The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-05-20
GLADSTONE HAS GONE.
Career of the Celebrated English
Statesman Closed.
END COMPARATIVELY PAINLESS.

His Failure OF Strength HAD Been DO
Gradual That the Physicians Thought
the Sufferer Might Live the Month Out
Sweet Content Brought to the Aged
Statesman by the Approach of Death
Murmured Prayer I'm French.
London, May 19.-William Ewart
Gladstone, England's greatest states
man Of this century, died at Hawarden
castle at o'clock Thursday morning.
The passing of Mr.. Gladstone was
peaceful at the last, peaceful and ma
jestic. Death won no victory over the
greatest Englishman Of his time. The
arch-enemy was to him a friend and q
refuge. whose coming he had longed for,
and whose presence brought only in
finite solace. His pathetic craving for
peace, which has wrung the hearts of
his friends and of the nation during his
bitter weeks of suffering, was followed
by calm JOY at the advent Of the mes
senger of release, which robbed his
deathbed of all sadness. The grandeur
of the old man, say those who saw him
during his last hours, was calm and
sublime. as he welcomed the final sum-
mons.
Death Comparatively Painless.
It is simple story, this record Of the
closing hours of life which, more than
any other, perhaps, has influenced the
lives of his fellow-countrymen during
two generations. The pain, which,
though intermittent. was most cruelty
severe for the last nine months, had
gradually subsidized for three or four
maalxs mast This xUac dIla not Gu much
to the use Of morphine, which was en-
ployed more or less since January, as
to the fact that the nerves themselves
had mercifully exhausted their capacity
for suffering. Mr.. Gladstone's vitality,
amazing for a man Of such advanced
age, served both to prolong and to in
tensify the agony which his terrible
malady always inflicts. The disease
was not only malignant, but involved
tuberculosis of the bone, which is one Of
the most painful of Affections. There
is no need to dwell upon his fortitude
and serenity during the dreadful ordeal.
The pitiful story is only too well known,
and none wondered at his pathetic
yearning for death.
Drugs Used Sparingly.
His physicians felt justified in grad
ually increasing the use of opiates and
other palliatives until within a fort
night, when the destruction and numb
ing of the nerves by the progress of the
disease made 1t no longer necessary.
Drugs were used sparingly during the
past ten days, the result being that Mr..
Gladstone was conscious and clear in
mind, except for brief spells of delirium,
due chiefly to weakness. The failure of
strength was so gradual that the doc
tors thought. even on Monday. that the
sufferer might be spared until the close
Of the month, and encouraged the fam
lily to believe that the end was not i'm
minent. The sudden approach of the
great change came during the night.
His rest became fitful and his remain
ing vitality rapidly declined, and at
daybreak Tuesday 1t was evident that
his last hours were at hand. The men,
bers of the family were summoned, and
nearly all Of them spent the day by the
bedside of the sufferer.
Knew Death Was at Hand.
Gladstone well knew that his hour
had come, and plainly the thought
brought him sweet content. He was
conscious most of the time, but almost
beyond the power of speech or motion.
His great mind was still active, and
still versatile. He surprised the watch
ers at midday by murmuring prayer
in the French language, with which he
was perfectly familiar, but seldom used
in the ordinary affairs Of life. His vital
force continued to diminish, and dur
ing the afternoon his pulse became al
most imperceptible. His breathing was
but of the faintest, and his extremities
became cold through the feeble action
of the heart, yet there was slight rail-
ly about shutdown, and the night was
passed in natural sleep. During
Wednesday there was a slow Pickering
of vital flame, and there were only &C.
casional intervals of semi-conscious-
ness until the end came at o'clock in
the morning.