The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-21
DEATH OF SENATOR PLUMB.

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DEATH OF SENATOR PLUMB.
HIS SUDDEN TAKING OFF YESzE1-
DAT Br A STROKE OF APOPLEIE
The Senator Ressr.ea % Hts Rseus Amer
n Late supper ne ,Chs~seslain's, Wss
Soon Arserw.ra Taken vie,eatiy sses.
and an Hour Or Two Later Case The
Fatal stroke-The Repeated war~aass
OF HIS rhysseisss Uaheeaea UntM a Was
Too Lste-The FnbIie Career OF One OF
the Most Conspleueus and 1ntsrsstia9
Men D. the Unitea states Senate.
WAsHINaToN. Dec. Ex-senator Preston b
Plumb OF Kansas died suddenly Of apoplexy at
IL :50 A. d. to-day. His death occurred In
the unpretentious three-story brick boarding
house 010 Fourteenth street. in this city.
within stones throw OF the Ebbitt Houses-
Riggs House. and Willards Hotel. In which CON-
venient location he has for the last i've or six
seasons taken up his quarters during the ses.
sions OF Congress-.
Mr.. Plumb had been ailing moro Of lees sver
since the close Of his herculean iabors ia the
l65G CbupaIHu III Ihe cN0tUs WHICH EoeulV0U ~
satisfactorily to himself and his party. He
was at all times an interchangeable worker. but
in this campaign he outdid himself On his
return to Washington he attempted to throw
into his Senatorial duties his accustomed OF.
dor. but complained that he could not oon.
centrate his faculties with his accus.
toned readiness. He felt dazed and un.
certain both mentally and physically. Pre-
liminary symptoms OF the disease which
carried him of 80 suddenly were not
wanting. For weeks past, when he had occs-
sion to write letter personally. the lines wan
dered up and down the page in the most Ire
regular manner greatly differing from his
usual precise bankers chrography. and he
found difhculty even in signing with regularity
those letters which his secretary prepared for
him. On tho street he lost himself OCCASION
ally. Several days ago. Just after the orening
OF the Senate. walking with Col E. G. Manning.
his frequent companion. he stopped as Mau-
ming was about to leave him. and said:
Don't 60. Manning: want you to stay BY
me. I don't know exactly where am"
His death was clear case Of oyerwork and
inattention to the laws OF nature The Senator
has been known for years as the most push.
ing. energetic. Woodworking member OF the
Senate. A year ago he began to fail. His
brain became affected. and throbbing head
aches became more and more f-eQuent His
physicians warned him that continuance of
his labors meant death. but he refused to
heed their warning. and continued to work
with the energy Of q steam engine. He was
in the Senate last week. and attended to his
duties with his usual briskness and vigor. A
few days ago he said to Senate employee who
congratulated him on his appearance that he
was Younger than the employee. who was his
junior by twenty years. As an evidence Of his
{folif ho Aouh1oh hio ut0
biceps muscles were hard and compact He
actively looked after the interests Of his con-
stituents last week. and probably leads any
other Senator In the number Of bills intro.
duced at this session.
Notwithstanding this activity and his own
assertion OF his vigorous health. latterly he
had been complaining Of sleeplessnsss. yer.
tigo. and symptoms which. In medicine. are
embraced In the term 'sphasia-" He COM
planned, OF persistent pains In his hesd. im-
pairment Of memory. and CROWNS INABILITY to
clothe his ideas in proper and appropriate
words. The Senator had previously been re-
markedly fluent Of speech. and his words
came 80 freely. copiously, and rapidly that he
was the terror Of stenographers.
WARNED AGAINST ApopLExH.
It was not until two weeks ago. however.
that DR.. Philip s. Wales was called in and
asked for advice as to the trouble The Doc
tor. after careful study OF the case. told the
Senator that his symptoms indicated apoplexy.
and that he must quit work and take q rest,
but Mr.. Plumb was incredulous and thought
the Doctor had become unduly alarmed. He
kept up his labors. except when severe head
aches forced him to temporarily abandon his
work. He had a desk in the front room OF his
apartments and another in his committee
room at the Capitol He worked on his i'm
hue inn nd MIC
after doing hard days work on public affairs
at the Capitol. His eyes troubled him. and Q
skilled oculist examined them. His kidneys
were also examined by specialist Each OF
these persons reported that the trouble lay
not In the eyes nor In the kidneys. and BY their
report that there was some other organic
trouble. confirmed the diagnosis OF DR.. Wales.
deiphia with SENATOR quay to consult Dr. Pop.
per. He returned to Washington last night at
complaining Of ~ violent bead
Il i must have been ociock or later this morn.
ss Tesn Rs s Ct sa
D. Jennings, said o,day that he did not retire
yet returned. Shortly before 2 o'clock. Mr..
Jennings was awakened by knock at his bed.
sck hm
down stairss and sit up With him i,. NJ; Jsn:
monei. The doctor alleviated the pain and
administered proper remedies He stayed
with Mr. Plumb from z until half past
At a quarter to Z o'clock Senator Plumb
and began to vomit. His head was aching yio-
lently. The vomiting ceased after time. Then
exclaimed. "OiI. my God! my headl my head!"
the last words he ever uttered. Mr. Jepntngs
mDafes ater NJ Plume apsed into samS.r
and later into Inconsistencies. -
AT about ~ o'clock Mr.. - W F!enn!ken,
which Senator Plumb was Chairman. and his
private secretary for some years. called; rs was
respondence.> Mr.. Flenniken noticed that he
Was breathing heavily and stertorously. Dr.
tibet his patient had been stricken with apo.
piexy. Mr.. Plumb WAS unconscious and Ills
tongue was paralyzed. The Doctor, Mr. Elem
until the end came at III 30.