Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-02-04
A SUDDEN SUMMONS.
Secretary Window Drops Dead at y Ban
Uuef.

died on the night of the 29th, at 1905
o'clock in the banquet hall at Delmon-
ico's, where he was a guest of the New
York Board Of Trade and Transporta-
ton. His had been the first toast
of the evening. He had finished his re-
Spouse, had 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.
Mr.. Window had been the only speaker,
and the sentiment to which he respond
| ed was: "Our Country's Prosperity De-
pendent Upon It's Instruments of Com
merce."
The dinner, which began at 6 o'clock,
was completed shortly after . o'clock,
and Mr. Window, introduced by Judge
Arnoux, who acted as toast-master,
arose to speak, being the first speaker of
the evening He responded to the
toast: "Our Country's Prosperity De-
pendent Upon Its instruments of Com
merce." He finished his speech at
9:55 o'clock 1t had been remarked
that he was reading it off hurriedly
from the printed copy, going faster and
faster as he neared the end, and, at the
last, he had requested the audience not
to applaud.
|
semblage like an electric shock as the
speaker finished Mr.. Window was
standing erect under the glare of the
gas lights while the faces of the most
famous body of men IN the country all
turned toward him. Something was the
matter. They knew not what For
moment the Secretary of the Treasury
stood silent, while the banquetters,
equally silent, watched him. 1t was a
moment that no one who was present
Will ever forget. Then Mr.. Window sat
down quietly, too quietly, many thought,
IN his seat and Toast-Master Judge
Arnoux arose to introduce ex-Secretary
of State Bayard as the next speaker
He began short speech, but had not
proceeded far when Mr.. Window gave
a short, sharp moan of anguish and fell
back in his chair. His face grew pur-
pie. His lower limbs stifened and
stretched out of their own accord ap-
parently under the table His eyelids
opened and shut spasm odically, but
there was no CLEAN of intelligence in the
eyes, which were rapidly losing their
luster of life. The cigar which he had
tween the grim clinch of the
teeth For only moment
he appeared thus. A cry went up from
those sitting near the guest table, Look,
look at Mr., Window" Every eye was
turned toward the man whose voice had
| lust ceased upon the air. At the rear Of
the hall many stood up, and many
echoed the cry. Mr.. Window had col
lapsed in his chair and was falling to
the floor. His face grew ghastly, and
cry of horror arose from the late festive
banquetters. There was an immediate
rush on the part Of all toward Mr.. Win
| ohoir hI,f Uh ~
were present at the dinner got there
first and drove the others back. They
were Drs. S. A. Robinson, Durant,
Whitney, Fisher and Bishop. DR.. Rob-
inson bent down, and, making close
examination of the PROSTATE form, dis
covered that the heart was yet beating,
and, with the assistance Of Judge TrauX,
Capt. Snow and one or two others, lift
ed him to his feet. deathly pale. He
was carried into the room behind the
banquet hall, and everything was done
to resuscitate him, but it was too late.
William Window was born i'll Belmont
County, Ohio, May 10, 1927. He received
an academic education and studied law at
Mount Vernon, o., and was admitted to
| the bar in 1850. In 1852 he became prose
1855 he removed to Minnesota, and soon
afterward he was chosen to Congress from
that state as Republican. serving from
1859 to 1869. In that body he served two
terms as chairman of the committee on
indian affairs, and also was at the head of
the special committee to visit the Western
tribes in 1865 and of that On the con-
duct of the commissioner of Indian af
fairs in 1857 In 1870 he was appointed
to the United States Senate to fill
the unexpired term of Daniel S. Norton,
deceased. and he was subsequently chosen
| no for bat N He he
reelected tor the term that closed in 1883,
and resigned in 1881 to enter the cabinet OF
President Garfield as secretary OF the treas
ury, but retired on the accession Of Presl-
dent Arthur in the same year, and was
elected by the Minnesota Legislature to
serve the remainder of his term in the Sen
ate. In that body Mr.. Window acted as
chairman OF the committees on appropria-
tons, foreign affairs and transportation.
He was appointed secretary of the treasury
by President Harrison and has since served
In that capacity.
AS a member of President Garfields
cabinet he accomplished at least one great
feat. Congress had adjourned on March
4, and had failed to pass the bill providing
for the refunding OF the maturing bonos
over the veto of Hayes. The situation was
critical. The bonds upon which the gov
eminent had the option of retiring were
paying 6 per cent. interest. There was
plenty Of money in the treasury to take
the secretary chose. The banks
which had them were timid, and
some of the holders were frightened.
Many of the bonds had already been sur
rendered to the treasury, and there was
danger Of contraction of currency by the
withdrawal Of a considerable amount of
the banks circulation. The subject was
discussed with all the energy and earnest
ness that It's seriousness demanded at sew
eral cabinet meetings. The President.
Secretary Blaine and some members of the
cabinet considered an extra session neces-
sary, but Mr.. Window declared this I'M.
necessary. He explained the method by
which he proposed to compel the banks
toretund their bonds, not at 31a, as the We
toed law allowed, but at per cent. Gar
field saw the merit of the plan and it was
successfully carried out. AS a member of
President HarriSCn'S cabinet he proposed
silver measure, which commanded the
respect Of the best financiers. Its main
features were embodied in the bill passed
10y the last Congress. He was a man Of
original thought, and one whose influence
was always potent in the shaping Of affairs
| entrusted to his care.