The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-22
STEVENSON Is DEAD.
Details From Apia Confirm the
Sad News of the Great
Novelist'S Fate.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 1S9i.--Ad-
vices from Apia confirm the report of
the death of Robert Louis Stevenson.
He died of apoplexy on Monday evening
at $40, PM. About six O'Clock the
same evening Lloyd Osbourne, Mr..
Stevenson's stepson, was seen in Apia
hatless and coatless, anxiously inquiring
for medical assistance. Fortunately DR..
Anderson, of H. M. S. Wallaroo, was
available, and DR.. Funk, the local physic-
ian, was soon communicated with. Both
doctors hastened to respond to Mr.. Os-
bourne's request for assistance, DR..
Anderson being on the spot nearly half
an hour before his fellow practitioner.
MIR. Stevenson was discovered insensible
and breathing heavily and intermittently.
DIR. Anderson recognized the symptoms
of apoplexy, and did all he could to
afford relief, although aware that the
case was hopeless. On DR.. Funk's ar
rival, further remedies were applied,
but unsuccessfully, and the patient
breathed his last at the hour above
mentioned, never having recovered con-
seriousness. The deceased was inferred
Tuesday between the hours of one and
two in the afternoon on the extreme
summit of Vace Mountain, at the foot
of which Vailius is situated. There were
about twenty whites and sixty Samoans
present. Revs. Clark and Newell offici-
ated. From daylight on Tuesday morn
ing number of Samoans were engaged
under the direction of Mr.. Osbourne in
cutting a track up the mountains side,
the work being no easy one, as the
bush was dense and the grade precipit-
Gus. The funeral was not public one,
only few friends being invited to at
tend it. Such friends, however, were
principally representatives of established
Institutions.
HAD BEEN BETTER.
Mr.. Stevenson's health of late had been
so much improved that his relatives had
hoped that his lung trouble was gradu
ally ceasing to be absolute1y dangerous.
For long time hemorrhages had been
in evidence, and all thought that the
faculty's prediction that, the 45th year
being turned, the sensitiveness of the
lung would disappear, might be verified.
ApopleXys does not seem to have been
contemplated at ALL The deceased being
in, for him. robust health, had put
through an enormous amount of work
lately. keeping his amenuensis, Mrs.
Strong. at high pressure. A very power
full novel, which would have been called
either the t'Heir of Hormston," or per-
haps 1.-The Justices Clerk was in
progress and about half finished, and the
author was looking forward pleasurably
to it's being launched into the library
world as one of his best productions.
A SUDDEN SEIZURE.
Just before his attack Mr.. Stevenson
was experimenting the manufacture of
some salad dressing, which indicated
that he was in good health and spirits.
Suddenly he felt pains iii his head, and
was almost instantly struck down. He
was carried into the big ball room and
laid on a small bedstead, which had
been hastily conveyed there. Here he
remained surrounded by his family and
native servants and friends who were
anxiously awaiting the end. Just before
he ceased to breathe his favorite body
servant an Intelligent Samoan lad, beg
ged to be permitted to sing hymn,
which he did in a sweet but powerful
voice, affecting all present.
During Tuesday morning the body lay
in the big room on its couch awaiting
it's removal to its final resting place on
the mountain top, LOO feet above the
sea level.
Numberless wreaths were on a table
at hand and, that which the deceased
when in life valued much more, several
native fine mats, covered the bed on
which he reposed. The departure was
an ideal one for poet-sudden, painless
and in harness--in the midst of his low
ing relatives and surrounded by the
whole of his Samoan dependents for
whom he entertained so much affection.
And then finally, his romantic grave,
commanding an extensive view of land
and sea and looking down upon Vail
ina and its loved inmates.