Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-02-20
]. ERY ] SD { i!
Two Deaths In Secretary Blainssg
Household, Two In Tracy's, ~
Now Nr. Window Dies,
Those High in Once and WELDING 8
Mighty Worldly Power Cannot
Escape the Destroyer.

EAcdp0 inc Uo6trOy0rs
A remarkable fatality seems to at
tend the cabinet households of Presi'
dent Harrison, says the New York
Continent. Within IL months death
has come with little or no warning to
the families of three members of the
administrative council. First, secre-
tary Blaine lost two of ibis children.
While the mourning wreaths laid by
loving hands on Walker Blaine'sgrave
were yet green, and before the body OF
Mrs. Coppinger had been assigned to
earth, death struck again at a acabinet
members family, this time in a man.
ner that appalled, the nation. secre-
tary Tracy lost wife and daughter in
the fatal fire that destroyed his home.
That he himself escaped was nothing
short OF miraculous, and his remain.
ing daughter, with her child, only
gained complete health again after q
hard struggle.
On the night OF the 18th inst, al
most on the first anniversary of tho
Tracy tragedy, the grim destroyer
came again, this time to carry of the
chief member-a cabinet minister
Secretary Window. In g. brilliant
banqueting hall, surrounded by friends
and admirers, with the music of ap-
plause ringing in his ears, the distln-
guished head OF the treasury depart
ment received the last summons, and
crossed the great devide.
Such series of fatalities during q
single administration is unprecedent-
ed.
Walker Blaine's death was the first
in the list that mas kept Washington
almost constantly in mourning tor a
year. 1t occurred on Jan. 15, 1890,
four hours before midnight. Mrs.
Blaine had just put on mourning tor
q dead lister, and there had been an
almost continuous sick watch in her
family since the preceding spring.
Walker was the last one of the family
to be attacked. No one expected his
illness to terminate fatally. He had
met with an accident, and when con-
valescing contracted the all.prevalent
grip" Almost before his attendants
realized the danger he was dead.
When his death was announced the
entire country was shocked. He had
| been the most prominent member of
the Blaine household next TO his faith
er. He was law officer and examiner
OF claims for the department OF state,
and on the high road to a proud Ca
reer in the field so long graced by his
| father.
From her sons funeral, Mrs. Blaine
went almost directly to the bedside OF
her daughter, Mrs. Coppinger. When
she left her post, it was only to pre-
pare for another funeral. Tender
nursing, unremitting attention and
the best medical service were all una
vaillng. The grim destroyer came at
$50 o'clock in the morning of Feb. 2.
While the people of the national
capital were discussing this second af-
Fiction for the secretary OF state, the
awful calamity that awoke the SYM
pathy OF the civilized world-the burn
Ing OF Secretary Tracy 8 shouse-ocour-
red.
On the morning of Feb. 8, shortly
after Z O'Clock, Secretary Tracv's res
idence on Farragut Square took fire.
The fire, caused by a detective aue,
had apparently been smoldering ali.
night, and when the front door was
broken in by those who discovered the
place to be burning the flames burst
out in all directions.
Mrs. Tracy, who was an invalid,
lost her life in endeavoring to saveher
husband. She had awakened to find
her husband unconscious. Imbued
with unusual strength by reason of
her peril; she dragged the secretary to
q window and cried for help. Firemen
came and carried out the unconscious
statesman. When they returned Mrs.
Tracy was missing. 1t afterwards
transpired that, dazed by the smoke
and the efforts to rescue her husband,
she climbed out of a rear window and
hung there from the sill. Not strong
enough to hold herself up tor any
length OF time, she fell to the area be-
low. Bystanders carried her form to
the house OF q neighbor where she died
few hours afterward.
Miss Mary Tracy was found suffo-
Gated in the hallway in front of her
parents bedroom, and a French maid
was burned to q crisp in her apart
ment upstairs.
1t was the most shocking incident
that had happened in Washington for
many years, and cast a gloom over
the entire country. Political friends
and political enemies combined in
their efforts to extend sympathy to
the afflicted chief of the naval depart
ment, and messages ofcondolence were
sent from nearly every civilized coun-
try in the world.
Now comes the sudden death of Mr..
Window. A feature that is pointed
out as remarkable is that the two
gentlemen who held the treasury port
tolio under the two proceeding admin.
istrations also died after very short
illness. Secretary Folge1, Of Presi-
dent Arthur's cabinet, and Secretary
Manning, of President Cleveland cabi-
net, broke down under the severe
strain OF the work of the treasury de-
partment, and now that Mr.. Window
IS dead, too, considerable color is lent
to the theory that the burdens of the.
office, as it is to-day, are too heavy
for any man to carry. 5
Another circumstance connected
with Mr.. Windom's taking of that
has caused comment is the fact that
there were 13 guests at the banquet
ing table where he sat. The table,
which was on a raised dais, was ar
ranged as follows: The Hon. 81. W.
Cooper, the Hon. Joel B. Erhardt, the
Hon. Jacob A. Cantor, the Hon. MUIR
at Halstead, the Hon. j. w. L,ongley,
the Hon. B. F. Tracy, the Hon. vii
liam Window, Ambrose Snow, the
Hon. Z. F. Bayard, the Hon. w. H.
II. Miller, the Hon. Wilfred Lanrier,
the Rev. DR.. D. Parker Morgan, the
Hon. Andrew II. Green.
This peculiar coincidence will pro.
badly give fresh impetus to the old
superstition about 13 at q table. 1.
"L1ook here, Mr.. Scribe. your naper