Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-15
Tine Last Hours of Von MoItke.

The correspondent or the IOnuO0 Times at Berlin, writing on the 26th of April of the death of Von Moltke, says:
 'The news was all the more affecting as it was wholly expected, for the last few weeks had furnished Count Won Moltke's countrymen with ample evidence of the continued vigor and hopefulness of his power. At the end of last month the field marshal had accompanied the emperor on his tour of inspection among some of the Baltic ports, and he attended here ia Berlin the laying of the foundation stone of two memorial churches-one to the founder of Protestantism and the other to the royal founder of the German Empire. He had also been present at the late presentation of colors to several regiments, and occupied his accustomed seat at the ensuing ban quet at the Schloss. He had been going out and coming in as usual, and even on | Friday the day of his death he spent few l hours at the sitting of the upper chamber | of the Prussian diet. From that sitting he | walked home alone, as was his his wont, through the Thiergarten to his old official residence in the building of the grand gen. eral staff on the Konigsplatz, in the con | tinued possession of which and other hon ors and perquisites he was confirmed by the present emperor on resigning his post a year or two ago.
 ''Then he dined as usual, with his nephew, | Major Won Moltke-who also acted as his aide de -camp-and several other guests. | Dinner over, the count took q short nap, ,as | was his custom, and then drank cup of | tea, after which he settled down to his | nightly rubber of whist, which was always | just as essential to his nights rest as sleep | itself, and which he never even could dis pense with by any chance, even on the eve of momentous battles like koniggratz and Sedan.
 And the peculiar thiDgon Friday night, as learn from an authentic source(though the incident has not yet become publicly known here,) was that the field marshal | won the tricks of the rubber, thirteen of them, each and all himself At this rare result he showed quiet exultation, and | playfully remarked to his nephew, who had
 been at first rather inclined to chaff him about his chances ot the game. Was ssgt
 CT nun zu seinen SauferI.f tor, what does
 he say to his drunken fellows nOwD This,
 it must be explained, was favorite quota,
 ton of the counts on similar occasions,
 and had its origin in episode at one of
 the battles of the Seven Years war, Hohen.
 friedberg or Leuther,i am not sure which A
 ion, and on passing the spot where Freder.
 ick stood his majesty shook a stick at them,
 and ,alluding to some discreditable incident
 in their past record. sneered at them ss 8
 pack of drunken fellows Stung by this
 reproach the dragons rushed into battle,
 and soon returned past the king again with
 an unprecedent haul of captured stand
 ards. What does hs say to his drunken
 fellows nowf sang ont one of the dragons l Is. Is I... us
 their splendid feat, and the laugh was all
 against his majesty this time. And so il
 was against the rest of the company on Fri
 day night, when old Field Marshal Moltkt
 fitly enough closed his career by winning
 one final victory complete and crushing oi
 its kind.
 After the game the count complained
 of feeling rather fidgety, whereupoR hit
 niece proposed to him to go into the ad joining music room and listen to a sonats
 of Beethoven's. Such diversion was ac, ) cordingly at once provided by profes
 sional pianist who chanced to be present, but his playing had not lasted long before the count, feeling an asthmatic sensation of an unfamiliar kind seiZing hold of him,
 rose and retired to his own bedroom, l where he at once sank down on the sofa and it was in this position that he wal } presently found by his nephew, who had , been quick to follow tEe field marshal and 3 ask what ailed him. But the answer wa. t not clear With the help of another mem !, Der of the family, Majon von Moltke liftec
 his uncle on to the latter's little camp bed 3 where its occupant only had time t stretch his limbs, when he quietly anC s peacefully breathed his last, and all tn
 doctor, who was at once sent for. could d, s was to declare that the grand old soldie t had died from sudden stoppage of tn hearts action This was precisely tn B kind of death which Count von Moltk I had longed for, and his countrymen nov e join in enyying him for his happy end n !. less than in lauling the results of his lon e and glorious career. It is pointed out a 7 a curious coincidence that, like the Emps @ TOT William and the Emperor Frederick D Count von Moltke died on Friday