St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-03

the respiration, and since midnight it
has been noticed that his pulse is flag
gIng.
"The case is now hopeless" added
the physician.
"Of course. we cannot give any more
definite information than this. MIR.
Childs may live only few minutes, and
he may linger for twenty-four hours;
but he is rapidly growing weaker"
This sudden change will be "a most
painful surprise 10 Mr.. Childs' friends.
In the morning his physicians an
nounced that he had passed
comfortable night and that his con-
dltlon was much lmproVed; later
in the day it was announced
that his condition was unchanged.
From the fact that the patient had made
such hard battle against what few
days ago had been regarded as hope
less caused many of his friends to be-
pull through, and was already On the
road to recovery.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. S.-Mr ChIlds'
last illness began with fainting spell
which seized him while he was i'm his
office in the Ledger building at o'clock
Oh the afternoon of Thursday Jan. IS, Just
as he was putting Oh his overcoat prepar-
atOry to going to his home. He was
alone at the time, and when an attend
ant who heard him fall reached him, he
was totally unconscious. DR.. DaCosta,
his physician. was hastily sum-
moned, and restnratives were ap-
piled, with the result that in an
hour the patient was able to
walk, with the assistance Of two strong
men, to his carriage, which stood at the
door. He was conveyed to his CITY
home. and Mrs. Childs, who was at the
country place at Wooton, was sum
moned. DR.. Da Costa called in Drs.
Leidy and Morris, and these three
issued statement that Mr.. Childs'
illness was nothing more than
all attack Of vertigo. arising from indi-
gestion, from which he would recover.
The news of his illness brought hosts
of inquiridg friends from the city to the
door and hundreds of anxious INQUIRIES
by mail and telegraph from those
abroad. 10 all was given the
assurance that Mr.. Chllds was not seri-
ously i'll. On the following Sunday
night, however, the physicians ad-
mitted that paralysis of the lower limbs
accompanied the attack which, as the
Associated Press had previously au-
nOunced, was in reality second attack
of apoplexy.
From that time on there have been
alternating periods of hope and fear,
as the semi-daily bulletins announced
changes tor the better or worse, until at
midnight came the announcement that
hope was dead and death immi-
nent. There is but little rea-
son to doubt that the Immediate
cause Of the attack, that will
ultimately produce death, was over
work. anxiety attendant upon his ef-
forts to see that the memory of his life
long friend, the late A. j. Drexel, was
properly honored. All of the day upon
which came the attack was spent by
MIR. Childs in preparing for the DrexeI
memorial services held in the
two days after the fatal Thursday.
Twice during the day Mr.. Childs had
gone in person to the institute and in
person had seen that all necessary ar
rangements were completed. His
enforced absence from the cere-
mony worried him profoundly, and
to this fact was largely due
the relapse which occurred on the
night of Sunday, Jan. 81. since which
time there has been an umeasiness in
the minds Of the physicians as to his
condition, amounting to almost Ger
tainty that he could not recover.
George ". Childs was born in Balh-
more, Nd, May IL. 1929. He was edu-
Gated at private schools in his native
city, and when but fourteen years of
age removed to Philadelphia. Soon
afterward he became clerk in book
store, and after a service of four years
opened small store of his own in
the old Ledger building, at Third
and Chestnut streets. In due time Mr..
Childs became a publisher of books.
and at the age of twenty,Qne was the
head of the firm of Childs & Petersop.r
He was successful as a publisher, and
many works of intrinsic excellence
among them DR.. Alibone's "DictioGSns
of English and American Authors al
were given to the public. IN
1868 he retired from the firm,
and ON Dec. 8, 1864. became the
proprietor of the Public Ledger,
Philadelphia. When Mr.Ghilds became
owner OF the paper it was unremunera-
tive and its circulation was small: but
sSop after il spraug Suddenly into nui,tic