The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-30
WINDOW D :AD
He Expires Suddenly Of Heart Dis
ease in the Delmonico Ban
quet Hall.
With the Close OF an Earnest Ad-
dress Game the End
Of Life.
a Great Sorrow Fell Suddenly Upon tho
Crowd Of fBanqueters--The News
In Washington.

dom, secretary OF the treasury of the
Uuited States, died tonight at 1906 o'clock
N the banquet hall at Delmonico's. where
hewAs the guest Of the New York Board OF
Trade and Transportation. His had been
the first toast Of the evening. He had fin
ished his response, seated himself. swooned
at once and died almost Immediately.
Every effort to restore him was made, but
in vain. He died of heart disease. The
great assemblage at once dissolved. MIR.
sentiment to which he responded was,
"Onr Y Country's Prosperity Dependent
Upon Its Instruments Of Commerce"
In the evening the members OF the Board
Of Trado and Transportation gathered in
the reception parlors of Delmonico's and
welcomed the guests and friends who had
come from near and far. Perhaps the most
prominent were Secretaries Window and
Tracy, Of the treasury and navy respective.
". Nova Scotia had representative among
those present in the person OF her attorney
general, Mr.. LonRley. Canada, too, was
there, in the person of Hon. Wilford
Laurier.
Mr.. Window, dienified Of mien as usual,
formed jolly procession to the banquet
hall, where the members and guests were
seAted, the members at tables upon the floor
and the guests at long table upon raised
platform. Aged Capt. Ambrose Snow,
president Of the board, was in center
place. At his right he seated Mr.. Window
and upon his left Mr.. Bayard The
dinner was completed shortly after nine
o'clock and Window, introduced by Judge
Traux, responded to the toast assigned him.
He finished the speech at 9:55 o'clock. 1t
had been remarked that he was reading it
of hurriedly from printed copy, going
faster and faster as he neared the end, and,
at the last, he had requested the audience
not to applaud.
A quiver Ut fear shot through the assem-
bly, like an electric shock as the speaker
finished. MIR. Window. was standing erect
under the glare OF the gas lights. with the
mss,ent the secretary stood silent while the
haa4s s.ssers, equally silent, watched hire.
IL was q moment that no one present Will
ever forget. Then Mr.. Window sat
down quietly, too quietly, many thought,
in his seat and the toast master arcke to in
troduce E1-secretary Of State BayaM rs the
next speaker. He began a sho : speech.
but had not proceeded far when Mr.. Win
dom gave short, sharp moan Of anguish.
and fell back in his chair. His face grew
purple, lis lower limbs stlffened and
stretched out under the table. his eyelids
opened and shut spasmodically. but there
was no CLEAN of intelligence in his eyes,
which were rapidly losing the luster of life.
The cigar which he had been smoking was
held between his clinched teeth. For only
a moment he appeared thus A cry went
up from those sitting near the guest table,
Look! Look at Mr.. Windom.'' Every
eye was turned toward the man whose voice
lapsed in his chair and was falling to the
floor. His face was CHASTITY, and cry of
horror arose from tho late festive banquet
ters.fa asts "a v, 3 sassS .fs@.ss Is 4 II,
There was an immediate rush on the part
Of all litowards Windom's chair, but several
there first and drove the others back. They
were Drs. Robinson, Durant, Whitney,
Fisher and Bishop. DR.. Robinson bent
down and making a close examination of
the prostrate form, discovered that the
heart was yet beating, and with the assist
ance of Judge Truax, Captain Snow and one
or two others carried him into the room
behind the banquet hall, and everything
was done to resuscitate him. Messengers
were hastily dispatched for electric batteries
and as many as four we're applied to his
BODY, which was rapidly growing cold.
This was at exactly 1906 p. M. For six
minutes electric shocks were applied inces-
sanity but without success. He was pro-
nounced dead.
II would say that the cause of death was
said DIR. Robinson, "if it were
not for the history Of heart disease. am
inclined to think heart disease killed him.
Mr. Window WAS subject to fits of heart
with an attack while on the steps of the
treasury at Washington, but he did not lose
and was able to take care of
At 1O:1l p. m. Judge Truax came out of
'oom whore lay Mr.. Window and an
bounced to the diners that Secretary VIM
iom, whom they had had the pleasure Of
,earing only few minutes before had
,reathed his last. lie is dead" he said.
This was the fearful announcement that
vas uttered in a voice midway between sob
md whisper through that gaily bedccked
banquet hall, around which still hung the
smoke of the after dinner
'igar.
'He is dead.'' The words went to the
leart Of every man who heard them. They
,ould hardly believe that the brilliant ora
or of few moments before, aglow with
enthusiasm at predicting the future policy
It the treasury, was now only inanimate
lis last words were for his country. Silence
ell upon ths men who were only few |
minutes before clamoring for news of Mr.. |
Window. Judge Trunk, retiring with the
man, had announced that Mr..
had only tainted. and it was not
hought by those remaining that it was aa
erious as it proved to be. When it WAS
tiioially announced that the secretary was
lead Secretary Tracy at once went
o the nearest telegraph Office and sent
Message to President Harrison, informing
linn of the untimely event and requesting
i'm to conmunicate with Mrs. Window.
he scene that ensued when his death was
1ioially announced is beyond description
Il mere words. Gradually the excitement
igned BY Drs. Whitney and Robinson,