The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-28

OHcou0m uAco ~ WAC airing tou uOs6A 6t
LIS q. IN. His wife. daughter and SON.
in-lsw were AZ his bedside.
Mrs. Gresham's devotion TO her hus.
band during his Illness has been Of the
most tender, patient and faithful char
acter.
Mr. Gresham's illness began May /,
when he WAS attacked with acute pleu-
risy. The effusion filled the pleural
cavity, but his condition yielded to
treatments until last Saturday. when he
suffered relapse accompanied by acute
pneumonia.
At $50 yesterday evening he sank 80
rapidly thas death was momentarily
expected. His condition was so ex-
tremely critical that the physicians de-,
cided that TRANSMISSION WAS i'm mediately
necessary to stimulate the heart. Or.
Van Rannslear opened O vein in the
left arm and infused pint and half
OF normal saline solution, and about $50
the stricken statesman had revived
somewhat.
At 1885 however, he suffered another
rigor, accompanied with vomiting, and
physicians notified Hrs. Gresham that
there WAS no hope. At 1915 it was an
nounced that he was dying, and at lis
he expired
Walter Quintin Gresham was soldier,
judge and statesman, eminent and
oisting uished in these fields OF human
endeavor. he rose to the rank Of ma jor
general OF volunteers during the rebel
lion. He was for fourteen years United
States district judge for Indiana and
for eight years United States Judge for
Illinois and held three Cabinet port
folios, Postmaster General and Secre-
tary OF the Treasury under Arthur and
Secretary OF State under Cleveland.
Such an epitome OF public service few
men can boast.
Gresham came from English stock
His ancestors moved to Virginia and
later to Harrison county, Ind, where
he was born on ST. Pa,rick's Day, 1892.
His father learned the cabinet making
trade, which he pursued iudustriously
together with farming. His courage
made him popular idol in his neigh
borhood and he became o colonel Of
militia.
His mother, Sarah Davis, was of
Scotch-Irish descent. The house In
which she lived until her death a few
years ago, and in which her distin-
guished son was born, WAS humble cot
s.ko PoAhePo sWoHhy 1851 WlQ6 RQQ
thirty long, story and half In front,
standing on side Of hill past which
runs the old Indiana State road. Until
his mothers death Judge Gresham
often visited her there and spent q day
or two in his boyish hsunts, losing for
the time the driving and reslstless cur
rent OF the busy world Of to- day in the
old fashioned, quiet and serenity of fifty
years ago.
In 1893 Gresham's father was elected
sheriff and the next yenr WAS murdered
by noted desperate whom he had gone
to arrest. Hia mother was left widow
with five small children. Walter @. WAS
but two years of age when his father
was killed, Benjsmin, she Oldest, was
eight. struggle ensued, but from tho
hard hands of penury thew earned the
right to live and finally to proeper.
Benjamin, like his father, learned the
trade Of carpenter but also clunR to the
farm.
His eyes took in horizon that ex-
tended far beyond his mothers farm,
and by dint of hard work and the az
sistsnce OF his brother, he succeeded in
entering the seminary at Corydon. Two
years there and one at Bloomington
University, completed his education 30
far AS schooling was concerned.
He began the study of law under
Judge w. A. Porter, one of the noted
characters Of Southern Indiana, while
acting as deputy clerk, and in 1854 en-.
tered into partnership with Thomas @.
Slaughter, an eminent lawyer of that
time, and afterwards Judge of the cir
cuis court. His admission to the bar
and the Nebraska agitation were co.
incident.
The Wing party with which all of his
political traditions were associated had
dissolved. In 1855 the Republican
party was formed and with 1t Gresham
at once allied himself He stumped his
section OF the State for pathfinder"
Fremont who had been nominated at
Philadelphia. His style of orasory was
almost entirely argumentative, ad-
dressed to the reason rather than the
feelings OF his auditors.
While Judge Gresham could ALWAYS
interest his hearers he did 80 more by
the clearness OF his statements and the
exaetness OF his language than tho in
diligence In anecdotes or figures OF
speech Judge Gresham's later decis-
ions on the bench have been com pared
with those of Chief Justice Marshall.
whose luminous reasoning has always
been commended to the study of law
yers, old and young.
Mr.. Gresham was elected to the legis.
lature where he, as chairman OF the
committee on military affairs, brought
forward militia bill which placed In
diana on war footing. Gresham had
natural military instincts and was com
mander OF company known as the
Spencer Rifles.
With the first Shrek OF wars alarm
Governor Morton appointed him lieu
tenant colonel OF the Thirty eighth In