The times., 1897-11-16
JOHN N. LANCsTON DEAD
The End Comes Peacefully at
''HiIlsdale Cottage"
A USEFUL CAREER CLOSED
Rorn on Plantation, He Became
orator, Diplomat and Congress-
man and Was Always Champion
OF His people-Pa ralysis Was tbe
Cause OF Death.

Hon. John NJ. LangSton died at his cot.
tage ar No. 2225 Fourth street northwest
at $50 O'Clock last night.
Mr.. Laugston was looked upon as d
nIau IN good health until about a week
age lie was stricken with apoplexy
early last week, and rapidly neared tae
end as the week passed.
LAST SATURDAY IT was announced by he
PHYSICIANS tia one entire half OF his body
was raralyzed. The paralysis even ex.
teaded onward TO the brain and paired
the pneumogastric nerves controlling the
respiratory organs, and when this occurred
1t was declared THAT he could not live
very long.
Sunday evening his condition was very
low. and the vile and children OF the
deceased, who had been summoned BY
telegraph, gathered III the sick room, fully
aware of the serious nature of the disease.
! and expecting his death at any momeut
His powerful constitution enabled Mr.
Langston to survive the night, and this
gave the family hope. change for tne
worse was noticed at / o O'Clock yesterday
morning and the announcement made that
/ would be impossible for him to live
until midnight. He rallied shortly be
fore tie Change ia his condition. and made
a determined effort to talk, and succeeded
in making IL understood that he wanted TO
speak 10 the family.
Mrs. Langstcn, the sons and daughters,
were soon at his bedside, but when they
got there the father could only recognize
ther!, without being able to saythat which
he wanted to his sons. Fsom noon until
evening he sank slowly and peacefully,
and at $50 O'CLOCK breathed his last.
His family was present at his death
The funeral arrangements viii he maG,.
today
john Mercer Langston was bern up, II
plantation located three miIesfrom Louisa
Court House, in Louisa county, Va, D..
cember "A, 1929. The owner Of the
plantation was Capt Ralph QuarIes. man
Of large wealth. having great landed pos
sessions, with many slaves He vas =
person of broad and varied education, wich
a love Of learning and culture remarkable
for his day
He held peculiar and unusual views with
regard To the management OF slave and
believed that slavery should be abolished
Among the slaves belonging to Ralph
/ QuaTleS was a woman named Langston.
John ". Iangstnn was the son Of this
wealthy owner, taking his mothers name.
Upon the death Of bis father everybody
or . ne plantation had 70 change their sit
ua,icn. Iangston was set free and sent "a
Ohio, where he grew TO omanhood, receiving
a good education. He graduated at Oberlin
College in 1S49.
He chose the law as his profession and
graduated in that department at ObeTlin
Cole g in ] 853. He was admitted to cae
Ohio tar September 13, 1854.
After the war began Mr.. Langston euter
ed vigorously apon the recruitment of the
Fifty -folrth Massachusetts Regiment. His
surcess ia this work, especially in Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, was very great.
In 1867 through the influence or Hon
$. T. chase, he was appointed inspector OF
the c0iored schools, and in July OF the
same year, was admitted To practice in tie
United states Supreme Court
In 1s69 be accepted prOfeSsorship in
the law department % Howard University
in this CITY He was dean Of this depart
ment for several years, receiving in the
meantime the degree Of L. l.. D. He was
appointed by President Grant a member
OF the District board of health in 1S7 /.
In 1877, lie was appointed minister to
Haiti by President Hayes. Upon his re
turn in 1855, ne was elected president
OF the Virginia Normal and Collegiate In
stitute, located at Petersburg.
This school was founded by the Gov
ernment in $50 and supported by pep
ular appropriations CT $50, 0O0 annually"
This duty he performed with credit 20
himself and his people until December
1897, when he resigned.
He was elected member OF the Fifty
first Congress from the Fourth district of
Virginia, in 1888, tie first and only colored
Representative i'll Congress from the Old
dominion