The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-03-30
SUDDENLY CALLED.
Unexpected Death Of Col Elliot r.
Shepard, of New York.

Unexpected Death Of Col Elliot +.
Shepard, of New York.
He Expires from the Effect of Ethe,
During y Surgical Operation-Sketch
of the Lite of the Editor of the
Mail and EXPRESS.
New YORK, March 25.-Col. Elliott
Fitch Shepard, editor and proprietor
of the Mail and Express, one of the
sons-in-law of the late William H. Van
derbilt, died suddenly and tragically
Friday afternoon. His death was the
result of what might be termed
medical accident" 1t is
announced at the house, No.
2 West Fifty second street, that
he was undergoing Il difficult medical
examination which made the use Of
ether necessary. His heart showed
symptoms of failure with the first in
halation and the ether was with
drawn. He rallied under oxygen treat
ment for Il short time. but soon began
to sink and passed pc. cefully away.
He died at twenty minutes past 4
o'clock.
Col. Shepard had been in good health,
but nearly a month ago he noticed
symptoms that led him to believe that
he was afflicted with stone in the blad-
der. He let it go and did not consult a
physician until Il week ago, when he
went to DR.. McLane and told him
of his suspicious. The doctor con-
firmed them and advised him to at
least submit to an examination, and to
undergo an operation should it be
deemed necessary. The colonel agreed
to this and Friday was decided on for
the examination.
About l o'clock Col Shepard said
that he was ready for the surgeons and
they. with the nurses, began the work
of putting him under ether. He had
inhaled the drug but two or three times
when the physician detected dangerous
symptoms and stopped the inhalation.
Col. Shepard sank rapidly and for
time it was feared that he could
not be rallied. Powerful restora-
tives were administered. At the end
of an hours work with oxygen he was
restored to partial consciousness and
he continued apparently to rally until
O'Clock. Then without warning and
for no apparent reason he began rapid
~ to sink. The oxygen treatment was
resumed, but it was of no avail; at 4:2O
o'clock he died. He was unconscious
and his death was peaceful. The cause
of the death given by the physicians
was adema of the lungs.
Elliott Fitch Shepard was born in James
town, Chautauqua county. N. Y, July 25, 1888
He was educated at the university of the city
of New York, admitted to the bar in 1858 and
for many years practiced in New York city.
In 1861 and 1862 he was abide. camp on the
staff of Gov. Edwin D. Morgan, in
command of the depot of volunteers at
| Elmira, N. Y, and aided in organizing and
equipping and forwarding to the field nearly
$4,000 troops. He was instrumental in raising
the Fifty-irst New York regiment, which
| was nan.ed for him the Shepard rifles. He
was the founder of the New York State Bar
association in 1876, which has formed the model
for the organization of similar associations in
other states. He continued to be an active
member of the bar until 1884 During all this
time he was an active republican, and in 1851
was nominated by President Garfield to sue
| coed Stewart L. Woodford as United States
district attorney, but the nomination was not
confirmed
He travelled extensively from 1884 until 1887
in Alaska and Europe, and when he returned
he purchased the Mail and Lxprs IS from the
late Cyrus w. Field. 1t was here that the
colonel came more consp:cuoLSly Geforc
the public than ever. Newsp lpers all over
| the country teemed with stores of the
eccentricties of the son-in-law Of the Wander
| bits as an editor. He adopted the custom OF
| printing scriptural tex each day at the head
| of his editorial page He adopted rules pro-
| hibiting profanity in the business or edi-
ro1 md ipp 10 ro7
it to be his intention to publish newspaper
| for Christian gentlemen and ladies. The
people protested that the custom of printing
| a daily text was treating the Bible fippantly:
| he said it was printed as news because
most of them were strangers to the
Bible. He each day ventured the opinion that
| Sunday school papers were the work of the
devil to defeat the good design OF Provi-
| dence in establishing good papers. The
| cOlOnel's eccentricities were not confined to
| small matters. He insisted on having Rome
spelled Roma" in his paper. So too, he in
sisted that Sunday should be spelled 'Sonday,'
| because it was the dav OF the Son of God.
| He was a member of the Union league, the
New York Yacht club, the Republican club and
the Federal club When the Federal club was
opened he created a sensation by nominating
Chauncey M. Depew for president This is
| what started the Depew boom in 1883.
Besides buying the Mail and Express at a
l
his religious purposes Mr. Shepard bought the
Fifth Avenue Stage company, not because it is
a good investment but simply to stop the run
ming of vehicles on Sundays. He paid s25l, 900
for his Sabbath-day quiet
Col Shepard married Miss Marguerite Louise
Vanderbilt the oldest daughter of William H
Vanderbilt He leaves five children, Mrs.
William Jay Scheiffelin, Edith, Alice. Elliot,
F.. Jr. and Marguerite He was married
| twenty-five years ago and the silver wedding
was celebrated with a large gathering at the
house about a month ago. The fortune left
| by William II. Vanderbilt in trust for Mrs
Shepard was about $12,OOOOOO, yielding an an
| nual revenue estimated at $3.50, OOU
| Col. Shepard was Presbyterian and a mem
| Der of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church
! He was president of the American Sabbath
| union and vice president of St. Paul's inst.
| tute in Asia Minor, which he mainly supported
An Old Mans Fate. gEaS
MANITOwoC, Wis, March 24.--John
Neckar, aged 70 years, was burned to