New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-21
SENATOR PLUMB DEAD.
STRICKEN DOWN SUDDENLY WITH APO
PLEXY
DEATH THE RESULT OF ovERwoRK-LoNG A
SUFFERER FROM TROUBLES THAT INDI-
GATED THE COMING OF APoPLEXY-AR-

Washington, Dec Ex-senator Preston B.
Plumb, of Kansas, died at noon to-day Of apopeXy.
About AS o'clock this morning he cried out:
oh, my God! My head, my head my head :"
and few minutes later he fell unconscious, never
to regain knowledge of what was going on about
him A little more than five hours later. the
broad-framed powerfullooking Kansas Senator
was stretched out dead in his modest apartments
at No. GIG Fourteenth-st. His physician, DR..
Philip S. Wales; his clerk, B. w. Flenniken, and
his landlord, Lincoln ID. Jennings. with
him at the end. His wife and two children are in
Kansas. Death came from apopexy, the result
of exhaustion of the brain. 1t was a clear case
Of overwork and inattention TO the laws of nature
The Senator had been known for years the
most pushing, energetic, Woodworking member Of
the Senate. A year ago he began to fail. His
brain became affected and throbbing headaches
became more and more frequent 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 a steam
engine.
The news of Senator Plumbs sudden death
shocked and startled his friends and acquantances.
of whom he had a great number in and out of pub
lie life. 1t being Sunday, many persons were at
church at the time Of his death, and none save
those at his bedside knew that he had been taken
ILL., Many persons who heard it were almost in
credulous of the accuracy of the report. But all
acquainted with the Senator as with intuitive
knowledge, asked the question whether or not
apopexy was the cause of DEATH few Of Mr..
Plumbs most intimate friends knew that he had
been ailing for some time, but not one was pre-
pared for the worst He had been in the Senate
last week and appeared to he as we'll as ever.
IIo Jo1 20 IA dutfa with IL bricy-
ness and vigor. A few days ago lie said to n
Senate employe, who congratulated him on his
appearance, that he was younger than the en-
ploye, who was his Junior by twenty years. AS evil
dence of his vitality he doubled up his forearm His
biceps muscles were hard and compact. He
actively looked after the interests Of his cOnsttu
ents last week, and he probably introduced more
bills at this session than any other Senator. Not
withstanding this activity and his OYn assertion
of his vigorous health, latterly he had been COM
planning of sleeplesSness vertigo and symptoms
which ~ medicine are embraced in
the term aphasia. He complained of persistent
pains in his head, Impairment of memory and
growing inability to cothe his ideas in proper
and appropriate words The Senator had pre-
viously been remarkably fluent of speech, and his
words came so freely, copiously and rapidly that
he was the terror Of stenographers.
It was not until two weeks ago, however that
Dr. Philip S. Wales was called in and asked for
advice as to the trouble. After careful study
of the case, the doctor informed the Senator that
his symptoms indicated apoplexy, and that he
must quit work and take rest, but Mr.. Plumb
was incredulous and thought the doctor
had become unduly alarmed. He kept
up his laboB, except when severe head
aches forced him temporarily to aban-
4 l.; loI Ioe1y ;n SLa
room of his apartments and another in his COM
mittee-room at the Capitol. He worked ON his i'm
mense personal business morning and night after
doing a hard days work public affairs at the
Capitol His eyes troubled him, and skilful
oo,ulist examined them. His kidneys were also
examined by a specialist Each of these persons
reported that the trouble lay not in the eyes or
the kidneys, and their report that there was some
other organic trouble confirmed the diagnosis Of
DR.. Wales. few days ago Senator Plumb went
to Philadelphia with Senator Quay for the purpose
of consulting DR.. Pepper. He returned TO Wash
ington last night at o'clock, complaining of
most violent headache, but went to dinner given
at Chamberlans by ex-senator Malone to a few
friends 1t must have been l o'clock or later this
morning when he returned 10 his quarters, for
his landlord did not retire until nearly
o'clock and the Senator had not yet returned.
Shortly before . o'clock Mr.. Jennings was
awakened by knock at his bedroom door, and
Senator Plumb told him that he was very sick,
and requested him TO come downstairs and sit up
with him. Mr.. Jennings saw that the Senator's
condition was serious, and at 2 o'clock Dr. Wales
was summoned. The doctor alleviated the pain
and administered proper remedies lie stayed
with Mr.. Plumb from until half-past o'clock,
and then left his patient sleeping quietly. At
olrn and
bounded out of bed to jar and began to vomit.
Ills head was aching violently. The vomiting
ceased after a time. Then the Senator tossed his
hands TO his head and exclaimed: "Oh, my God!
Nv head, my head, my head!' These were the
last words he ever uttered Mt: Jennings stroked
Mr.. Plumb's head to relieve the pain, and few
minutes later he lapsed into slumber and later
into uncOnsciOusness.
About 10 o'clock b. w. Flenniken, Mr. Plumb's
private secretary for some years, and clerk TO the
Committee on Public Lands, of which the Senator
was chairman, called as was his custom, to assist
the Senator with his correspondence. Mr.. Flen-
niken noticed that he was breathing heavily, and
Dr. Wales was again summoned. He saw at once
that his patient had been stricken with apOpleXy.
Mr. Plumb was unconscious and his tongue was
paralyzed The doctor, Mr.. FlennilCen and Mr.
Jennings remained with him until the end came at
IL 80.
Dr. Wales said this afternoon that the i'm
mediate cause Of death was apoplexy, brought ON
by fatty degeneration Of the brain from overwork
and fatigue I" 1t was a clear case of ovcrwork."
said the doctor. "If he had given up in all
probability it would have been different. lie did
not consult with until two weeks ago.
warned him to cease work, but he kept He
would keep on working until return of his
severe headaches forced him to give up, and then
after little while he would resume again. ies
he had strong frame, but he had an enormous
amount of work to carry, and no man could keep
up doing what he was doing"
Senator Plumb lived for the last four years at
No. 6l2 Fourteenth-st., in plain, roomy three
story and basement brick house. lie occupied
the first two rooms on the main floor The front