last
was nominated by President Harrison
examiner of claims in the state depart
ment, and as such was legal adviser of
the department and confidential repre-
sentative of the secretary. Walker
Blaine had assisted his father greatly
throughout his political career, and was
most closely and intimately associated
WITH HIM IN ALL HIS PLANS.
enjoying not only the great affection of
his father, but his complete confidence
as well. He was young man of marked
attainmantS, great tact and decided
ability. He was highly respected by
those who knew him in official and So
cial life, many of whom predicted that
he would have achieved an even higher
name for himself but for his devotion to
bis fathers interests. 1t may be truth
fully said of him that those who knew
him best esteemed him most. The re-
gard in which he was held was shown
when his nomination to his last office
was sent into the senate: that body, on
motion of Senator Edmunds, doing him
the very unusual honor of confirming
the nomination at once, without refer
ence to q committee.