Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-12
FULLER DETAILS
or the Illness and Death of Senator Kenna.
He Fought Death Bravely.

or the Illness and Death of Senator Kenna.
He Fought Death Braveiy.
WASHINGTON, d. c., January 1.-THE
hand of death has again been laid heavily
upon the United States Senate. at
o'clock this morning when the keenest and
bitterest gale of the winter swept through
the streets and shook at the window case
ments, the end came to Senator John e.
Kenna and he passed quietly away after a
long illness. His death was not UneX-
pected, for he had been failing steadily
since midnight, and when the last struggle
came he was surrounded by the faces
of those he loved best on earth
aud everything that science could do
to smooth the fatal pathway had been
done His ailment was heart disease, and
his father had died before him from the
fatal affection. For years he had been
conscious that he was subject 10 fatal ter
minatiOn Of his disease at any moment, and
in consequence he had lived abStemiOusly
and simply, and had avoided any chance
shock, although he was unable altogether
10 resist the attractions OF the field and
stream, for Senator kenna was born
sportsman and loved to spend weeks at a
time in the woods Of his native State in
pursuit Of game and fish. He felt
that these trips were beneficial
TO his health but when he
returned to Washington last fall he COM
planned that he had not recuperated as
usual in his summer vacation. Last OCtO-
Der the stroke cBne and he took to his bed.
IL was narrow escape then from immedi-
ate death. The Senator was man OF
great strength and will power, and the
consciousness that he would leave behind
so many helpless little ones and was a poor
man (he had six young chlldren) nerved
him TO light for his life with superhuman
yigOr. The result was that several times he
rallied and escaped from the jaws OF death
to the surprise OF the medical men In one
or two instances so marked was the i'm
prOvement noted in his condition as 10 JUS
tify hopes OF his ultimate recovery. AS
late as last Saturday he was bright and al
most cheerful aud Yesterday he told men,
Der OF his State delegation that he was on
the road to recovery. a tit Of nausea yes
terday morning emphasized TO the physi-
clans the precarious condition Of the
patient. IL marked the failure Of the circu-
latiou, the breaking down of the overtaXed
heart and they looked for toe worst.
Still, be rallied again and the end appeared
10 be still distant, until about o'clock last
night, when there were unmistakable syn
cone and collapse. From that time the vi
tai forces ebbed. The members of his
family, except the youngest Of his children,
were all in attendance at the bedside soon
after midnight, ana they were present when
the husbabd ana father drew his last
breath, about o'clock.
The remains viii be taken TO the Capitol
tomorrow and funeral services will take
place in the Senate chamber about
o'clock. As deceased was Catholic the
services will be impressive and performed
under the direction OF Cardinal Gibbons,
OF Baltimore, 10 whom the Senator was
warmly attached.
The Joint committee to conduct the fu-
neral will be composed of Messrs. Faux
ner, West Virginia; Black burn, Kentucky !;
Daniel, Virginia; Walthsll, Mississippi;
Manderson, Nebraska; and Squire, Wash
ington, on the part OF the Senate; and
Messrs. Anderson, Pendleton, Capehart
and Wilson, of West Virginia; Tucker,
Virginia.; Bingham, Pennsylvania; Hen
derson, Illinois; DUNCAN, Ohio, Mansur,
Missouri; and Cultivate, ObiO. on the
part of the House.