Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-02-02
THE DEAD STATESMAN.
Last Hours of the Greatest Ameri.
can of the Century.
The Great Statesman Yields to the Con.
querOr of Mankind.

passing from an unconscious state int
that of death. His wife and children
were az his bedside. An attendant sta
toned at the door of the mansion tc
answer the inquiries of the newspaper
correspondents made the announce
ment.
The news spread to the Capitol and
throughout the city in a few minutes
It was everywhere expected, but when
the announcement came the impression
was more striking than any that has
been created by similar news since the
death of Abraham Lincoln.
The approach of death was made ev.
ident to the family fully two hours be-
fore its actual occurrence. 1t was be-
tween and O'Clock this morning
when the first dangerous symptoms
were observed. The family had taken
their breakfast and the trained nurse,
Mrs Price, had gone down for her
breakfast also, leaving the patient
temporarily alone.
James G. Blaine, Jr,, had on his hat
and coat, preparatory to starting off
for his days duties in the office of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, in
which he is employed, when his moth
tr suggested to him it would be better
to wait until the nurse came up. He
promptly acquiesced, Mr.. Blaine had
passed restless night. and had been
pronounced not so well, even by his
cautious physicians. But beyond a
perceptible increase of the languor
which had marked his condition during
the past few days, there was no very
alarming change to be noted. When
the nurse returned from her breakfast,
however, her experienced eyes at once
saw that the end was drawing near.
Both physicians were Immediately tel
phoned for, and arrived within few
minutes of each other. The powerful
heart stimulant intro glycerine) which
had several times before brought the
patient back out of the dark valley of
death, was powerless now.
His mind had been almost blank
for weeks past, and his lucid moments
have been but few, and at times far
between, but his physical frame has
withstood the ravages of wasting dis
ease until now.
Dating from the cradle to the tomb,
Mr.. Blaine ssixty three years have been
active ones. All the trials and tribu-
lations that fall to the lot of public
man have been his and have earned
for him the peaceful ending of career
which closed when life's candle made
its last flicker today.
Mr.. Blaine, on his death bed, was
surrounded, just as he has been almost
necessarily for weeks, by those who
were nearest and dearest to him. In
fact, it was only his family and those
very closely associated with them that
have been permitted to see or even hear
from him during the last days of his
life. Trained journalists, calling into
requisition every honest means at their
command, the resorting to every posi-
BILE means within the line of legitimate
journalism, have kept most watchful
eye on every movement without, and
as far as possible, within the now fa-
nous red house." where the distin-
guished statesman breathed his last.
Naturally enough there has been a
disposition both on the part of the fam
ily and the attending physicians, to
either conceal or distort in some way
the real conditions existing in the
Blaine mansion, but, from time to time,
accurate information as to Mr.. Blaine 8
condition has been obtained and faith
fully reported. 1t is quite safe to say
that there are few, if indeed any, jour
nalistic experiences since General
Grants illness, which could furnish
more thorough example of watching
and waiting than has the case of Mr..
Blaine,
Every element of discomfort-rai
snow, sleet and frost-has been factor
in the line of duty of the reporters who
have noted the scenes and incidents at
the Blaine residence for weeks past.
DR.. Hyatt, at $50 came out and said
to the group of newspaper men that he
feared the end was at hand. In the
meantime all the family had been sum-
moned into the death chamber-Mrs.
Blaine, the devoted wife, Miss Hattie
Blaine, his unmarried daughter, Mrs,
Damrosch, his married daughter, James
G. Blaine, jr., his only surviving son,
and Miss Dodge, (Gail Hamilton) his
cousin.
In silent, fearful sorrow they wit
messed the closing scenes. The patient
lay so quietly that even the doctors
were hardly able to say when he died.
No word of consciousness, no look of
recognition had passed. At 10:45 he
lay SO still that the window shades
were raised to give more light to enable
the physicians to determine if life still
fingered. Fifteen minutes later they
proclaimed him dead. The news was
instantly flashed all over the world.
DR.. Johnston was summoned to the
bedside of Mr.. Blaine early this morn
ing, but his presence was not known to
those outside until about lilo, when,
in company with DIR. Hyatt, he left the