Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-05-14
DEATH OF SENATOR BARBOUR.


brief illness of only ten minutes
Senator John S. Barbour, Virginia S
junior Representative in the U. S. Sen
ate, passed quietly away at his resi-
dencc in this city at a little after six
o'clock this morning, His death was
very unexpected and Il great shock to
those who knew him, rs he had been
always regarded us man OF strong
and vigorous constitution and had been
uniformly we'll and energetic for a per-
son of his age. The only persons pres
ent at his bedside when he died were
his sister-in-law. Miss Daingerlield,
Captain Shepherd, of Virginia, a guest
at the house, and the domestics-thc
doctor, who had been hastily summon
cd when the Senator first aroused the
household and told them of his illness,
arriving Just after dissolution. The
Senator retired early last night as well
as usual. and few minutes after six
O'Clock this morning he sank back on
his bed without uttcling word from
the time he first complained OF feeling
i'll. His death was said by his ply
sician to have been due to heart failure.
Yesterday the Senator was i'll his
accustomed seat III the Senate and to all
who observed him, he appeared in his
usual good health and was cheerful and
in excellent spirits. Hc attended the
meeting of the District Of Columbia
committee. (which he has been mem
Der since his induction into the Senate,
and took part in the disposition ofscv-
eral measures before that committee.
During the afternoon he spent most of
the time on the floor of the Senate lis
tening to the debate on the naval APP
preparation bill, and shortly before the
Senate adjourned he repaired to his
residence on Capitol Hill, just north OF
and in sight of the Capitol, and dincd as
usual with his sister-in-law, Miss Dain-
gerfeld and Captain Shepperd. After
dinner some callers dropped in, among
them the wife of Justice Field, of the
U. S. Supreme Court and after chat
ting with them for an hour or two Sen
ator Barbour escorted Mrs. Field to her
home 4 block away and on returning to
his home wrote three or four letters.
Before retiring at II o'clocll.he talked
quite freely with Capt. Shepperdregar
ing the democratic convention to be
held at Richmond next week, which
he had expected to attend and on go
ing to his room on the second floor of
his residence. went to bed Immediately.
This morning, shortly before 6 O'Clock.
Miss Daingerlield, who slept in 4 room
across the hall from the one occupied by
the Senator, was awakened by the SEN
ator knocking ut the door and request
ing her TO send for the doctor at once,
as he felt an oppression in his throat
and chest as if he was going to
have the Group. Miss Daingcriield
awoke the household and dis
patched some one for the doctor
a few squares of, after which she as
sisted the Senator TO his bed. Only a
minute or so after reaching his bed, and
while sitting on its edge, he seemed to
fall into comatose state, from which
he never recovered, and in few min
utcs after the attack, putting his hand
to his forehead, he sunk back OH the
bed dead. DR.. Bayne, his physician,
arrived later and pronounced death due
to failure ofthe heart. His private sec
rotary, Mr. Thompson, of Virginia, was
sent for and notified Sergeant-at-Ams
Valentine, who took charge of the re-
mains as is customary on the death OF
Senators. The body was soon after en-
balmed by an undertaken and prepared
for burial. Senator Daniel, who is not
in the city, was notified by telegraph of
Senator Barbour's death, and during
the morning the Virginia delegation,
Senators German, Ransom and other
Senators and Representatives, rs well
as large number of persons i'll official
life, called mt the house and offered
coincidence to Miss Daingerlield. So
far the funeral arrangements have not
been definitely decided upon, but it is
probable the services will be held in
the Senate chamber Monday, and the
body removed to Poplar Hill, Prince
Georges county, Md, about twelve
miles from this city, where he will be
inferred OIL Tuesday morning beside his
wife. who died six years ago.
Senator Barbour had similar attack
to that which caused his death this
morning in 1886, while on trip to
Europe, but he soon recovered from it
and had no return Of the trouble until
Il week or so ago, while at the races,
when he felt 4 similar attack coming on,
and Immediately returned to his home.
The attack was brief and the next day
he was as well as ever He was a man Of
exemplary habits, and with him health
was the first consideration. He always
retired at an early hour, and seldom
went out ut night. He was an ardent
admircr of fine horses and could nearly
always be found at the race track i'll the
fall and spring meetings here admiring
horse flesh and commenting on the
good and bad points. He has resided
in the house he died i'll since he first
entered Congress from the Alexandria
district many years ago, and since his
wife died, six years ago, has had his
sister-in-law, Miss Dangcrlield (his only
near relative save brother, Hon.
James Barbour, of Culpcper) to pre-
side over his large, old-fashioned,
gabled-end house on b. street, north
cast. For many years Senator Bar
bour was president Of the Virginia Mid
land Railroad, and only relinquished
that office when he took his seat in the
Senate four years ago. He was large
ly interested in the Richmond and Dan
vile road, and was one of its directors.
He was man of greater wealth than
most of the southern Senators, and all of
his money was made in railroads, in