Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-05-10
SENATOR BECK dead.
Stricken Down While Conversing in
a Railroad Depot.
He Had just Returned from New York
and His Daughter Was With Him
His Long sickness.

He Had just Returned from New York
and His Daughter Was with Him
His Long sickness.
Senator James B. Beck, of Kentucky, drop
ped dead in the Baltimore and Potomac Rail-
urday afternoon. He had just arrived on the
limited express from New York, and was ac-
companied by his daughter, Mrs Goodloe, wife
of Maj Goodloe, of the United States 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 an effort and to breathe
with labor, but these symptoms were the usual
aceompaniments of e1ertion 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 a ear
riage to take him home. A few words were ex
changed with regard TO the care of baggage,
when the Senator suddenly turned pale and
with the remark, Il feel dizzy" fell into the
arms of his companions. They could not sup
port his weight and he dropped to the floor,
where he swooned away. His daughter was
naturally alarmed and screamed for help
Willing hands were numerous, as the station
was crowded at the time, and the limp and
helpless body was borne into the Office of the
station-master, about twenty feet away.
Great excitement ensued, and, although it
was apparent that the Senator was dead, half
a dozen messengers were Immediately dis
patched for physicians and all the remedies at
hand were applied, but all to no effect DR..
Chamberlain was the first physician to arrive
and he was soon followed by DIR. Wells and
others, but there was nothing for them TO do
except to examine the body and determine tho
cause of death.
A superficial examination only was possible
at the time, but this was sufficient to satisfy
the physicians that death resulted from pa
ralysis of the heart and Immediately followed
the attack. The news was telegraphed TO the
Capitol and subsequently spread like wildfre
to all sections of the city. Representatives
Breckenridge, Caruth, Stone and othors of the
Kentucky Congressional delegation, repaired
to the station at once and arranged for the re-
moval of the remains to the house of Sepre-
sentative Breckenridge, of Kentucky, on Cap
itol Hill.
HIS ILLNESS.
Senator Beck had not been regular in his at
tendance in the Senate for two years, and was
in his seat but few times this Congress. The
last legislation of general importance with
which he was connected was the "Underyal-
uations bill" which passed the Senate in
March, 1888. He worked on that measure with
constant devotion. One morning shortly after
wards, he came into the room of the appropria-
tons committee saying he had been sick the
night before. That was the first time he had
ever been known to be sick and from that time
forward he was never well man. During the
debate on the tariff bill, reported to the SEN
ate as q substitute for the Mills bill, he was
not able to take part, and his absence was 3
great loss to the Democrats. He visited the
Capital occasionally this winter but took no
part except to vote. His last appearance was
the day the case ofthe new Montana Senators
Sanders and Powers-was settled.
SKETCH OF SENATOR BECK.
Senator James B. Beck was born in Scot
land February Is, 1922 and came to this
10 be lawyer, read and was admitted to the
bar He entered politics and served with dis
tinetion four terms in the House of Repre-
sentatives II was on a number of impor-
tant committees, including that on reeonstruc-
ton, and that on appropriations. lie de-
clined further denomination and was elected
a United States Senator from Kentucky for
the term of six years from March 4, 1877, was
reelected for a second term of six years. In
politics he was a Democrat, but was highly
respected by members of both parties for his
craftsmanship and ready skill and power in
debate.
Among the notable measures with which his
name was connected was the bill to prevent
the certifcation by banks of stockholders
checks unless these represented cash actually
deposited with them. He also opposed the
assessment of government employees for po-
litical purposes