Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-01-16
How the Presidents Died.


George Washington-His death was
the result of severe cold contracted
while riding around his farm in rain
and sleet storm on Dec. 10th, 1899.
The cold increased and was followed
by a chill, which brought on acute
laryngitis. His death occurred on
December l4th. 1899. He was 6S
years of age.
John Adams-He died from old
age, having reached his 9lst mile
stone. Though active mentally, he
was nearly blind and unable to hold a
pen steady enough to write. He passed
away without any pain on July 4th'
1926.
Thomas Jefferson-He died at the
age of S3, few hours before Adams,
on July 4th. 1926. His disease was
chronic diarrhea superinduced by old
age, and, his physician said, the too
free use of the waters of the White
Sulphur Springs.
James Madison-He, too, died of
old age, and peacefully on June 2Sth,
1886. His faculties were undimmed
to the last. He was So.
James Monroe-At the time of his
death, which occurred in the 7Srd
year of his age, on July 4th, 1881, it
was assigned to no other cause than
enfeebled health.
John Quincy Adams-He was striek-
en- with paralysis on February 2lst,
1913, while addressing the Speaker OF
the House Of Representatives, being at
that time a member of Congress. He
died in the rotunda of the capitol.
He was 81 years of age.
Andrew Jackson-He died on June
8th, lS45, rs years old. He suffered
from consumption, and finally dropsy
made its appearance about SIX months
before his death.
Martin Van Buren-He died on
July Oath, 1862, from a violent attack
of asthma, followed by catarrhal aiiec-
tions of the throat and lungs. He was
so years of age.
William Henry Harrison-The cause
of his death was pleurisy, the result Of
a cold which he caught on the day OF
his Inauguration. This was accompa-
MED with severe diarrhGa, which
would not yield to medical treatment.
His death occurred on April 4th, lS4l,
a month after his Inauguration. He
was 69 years OF age.
John Tyler-He died on January
18th, 1862, at the age Of y. have
been unable to ascertain the cause OF
his death.
James K. Polk-In the spring OF
I849 he was stricken with a slight at
tack Of cholera while on boat going
up the Mississippi river. Though
temporarily relieved he had relapse
on his return home and died on July
18th, l849, aged "a years.
Zachary Taylor-He was the sec-
ond person to die in Office. He issaid
to have taken immoderately OF ice wa
ter and iced milk and then later on a
large quantity of cherries. The result
was an attack of cholera morbus. An
other authority attributes his death to
a severe cold. The former seems the
more likely. He was &C years old.
Millard Fillmore-He died from
stroke of paralysis on March Sth, 1874,
in his 74th year
Franklin Pierce-His death was due
to abdominal dropsy, and occurred on
October 9th, 1879, in the 65th year Of
his life.
James Buchanan-His death oc-
CURED on June lst, 1868, and was
caused by rheumatic gout. He was
II years of age.
Abraham Lincoln-He was shot by
J. Wilkes Booth at Ford's theatre,
Washington, D. c., on April l4th, 1865.
and died the following day, aged 56.
Andrew Johnson-He died from a
stroke of paralysis July 2lst, 1875,
aged 81.
The deaths of Grant, Garfield. Ar
thur and Hays are recent enough to be
remembered by all.