The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-21
HIS LIFE ENDED BY Apo
PLEXY SUNDAY MORNING.
IIe Had Not Needed His Doctors Ad-
vice To Stop Work,
ONCE BEFORE THE SENATOR HAD
SEEMED TO DIE.

This Led Mrs. Plumb to Forbid Embalm-
ing, but the Message Came Too Late
MIR. Plumb Was Taken Violently Ill
Saturday Night He Became Uncon-
scious Sunday Morning and Died Soon
After-Grief in Washington-The Fu-
neral Arrangements--Hon. John j.
ingalls, Mentioned as Mr.. PIumb's
Successor.
WASHINGTON, December 20.-"Oh, my
God; my head. my head. my head" ex-
claimed Senator Preston B. Plumb of Kan
sas. at 45 this morning. A few minutes
later he fell unconscious, and little more
than five hours afterwards he was dead.
His physician, DIR. Philip S. Wales, his
clerk, B. w. Flenniken, and his landlord,
Mr.. Jennings, were with him at the end.
sas. Death came from apoplexy, the re-
suit of exhaustion of the brain. 1t was
clear case of overwork and inattention to
the laws of nature. The Senator has been
known for years as the most pushing, en-
ergetic and hard-working member of the
Senate. A year ago he began to fail. and
his brain became affected. Throbbing
headaches became more and more frequent
His physicians warned him that cOntinu-
ance Of his labors meant death. but he re-
fused to heed their warnings. He contin-
ued to work with the energy of steam
engine until today, when. still apparently
in his full vigor. with many years of life
before him, he died.
The news of Mr.. Plumb's sudden death
shocked and startled his friends and ac-
quaintances, of whom he had great num-
Der in and out of public life. More save
those at his bedside knew he had been tax
en- i'll. A few of Mr.. Plumb's most inti-
mate friends knew that he had been ailing
for some time, but none were prepared for
the worst. He had been in the Senate last
week, end appeared as we'll as ever. A
few days ago he told Senate empl0ye that
he was younger than the employe, who
was his junior by 20 years. He actively
looked after the interests of his cODsttu-
ents last week, and probably leads any
other senator in the number of bills intro
duced this session. Latterly he had been
complaining of sleeplessness. vertigogand
symptoms which, IN medicine, are EN-
braced in the term aphasia. He COM
planned OF persistent pains in the head,
impairment OF memory, and growing ina
bility to clothe his ideas in proper and ap-
propriate words. The Senator had preV-
ously been so remarkably fluent of speech
that he was the terror of the stenOgraph-
ers. Not until two weeks ago, was DIR.
Wales asked for advice as to the trouble.
The doctor, after a careful study of the
inf hn hot
toms indicated apoplexy, and that he must
quit work and take rest, but Mr.. Plumb
was incIedulOus and thought the doctor
unduly alarmed. He kept up his labors
except when severe headaches forced him
to temporarily abandon work. He had
desk In the front room OF his apartments,
and another in his committee room at the
Capitol. He worked on his immense per-
sonal business morning and night, besides
doing hard days work on public affairs
at the Capitol. His eyes troubled him, AMI
a skillful 0culist examined them. His kid
neys were examined by specialist. Each
of these persons reported that the trouble
lay not in the eyes or kidneys, and by their
report that there was some other organic
trouble. confirmed the diagnosis Of DR..
Wales.
How the End Came.
A few days ago Senator Plumb went to
Philadelphia with Senator Quay for the
purpose of consulting DR.. Pepper. He re-
turned to Washington last night, complain
ing of violent he idache. but hs went to
dinner at Chamberlain's. given by ex-Sen-
ator Malone to few friends. 1t must
have been l o'clock or later this morning
when Mr.. Plumb returned to his quarters
Shortly before 2 Mr.. Jennings was awak-
ened by knock at his bedroom door. Sem
at0r Plumb told Mr.. Jennings that he was
very sick and requested him to come down
stairs and 1t up with him. Mr.. Jennings
saw that the Senator's condition was Sc
rious, and at o'clock DR.. Wales was
called. The doctor alleviated the pain
and administered the proper remedies. He
stayed with Mr.. Plumb from 2 until 30
O'Clock, and then left his patient sleeping
quietly. At 45 Senator Plumb awoke,
and with spring bounded out of bed ana
began to vOmit, his head aching violently.
The vomiting ceased after time. Then
1t was that the Senator tossed his hands to
his head and exclaimed, "Oh, my God nv
head, my head " the last words he ever ut
tered. Mr. Jennings StrOked his head to
relieve the pain. In few minutes Mr..
Plumb lapsed into slumber and later into
uncODSciOuSnesS.
At 10 o'clock, r. w. Flenniken, clerk to
the committee on public lands, of which
Senator Plumb was chairman, and the SEN
atOr's private secretary for some years.
called as was his custom to assist the Sem
ator with his correspondence. MIR. Flen-
nlken noticed that the sick man was breath.
ing heavily and stertOrously. DIR. Wales
was again summoned. He saw at once
that his patient had been stricken with
apoplexy. Mr.. Plumb was unconscious.
his tongue was paraly Esd and the end came
at 11.50. DR.. Wales said this afternoon
that the immediate cause of death was apo.
plexy, brought on by fatty degeneration of
the brain from overwOrk and f9tigue. IF
he had given up," remarked the doctor, sin
all probability IL would have been different.
He had strong frame, but had an enor.