The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-04
EUGENE FIELD DEAD.
The Poet and Newspaper Writer
Passes Away.
Expired Suddenly at Chicago at
Five This Morning.
ONLY SHORT TIME ILL.
Was to Have Read at Kansas
City Tonight.
His Last Work Done for Chicago
Record Saturday.
ONLY SHORT TINE ILL


about o'clock this morning. He retired
last night apparently no worse than
slightly ill, as he had been for several
days, and slept soundly till day break,
when his son, who occupied the room
with him, heard him groan, and putting
out his hand found that death had al
ready taken place.
Mr Field leaves a widow and five chill
dren. -..
Mr., Field had been indisposed for sew
eral days but no serious results were
, even thought of by his family and imme
diate friends. George II. YenOwine of
Milwaukee was at Mr. Fields bedside
when he died. Mr.. Field and Mr. Yeno-
wine intended to start together for Kan
eas City at which place Mr.. Field was to
read tonight.
For some days Field had been ailng,
but it was supposed he was suffering
from his usual stomach troubles and no
serious turn was anticipated
DR.. Frank Reilly, who was Summoned
this morning. pronounced the death to
have been caused by the formation of a
clot of blood in the heart
Mr.. Field sat up until a late hour
chatting with Mr. Yenowine, of the Mil
waukee Illustrated News. Mr. Yenowine
was to have accompanied Mr. Field to
, Kansas City, and had come from Mil
waukee for that purpose. The deceased
was very cheerful, and discussed future
plans
Upon going to bed Mr. Field did nut
complain. but during the night Fred
Field, the IA year old son of the deceased
heard his father groaning in his sleep.
The lad thought nothing of this until
morning, until the sleeping man groaned
more heavily than before. and then be-
came perfectly still and quiet.
\ When the family reached the bedside
they found that Eugene Field was no
more. His body was lying In an easy,
natural position. the heat Of life had not
yet died out, and tranquil, peaceful ex-.
preston on his face@g gave him the APP.
pesrsdce of having dropped into gentle
slumber.
Mr. Field was born in ST. Louis, Sep
tember 2, 1850. and was therefore AS
years old at the time of his death. He
was the son of Roswell Martin Field and
Frances Reed Field. His parents were
both natives Of Windham county, Yer
mont
His father graduated from Middlebury
college when only fifteen years old, be-
came lawyer and introduced a bill in
the Vermont legislature permitting athe-
lists to testify in courts of law. He was
Dred Scotts frat attorney in the case
which resulted in the famous Dred Scott
decision by the United States supreme
court.
The first American ancestor of the
name of Field came to this country be-
tween 1880 and 1910. while on the pa
ternAl grandmother's side the original
American ancestor was James Smith,
who settled at Plymouth in 1926. Eugene
Fields mother died in 1857
He was thsn put under the care of his
cousin. Miss Mary Field French at Am
herst, Mass, and for thirteen years she
superintended his education and was his
foster mother He attended Williams
college in 1868. Knox college in 1869 aud
the State university of Missouri in 1871
After finishing his education he adopt
ed the profession of newspaper writer.
beginning with the ST. Louis Journal in
1872 His next connection was with the
St. Joseph (AIo.) Gazette in 1875. after
which he returned 70 St. Louis to take
an editorial place on the Times-J Journal.
In 1889 he was on the staff of the Kafl-
sas City Times. but left that paper. in
1881 to become managing editor Of the
Denver Tribune. He came to Chicago
august 49, 1888. to accept a position on
the editorial staff of the Chicago Morn
ing News (now the Record), and his con
nection with that paper continued with.
cut interruption until his death,
Mr.. Fields last contribution TO his de
partment on this paper, "Sharps aud
Flats" was published Saturday morning
and init was Characteristic defense of
Bill Nys and a refusal to accept the as
sumption as to the cause of the recent
assault on the hunorist at Paterson. n.
y. By strange coincidence this express
sion was used, Ten years ago Nye
was in shocking bad health and at one
time there were fears that he would be
an invalid for the rest of his life. His
malady at that time was meningitis
NAver since his two years affliction With
tnat lnslouous and destructive disesse
nay as Nye been a robust man"
IN addition to his newspaper work Mr.
rrIeld has found time to perform much
eextra labor in the literary fisld. and has
established a reputation as powerful
and clever writer of stories and yerse
his last poem of pretension was "Dream
Snlps,' written for and printed in the
october Ladies' Home Journal
ae was especially adept in the poems
ana stories of child life, and his printed
BOOKS now number Il half dozen vol
nnes. lie has also made himself
famous 10 the public as 4 reader of his
own stories and verses, having at differ
S1s & times appeared jointly with Edgar
W ltson Nye aud James Whitcemb RiIev
Among his better known boots ara ,. ~ b.
"Dsnver Tribune Primer 1880. sC,nJ0
lures Garland" 1887: "Little Hook of
Western Verse" 1899: Little Rook of
rchtable Tales" 1888; second Bnok nj
ferse," 1892; with Trumpet and Drum y
1SSS; Echoes from the Sabine Farm ,,
1888, aud Love Songs of Childbood'n
nj. Field Married Miss Julia Comrtoc-
o. 'ssspn' NO, October 16, 1873, aud