The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1891-08-19
DEATH OF MRS. ! X. POLK.
| he Widow OF the Tenth President
PASSES Away.

p.
rounded by few loving friends and
relatives, Mrs James h. Polk, relict
Of the tenth President of the United
States. departed this life at 7:30
o'clock this morning, peacefully and
quietly, III the full possession of her
mental faculties
Mr.. Pc x WAS III perfect health |
until last Wednesday evening, when
on returning from short drive she
was taken suddenly i'll. She never
rallied.
Had she lived until September 4,
next, she would have been eighteen |
years beyond the allotted time of
three score years and ten. The
cause of her death was simply e1
haustion resulting from extreme old
age.
The bells throughout the city We're
lOiled WLen the news OF ner uedtu
became known, and words Of sympa.
thy and regret were heard from the
people.
Mrs Polk was, before her mar
riage, Miss Sarah Childress. She
was born near Murfreesboro, Ruth
erford county, Tenn, September 4,
1903, and was the daughter of Joel
and Elizabeth Childress. Her faith
er, farmer IN easy circumstance,
sent her to the Moravian institute at
Salem, n c.. where she was educat
ed On returning home she married
Mr.. Polk, who was then member
of the Legislature Of Tennessee The
following year lie was elected to con
gress. and during his fourteen ses-
sions in Washington Mrs. Polk's
courteous manners, sound judgment
and many attalnnents gave her
high place III society.
Mrs Polk was married when still
in her teens. She lived continuous
ly at Nashville, except when in
Washington. For the last twenty
years she has lived III seclusion.
POLK S ESTATE AND QUEER WILL
President Polk left a very large
estate, which was kept together toll
erably well until the civil war. when
nearly everything was destroyed or
lost. Mrs. Polk s income kept
dwindling down until half dozen
years ago. when she found herself
well nigh penniless When a bill
was introduced in congress to grant
the widow Of President Lincoln a
pension Of $4,000 a year, it lacked
one vote in the senate to secure its
passage. That was the vote of SEN
ator Howell E. Jackson, of Tennes.
see He offered to vote for the bill
provided it was amended so as to
give an annual pension of $4,000 to
| Mrs. Polk and to the widow of Pres
ilent TYLER as we'll as Mrs Lincoln,
and the bill became law. Since
that time Mrs. Polk has lived on this
pension.
President Polk was one of the
queerest wills ever left by an intelli-
gent man. Everything was given
to his wife, and at her death it was
to be turned over to 1.-The most de
serving member Of the family bear
ing the name of Polk" the decision
to be made by the state Legislature.
The nearest relative until recently
was state treasurer Tx Of Tennes.
see, to whom It WAS supposed the
estate would 20. ! few wears ago
he became def@n.cer 10 a large
amount AMI tied the country. finally
! dying II Mexico. His dishonesty
cut him aud his family of, and just
how the matter will be settled Is a
mystery. There is no other deser7.
lug member Of the family beariD 6
the Polk name. it is considered, and
now TIA; lis. Polk is dead the court
viii have t. decide the matter. /.
lis not believed that the document
! vi. stand p legal test