Evening star., 1897-04-05

End of n Long. Honorable and Event
full Life.


full Life.
A long wide bow of royal purple satin
ribbon, surmounted by sheaf of whca:,
fully ripe, were the tokens which indicated
to those who today passed by the house
No. 10 ID street southeast thai the long
and eventful life of Capt. Samuel G. Ca
bell, who lived there for many years. had
come to a close. That crepe, the usul
badge of mourning, was not used, was in
Difference to the oft-eXpreSSed wish Of
Capt Cabell, who said that he did not want
his family to grieve after his death.
The death of Capt. Cabell took place
this morning at 5 o'clock, after an illness
of thirteen years from progressive paraly-
sis, and for two years he had been entirely
helpless. He was born in Campbell county,
Va, January &. 1874 and consequently had
only few months since entered his eighty
fourth year.
Very early in life he removed from Vir-
ginia to Illinois. and there learned the
trades of engineer and machinist Soon
after attaining his majority he became a
captain on Mississippi river boats
The outbreak of the war found Capt.
Cabell the owner and commander of the
St. Marys, and owner also OF the William
Campbell. and with these he established
line of packets between Shreveport. La,
and various points Red river Later he
ventured up to Memphis with the ST.
Mary's, and had hardly landed there be-
fore he and his boat were pressed into the
service of the confederate states by Gen.
jeff Thompson of the Missouri state
guards. Here he was compelled much
against his will, to remain for six months.
the vessel during this period being used as
a spy boat for Gen. Thompson and for car
rying sick and wounded confederates be-
tween Belmont and Fort Pillow and Men,
phis.
While engaged in this work Capt. Cabell
and his wife on several occasions narrowly
escaped being killed. the most miraculous
being during battle. in which the con-
federateS fired a cannon ball at the st.
Mary's by mistake. the ball passing under
the table at which the captain and Mrs.
Cabell were sitting.
After being released by General Thomp-
son, Captain Cabell took his boat to Mem
phis. which by this time was in possession
of the United States forces. and the COM
manding officer of the latter at once con-
fiscated the vessel, which, 1t is stated,
Captain Cabell was never paid for. Janu-
ary q. 1865. Captain Cabell was commits
stoned a special agent Of the Treasury
Department for the collection Of govern
ment property in the south by President
Lincoln The latter and Captain Cabell
were old friends and his commission as
treasury agent was an autograph letter
from Mr.. Lincoln, which Captain Cabell
treasured ever after as priceless pos
session.
Early in the seventies Captain Cabell
secured a number of mall contracts in vari-
Gus parts of the country, and these he kept
for a number of years. but instead of
amassing a fortune thereby sunk about
$4,000 in the enterprise. The worry re-
sulting frcm his losses brought on the
stroke of paralysis from which he never
recovered.
Despite his infirmities during so many
years, Captain Cabell within the past de-
| cade brought out number Of inventions.
| Principal among these were apparatus
| for purifying and aging liquor and an
| electrical appliance for cleaning steam
| boilers.
Captain Cabell leaves a widow and one
| son, Mr.. Milton s. Cabell of Quincy. Ill.
| The arrangements for the funeral will not
| be made until after the arrival in Wash
! ington of the latter. further than that the
| remains will be taken to Quincy. ILL.,. for
! final interment.