Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-12
He Died Suddenly in Wash.
ington Yesterday.
RESULT DUE TO HEART FAILURE
Awakened from Sleep by a
Fit of Coughing.


HIS BUSINESS IN WASHINGTON.
The general has always, to more or a
less extent, made his residence in Wash
ington, although many of the scenes of
his successful ventures have been located
elsewhere. During the present winter
case which had been decided against him
in the highest courts Of the state of Massa-
chusetts, and on which he took an appeal
to the United States Supreme Court, has
demanded his almost constant attendance
in this city. Every Monday he was ia
miliar figure at the sessions Of that body,
when the decisions were handed down,
His age, as well ms general impairment Of
his health, was matter of remark time
and again. Finally, few weeks ago, the
case was decided against him,
Whether or not the loss of this case, to
which he had paid such close attention,
brought anything more than the sorrows
of II casual defeat will not be known.
His death created an immense surprise,
as it was not even known that he was all
ing, any more than any man who had
lived and labnrcd so long would.
THE FATAL ATTACK.
The general was accompanied to the
city by his valet, West, a culOred man,
who has been with him for Is or III years,
and who always went with him whenever
he travelled. shortly after | O'Clock. this
morning, the general was attacked with
III vi coughing, Which uNuNtlltI tlle tlldll
servant. VINO always occupied All AdJoin
ing room. He 1T once FASTENED to the
generals bedside and asked him what the
matter was
The general, meanwhile, had gone to the
bath room, adjoining, whittier his valet
hNsteucd and offered his assistance. The
general mentiOnei that his GxpeGturatiOns
lave been disUUlored with blood lie did
hot appear u think seriously Of the
matter, however, and after his valet had
assisted him to his bed he said: THAT
all, West, you need not do anything
more" and apparently went 10 sleep.
lie had lain on his bed but u few
minutes however, when his heavy breath
ing again caused alarm. Mr.. LalIlcr Dunn,
his nephew by marriage, who resided in
the same house, started out i'll search OF
medical assistance II was fully ID minutes
before he could secure aid, and then when
he returned with DIR. Luce, the assistant
OF DR.. Bayne, the family physician, il was
Seen that the general was already III eX'
tremis The doctor so informed his two
nieces, Mrs. Dunn and Miss Stevens, who
were ut his bedside. and death almost i'm.
meuiately ensued. The end was apparently
painless.
He was at the war department during
the afternoon, after his appearance i'll
court during the forenoon, and OF his re.
turn to the house he ate dinner, after
W
members of the household He retired
about II O'Clock, apparently as well as
ever,
The general was in the 74th year OF his
age at the time Of his death, His daughter
Mrs. General Ames, is at Highland, N. j..
and his son Paul at Lowell, Mass.
ON his way here from New York, Fri
day, General Butler was taken sick on the
train. but recovered. Yesterday he caughl
Il very heavy cold, which produced pneu
munia, and that in turn caused failure Of
the heart, which was the immediate cause
of death.
Strange to say, he had only the day pre-
viously said at the dinner table that hi
would die like flash, and that somt
morning they would lind him dead in hi
bed lie bad no dread Of sudden death
on the contrary he had frequently said III
would prefer 70 80 suddenly rather thar
to linger and suffer, lie spoke of Mr.
Blaine in this connection at dinner ans
asked how he was, lie remarked, II
will outlivc me-
The lnlerlnent will take place Mt Lowell
Mass, in the family lot, where lie The re
mains of his wife and his son Benjamin
the latter died in 1876.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
Benjamin Franklin Butler was born il
Deerlield n. H., November 18th, 1878. II
was the son of Captain John Butler, VIII
served under Jackson at New Orleans. III
was graduated at Naterville College, (noS
Colby University, Maine, in 1888, wa
admitted to the bar in 1870, began practic
at Lowell, Mass. in 1871, and has sine
had high reputation as n lawyer, espt
cially in criminal cases. lie early took
prominent part in politics on the DemC
cratic side, and was elected a member {
the Massachusetts, house of representative
in 1873 and OF the state senate in 1859 ]
1850 he was u delegate to the Democrat
national convention that met at Charlie
ton. When Il portion OF the delegates n
assembled at Baltimore, Mr.. Butler, aftt
taking part in the opening debates an
votes announced that majority OF u
delegates from Massachusetts would nj
further participate in the deliberations [
thcconvenlion Oh the ground that there ha
been withdrawal in part of the malorit
of the states; and further, he added, "upo
the ground that | would not sit i'll COZ
ventiun where the African slave trad
which is piracy a BY the laws adv
Gated" In the same year he was y
unsuccessful Democratic candidate fl
governor of Massachusetts, At the tin
Of President Lincoln's call for troops
April, 1861. he held the commission
brigadier general Of militia, On the Ia
of that month he marched to Annapo
with the Eighth Massachusetts, Regimei
and was placed in command of the distri
of Annapolis, in which the city of Bal
more was included. On May 18th, Isl
he entered Baltimore at the head of 2
men, occupied the city without opposite
and on May 10Th was made major-genel
and assigned To the cumlnand OF fe
Monroe and the department OF eastern y
ginia. While he was there some slaves til
had come within his lines were demand
by their masters, but he refused 10 dellV
them up ON the ground that they We
contraband of war; hence arose the des
nation of 'contrabands,n often applied
slaves during the war. in August he Gu
tured Forts Hatteras and Clark, on I
coast of North Carolina. He then return
to Massachusetts, to recruit 2n eXpedltl
for the Gulf Of Mexico and the Allssissip
ON March sd, 1867, theeXpedtlnn reach
Ship Island and on April l7th went up
Mississippi. The fleet under tarragut nj
ing passed the forts April 24lh ana Vlr
ally captured New orleans, General But
took possession of the city May lst' !
administration of affairs was marked
great yieor, He instituted strict sanits
regulations, armed the free colored m
and compelled rich secessionisls TO c.
tribute toward the support OF the Door
tho city, His course in hanging Win
MumlOrd for hauling down the uhi
States flag from the mint and III lssh
"Order No. % nintended To prevent won
from insulting soldiers, excited strong
sentiment not only III the soikh, put IN
north and abroad and IN December, u
Jefferson Davis issued pTouamatlon
claring him All outlaw. On May 10Th, II
General Butler selZNd about SsOJ0.0 WI
had heet deposited III the Office 0!
Dutch consul. Gaming iHnl arms lQf
- IuutederatEs were 10 be punEhl Will
This action MAS Protested against ny