The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-18
HEART FAILED HIM
LYMAN S. COTTON DIES WHILE
OUT FOR A BICYCLE
RIDE.
USUAL EVENING PASTIME'
A FEW BLOCKS OF HIS
HOME.
=NING PASTIME
Indicating That He Just Had Time
to DismOunt When He Felt
the End Coming.

Lyman S. Cotton, the attorney, left
his home at 654 Laurel avenue for his
customary after-dinner bicycle ride
shortly before o'clock last evening
and five minutes after was found in q
dying condition at Summit avenue and
st. Albans street. Mr.. Cotton lay un-
conscious in the street, and it was at
first thought that he had been stunned
by a fall from his wheel, but, when
DR.. Robert Wheaton, who was passing,
went to Mr.. Cotton's assistance, symp-
toms indicated an attack of heart dis
ease. Every effort was made to revive
the unconscious man, but he died with
in few moments. Later, Deputy Cor
oner Ritchie investigated, and decided
that death had, beyond doubt, resulted
from heart trouble.
Mr.. Cotton was sixty-five years old
and apparently enjoyed the best of
health. He rode from his office in the
Hale block to his home last evening
and jested with members of his fam
lily about being excessively hungry,
evidencing in no way any ailment
whatever. He ate a hearty meal and
Immediately left the house on his BIZ
cycle. Mr.. Cotton was an enthusiastic
Wheelman, having been a devotee of
the bicycle for several years. Failing
eyesight rendered reading a difficult
recreation, and he spent a great deal
of his time after business hours riding
about the city and suburbs. The ex-
ercise seemed to agree with him, but,
though having no warning of the fact,
al; It.
almost constant riding was at least in
directly responsible for his death.
Last season, despite his advanced age,
Mr.. Cotton completed the remarkable
feat of wheeling $3.50 miles, and it is
believed that the strain attendant upon
this performance affected his heart.
He had covered scarcely half of this
distance this season, however, and al
ways rode slowly, never becoming ex-
hausted.
When he rode away from his door
last evening for his accustomed spin.
Mr.. Cotton proceeded on Laurel avenue
to ST. Adams street and thence to Sum-
nit avenue. No one saw him when he
was overcome, and the first intimation
of his dangerous condition was the
finding of his unconscious form in the
against the curb at the corner, and,
from this fact, together with the en-
tire absence of bruises or marks of any
kind on the body, it is believed that the
dead man felt the attack coming on,
and, becoming dizzy, dismounted from
his wheel to rest a moment without
realizing the seriousness of his cOndi-
ton. The body lay but a few feet
from the bicycle just off the curbstone
showing the attack to have been very
swift.
The stricken lawyer was first seen
by the driver of ST. Anthony hill gro
Gerry wagon, who delivers goods at the
Cotton home, and, after DR.. Wheaton
had arrived upon the scene, the young
man quickly carried the news to Mr..
Cotton's wife and daughter. Both
hurried to Mr. Cotton's side, but he
had died almost before they knew of
his precarious condition. The body was
removed to the family home i'll the
Rondo street patrol wagon.
Mr.. Cotton leaves a wife and grown
daughter, Miss Helen c. Cotton, who
is employed as stenographer for the
Minnesota Land and Investment COM
pany, in the Drake block. He came to
st. Paul from Cincinnati, O., eleven
years ago, and has since practiced law
at the Ramsey county bar. Mr. Cot
ton was attached to the United States
civil engineering service during the
War of the Rebellion, and assisted in
laying out number of the federal
Notifications throughout the South.