River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-12-24

SENATOR PLUMB. son in Philadel-
phia, having gone there on Thursday.
His apartments are in the house of Mr..
Jennings on Fourteenth street
About o'clock Sunday morning Mr..
Jennings was aroused by a call from
the senator. When he reached the
apartment Of Mr.. Plumb the latter
was disrobed and lying ON the bed. In
response to the inquiry Of Mr..
Jennings he said: Il have an excru-
ciating headache" lie was holding
his head in his hands and swaying it
from side to side. Mr.. Jennings inn
mediately called Surgeon General
Wales The doctor gave the patient a
hypodermic injection of morphia- The
senator in a few moments became
quieter. and, the pain decreasing. lie
fell into deep sleep, which continued
for some hours.
DR. Wales left about $50 o'clock, and
a few minutes later Senator Plumb
jumped up. Mr.. jennings sprang to
his assistance. The senator had vio-
lent vomiting spell and was then as
sisted back TO his bed. He seemed to
be in great agony, tossed his head
from side to side on the pillow and ex-
claimed: MY God, my God, my head
These were the last words he uttered,
for in a few moments he again fell
asleep breathing heavily and laborious-
w. This sleep lasted until ll:25 o'clock,
when his respiration became heavier,
and death ensued at 1l:49 o'clock.
There were present at his bedside
when death occurred DIR. Wales, who
had been called some time before, Mr..
Jennings and Mr.. Flanagan, the SEN
ator's private secretary. After the
vomiting spell the senator never adj
dressed anyone. and his last words
were those of pain
The news of his death spread rapidly
through the city, and was a great
shock TO the public. Indeed, it was
hardly credited by his associates, being
regarded as a rumor The matter of
breaking the sad news TO Mrs. Plumb,
who is in feeble health, was delicate
one. and was done through telegram
to Maj. Hood. president of the EmpOria
national bank at Emporia, Kan, where
Mrs. Plumb now is.
Undertaken Wright arrived soon
after ~ o'clock, and under the direc-
ton of the physician and the senator's
friends the work of embalming was
begun About o'clock a message was
received from Mrs. Plumb requesting
that the body be sent home as soon as
possible. The sergeant-at-arms of the
senate had been notified in the mean
time, and when he arrived took charge
of the dead senator's papers and effects.
Topeka, Kan, Dec. Ex-senator
Plumb's death created profound SEN
sation here and has been the sole topic
of conversation among the politicians.
The hotel Hobbies have been filed and
every possible contingency discussed.
Gov. Humphrey left the city Saturday
night but will return to day. Those
who know the governor best say he
will be slow in making an appoint
ment Under no circumstances Will he
call an extra session of the legislature,
as it is overwhelmingly alliance.
Nearly a score of possibilities have
been mentioned about the hotel lob
bies. Those most frequently men,
toned are: Ex-Gov. George T. An
thony, ex-Congressman E. n. Morrill,
and Chief Justice Albert III. Horton.
EA-oGndlOI 10 buI AlAblC
spoken of Other names men toned
are: J. r. Burton, a young attorney of
Abilene. who was a bitter opponent of
Ingalls,; ex-Congressman S. II. Peters,
of Newton; George r. Peck, general
solicitor of the Atchison. Topeka Il
Santa Fe Railway Company; }. h. Hud-
son, editor of the Topeka Capital; and
ex-Gov. Thomas A. Osborne Hayes,
minister to Brazil. The legislature
which will elect successor to Gov.
Humphreys appointee convenes in JAM
uary, 1898, and will be elected next
fall. There will be no holdoeers either
in the lower house or senate.
Senator Plumb was born in Delaware county,
o. October ~, 1887. that he was in his 5ith
year at the time Of his death. He was not
college graduate but left the common schools
for the printers case and in pursuance of his vo-
cation a iourneyman printer IN 1855, in the
bloody days OF the history of the newly organ
lied territory OF Kansas, he walked into that
territory. He plunged at once into the thick
OF the political strife which then was waging
over the slavery question. He at once
went to the front and soon became
member OF the Leavenworth Constitutional
congress Of 1879 He admitted to the
bar In 1891 when the place of his adoption
became n state of the union; served in the leg
islature in 1852, was chairman OF the judiciary
committee, and subsequently, reported the su-
preme court. When the war broke out he
entered the army as second lieutenant in the
Eleventh Kansas infantry and served
successfully as captain major and lieu
tenant colonel OF the regiment and was
commissioned q colonel OF the regiment
in August. 1862 After the war Mr. Plumb re
turning to Kansas was elected a member OF
the Kansas house OF representatives, and in
1879 was chosen United States senator TO sue
coed James NJ. Harvey, republican. He took
his seat in 1877 and has represented his state
as a senator ever since that time. His term of
oraca xvoutd have exnfrad March 1905