Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-03-31
COLONEL SHEPARD DEAD.
The Noted New York Editor Dies After
I1haling Ether.

Col. Elliott Fitch Shepard, editor OF the
New York Mail and Express, died suddenly
at his home, West Fifty-second street. His
death followed the administration OF ether by
DR.. Charles McBurney and the family phy-
sician Dr. J. w. McLane, who were about 10
make an examination to ascertain whether
the colonel's suspicion that he was suffering
from stone in the bladder was correct.
Colonel Shepard had been in good health,
but nearly month ago he noticed symptoms
that led him to believe that he was afflicted
with stone in the bladder. He let it go and
did not consult physician until week ago,
when he went to DR.. McLane and told him OF
his suspicious. The doctor confirmed them
and advised him to at least submit to an ex-
animation, and to undergo an operation
should it ce deemed necessary.
I'd to the day of his death Colonel Shepard
had attended to his business in the usua;
way. He was at his office every day. NO
one there knew Of the contemplated opera
ton.
About 9 o'clock. before the arrival OF the
doctor he complained of severe pains and
said he thought he would go to bed. But
first he went to the telephone, called up the
Office of the Mail and Express and gave
number of instructions about the future con.
duct of the newspaper in case anything should
happen TO him. As nobody in his ONCE knew
he was i'll these instructions caused consider
able wonder but it was never the habit OF
anyone in the office TO question anything that
the colonel did, and not even any inquiries
were made as to what might be the matter,
- l.. inGf
colonel laid down awhile. The distress ne
suffered left him, and when the physicians
and nurses came in later he was In good
spirits. He had induced his wife and daugn-
ters. who were at home. to go off to ScarDoro
for the dav, His son. Elliott +. Shepard, Jr.
was at home About o'clock Colonel Snep-
ard said that he was ready for the surgeons,
and thev. with the nurses began the work 0.
puttino him under ether. He had inhaled
the drug but two or three times when the
physicians detected dangerous symptoms ana
stopped the inhalation.
Colonel Shepard sank rapidly and f0r a
time it was feared that he could not be rallied
| Powerful restoratives were administered. At
the end of an hours work with oxygen he
was restored 10 partial consciousness, and ne
continued apparently to rally until about 4
| O'Clock. Then. without warning, and Tor no
apparent reason, he began rapidly to SINK.
| The oxygen treatment was resumed, but IL
was of no avail, at 20 o'clock he died.
He was unconscious and his death was
peaceful. The cause of the death given py
the physicians was edima of the lungs.
COLONEL sHEPARD's CAREER.
Elliott Fitz Shepard was born in James
town, Chautauqua county, N. T., July 70,
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 aide-de-
camp on the staff of Governor Edwin u.
Morgan : was in command of the depot OF
volunteers at Elmira, n. Y. and aided IN or.
ganizing. euuipping and forwarding to the
field nearly 1000 troops.
He was instrumental in raising the Fifty,
first hew York Regiment which was named
for him, the Shepard Rifles He was the
founder of the New York State Bar Assocla'
ton in 1876, which has formed the model iol
the organization of similar associations IN
other statc5. In March. 1888, he purchased
the New York Mail and Express.
Ever since Colonel Shepard married MISS
Vanderbilt and became Cyrus W. Field s sue
cesjor in the Mail and Express he had been
prominent figure in the social, pollticai ano
business world and his eccentricltles maze
him cynosure. a.
One Of these was TO publish a text from the
Bible at the head of his editorial column every
jay