The record-union., 1892-07-15
NEWTON BOOTH.
Death 0vertakes Him Suddenly and
Unexpectedly.
Seized With Hemorrhage While Sitting
in Chair, He Expires
Almost Instantly.

The community was shocked last even
ing when the fact became known that ex-
Governor Newton Booth had died sud
denly at his home in this city. It was
known that he had been suffering for
some months from cancer of the mouth,
but his general health had been good, and
1t was also believed that he would re-
cover from the local ailment
1t was only on Tuesday last that DR..
w. Il. Brown, noted specialist of North
Adams, Mass, arrived here for the pur-
pose Of treating Governor Booth, and
after making an examination Of the lat
ters condition he was not without hope
OF effecting final cure.
DR.. Brown went to San Francisco to re-
main few days until the swelling of the
patients lip had subsidized sufficiently to
enable him to treat the cancer, which was
beheath the tongue. He left Governor
Booth in otherwise good health.
About o'clock last evening Governor
Booth was sitting in his chair, holding
converse with friends (by means of writ
ing, as he could speak only with great
difficulty, when suddenly he was seized
with a hemorrhage, and the blood flow-
ing from his mouth so frightened him
that he was thrown into spasm.
In his paroXysms the ligaments of the
tongue-which had been weakened by
the progress of the cancer-gave way
and that organ was turned backward
upon the throat. His attendants did all
IN their power to restore the tongue to it's
natural position, but were unable to do
so, owing to the patients convulSions.
DR.. Lalne was summoned by telephone
Immediately, but when he arrived all
was over-Governor Booth had breathed
his last.
Mrs Booth had left her husband ONLY
few minutes before, in his usual health
and spirits, and gone for drive. When
she returned it was only TO find that dur
ing her absence his spirit had taken it's
flight. The shock quite prostrated her.
as she had begun to indulge the hope
that her husbands health would be fully
restored.
The belief is that Governor Booth was
so alarmed and agitated at the sight of
the blood squirting from his mouth that
In his delicate condition-the shock
caused fright so intense that his nervous
system was unable to bear up against it,
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Newton Booth has been prominent
figure in local mercantile and political cir
cles for upward of thirty years, and III
State and National affairs for more than
twenty years past. In the "Eiistory of
Sacramento published two years ago by
the Lewis Publishing Company OF Chi
cago, the following sketch of the life of
Newton Booth is given:
Newton Booth came TO Sacramento in
1850. The firm of Booth IL Co. has been
in existence since the pioneer days of
California. In July, lS49, L. NJ. Lindley
and l.. A. Booth organized the grocery
firm of Lindley N Booth at IS X street
In May of the following year they were
succeeded by FOrshee, Booth Il Co.,
cod EyNl,,
and Job Dye. The two latter retired in
the spring of 1851. About that time
Charles Smith and Newton Booth com
menced wholesale business on J street
under the name OF Smith IL Booth. The
fire of 1892 lett Sacramento almost where
she had started, and the firm suffered
with the rest. Shortly afterward l.. \.
Booth became member of the firm un-
der the name of Booth dG Co. Thus the
house continued until 1856. In that year
Newton Booth retired and returned to
Indiana, while the firm consolidated
with kleinhaus II Co., but the name was
not changed. G. T. Wheeler and Z. L.
Barker also became partners in 1856.
In 1860 Newton Booth again became
citizen of Sacramento, and reoined his
old firm. There were no more changes
until 1863, when l.. A. Booth and Barker
retired and Joseph T. Glover became
member, continuing until his death, in
1885. The firm then consisted of only
Newton Booth and c. T. Wheeler. 1.-THE
latter died about year ago.
Newton Booth was a native of Wash
ington County, Ind, and was born De-
cember 80, 1925. His father, Beebe Booth,
a native of Connecticut, was a son of one
of the heroes of the Revolution. Going
West, he was married at Salem, Ind, to
Hannah Pitts, native Of Chatham
County, n. c., whose father was one Of
the pioneers of Indiana, having settled
n NlWfOn
the age Of l6 at his native place, and in
lS4l his fathers family removed to Terre
Haute, where the young man was sent to
Asbury NOW De Pauw) University to
complete his education. At that time,
with Bishop simpson as President, its
rank was among the best universities in
the land.
Mr.. Booth completed the course before
he had reached hisaamajority, and gradu-
ated in the class Of 1916. 4 mercantile
career had been marked out for him, but
after an engagement of two years in one
of his fathers stores at Terre Haute he
commenced reading law in the Office OF
w. d. Griswold, with whom he became
associated as partner in 1S49, after he had
been admitted TO the bar. The story of
the golden wealth of California, however
had the usual charm for him, and he de-
termined to try his fortune here.
In company with young Terre Haute
business man, Walter ID. Reynolds, he
left New ! ork on the steamer Cherokee,
coming by way of Panama, and arrived
in San Francisco on the steamer Oregon
on the 18th of October, 1850. This steamer
was the first to bring hither the news of
Californla'S admission to the Union.
Boeth and Reynolds came at once to Sac
ramento and engaged i'll business here,
the latter atterward removing to Placer
vile, where he died. When Booth ar
rived in Sacramento the great cholera
epidemic was raging here, and he went
to Amador, where he was sick for some
time. In February of the following year
B he returned to this city and was soon en-
crossed in business.
In 1862 he entered public life for the
first time, being elected to the State SEN
ate. On the 9th of September, 1871, he
was elected Governor Of the State on the
independent Republican ticket. In 1873,
and while still Governor. he was chosen
to the Senate of the United States. and re-
signed the office of Governor in Febru-
ary, 1875, being succeeded by Romualdo
Pacheco who was then Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor. He served in the upper branch of
the National Congress until the end of
his term, in 1881, when he resumed active
connection with his business here.
4 few years ago he travelled extensively
in the Old World, visiting various por-
tions of Europe and the Holy Land
While in the Senate he was active in
accomplishing the adoption of the silver
certificate and the redemption of subsid-
iary coins, measures of vast national inn
portance. He also secured the passage of
q bill for tie settlement of land titles in
California. He was member of the
Committees on Public Lands, Patents,
Manufactures, and Appropriations, and
during a portion Of his term was Chair
man of the latter two.