The herald., 1895-02-21
FREDERICK DOUGLASS DEAD
The Famous Orator Passes
Away at His Home
THE ROMANCE IN HIS LIFE
Story of His Trials and Triumphs Told
by Biographers
THE ROMANCE IN HIS LIF
The Coiored Diplomat 7ade History for the
Country Two Sons and Daughter
Survive Him

lOmat, died lew minutes before clock
tonight at his residence ut Anacosta, a
suburb of this city, OF heart failure. HIS
death was entirely unexpected, as he had
been enjoying the best of health. During
the afternoon he attended the convention
of the women of the United States now in
progress in this city and chatted with
Susan B. Anthony and othors of the
leading members, with whom he had been
on intimate terms for many years.
When he returned home he said nothing
of any feeling of illness, though he ex-
pressed himself as being little exhausted
by climbing up the stairs leading from
the street to his house, which is on high
terrace. He sat down and chatted with
his wife about the women at the conven-
ton. Suddenly he gasped, clapped his
hand to his heart and fell back uncon-
scious. doctor was hastily summoned
and arrived within very few moments,
but his efforts to revive him were hopeless
from the first Within twenty minutes
after the attack the faint molten OF the
heart ceased entirely, and me great ex-
slave statesman was dead.
Mr.. Douglass leaves two sons and a
His second wife, who is white woman,
survives him.
The story of the second marriage is a
romantic one. Miss Helen Pitts, whom
he married, was a New England woman
of middle age, clerk in the office of the
Recorder of Deeds of the District of Co
lumbia when Mr.. Douglass was appointed
to that Office. She was member OF
literary society to which he belonged.
They were thrown much together and
finally became engaged. Her relatives
opposed the union bitterly on account of
his color, but finally yielded to force of
circumstances Some of them have for
some time been living near the Douglass
home on Anacosta Heights.
Friedrich Douglass was born in Tucka-
hoe, Talbot county, Maryland, in Febru-
ary, 1917. His mother was a negro slave
and his father was white man. At the
age of 10 years he was sent to Baltimore,
where he learned to read and write. His
owner later allowed him to hire his own
time for SO per week and he was employed
in shipyard.
In September, 1888, he fed from Balti-
more and made his way to New York.
Thence he went to New Bedford, Mass,
where he married and lived for three or
four years, supporting himself by day
labor on the wharves and in various work
shops. While there he changed his name
to Douglass. He had previously been called
Lloyd, the name of his old master.
He was aided in his efforts for
self education by William Lloyd Garrison.
In the summer of 1S41 he attended an an
ti-slavery convention at Nantucket, and
made speech which was SO well received
that he was offered the agency of the Mas
sachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. In this
capacity he travelled and lectured through
the New England States for four years.
Large audiences were attracted by his
graphic description of slavery and his elo-
quent speeches. At this time he published
his first book, entitled, Narrative of My
Experience in Slavery.
In 1S45 he went to Europe to lecture on
slavery to enthusiastic audiences in nearly
all of the large towns of Great Britain.
In 1916 his friends in England raised a
purse of $3.50 to purchase his freedom.
He remained two years in Great Britain,
and in ls47 began at Rochester, N. Y,
the publication of Frederick Douglass
Paper, which title was afterwards changed
to The North Star.
In 1855 he published My Bondage and
My Freedom.
In 1859 the John Brown riots took
place in Virginia. He was supposed to
have been implicated in these and Gov
ernor Wise made requisition for his arrest
~ IL. ;al,
state he then was. To avoid difficulty,
Mr.. Douglass went to England, where he
remained for six or eight months. He
then returned to Rochester and continued
the publication of his paper. When the
Civil War began in 1861 he urged upon
President Lincoln the employment OF
colored troops and the issuance of a
proclamation of emancipation,
In 1868, when it was at last decided to
employ such troops, he gave his assist
ance in enlisting men for such regiments,
especially the Fifty-fourth and Fifty. fifth
Massachusetts. After the abolition of
slavery he discontinued the publication of
his paper and applied himself to the
preparation and delivery of lyceum lee
lures.
In September 1870, he became editor of
the New National Era in Washington.
This was afterwards continued by his
sons, Lewis and Frederick.
In 1871 he was appointed assistant secre-
tary to the committee to San Domingo.
On his return President Grant appointed
him one of the territorial council for the
district OF Colorado.
In 1872 he was elected presidential
elector at large for the state of New York
and was appointed to carry the electoral
vote of the state to Washington.
In 1876 he was appointed United States
marshal for the District of Columbia.
After this he became recorder of deeds
for the District of Columbia, from which
office he was removed by President Cleve-
land in 1886
In the autumn of that year he revisited
England to inform the friends whom he
had made while "a fugitive slave, of the
progress of the African race in the United
States. After his return to the United
States he was appointed Minister to Hayti