Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-06

to the last, and when the end came passed
peacefully away. surrounded by the mem
bers of his ,orrow-stricken family. 1t was
yesterday that DIR. G6dding passed his
sixty-eighth birthday The cause of death
is stated to have been principally kidney
trouble, latterly aggravated by chronic
valvular heart weakness. AS stated in last
evenings Star, DR.. Godding was pursuaded
but few days ago to take to his bed, when
his illness developed with remarkable
rapidty. and on Thursday DR.. W. W. John
stOn was called in. DR.. ]. c. Simpson of
st. Elizabeth's staff was the attending
physician in the case. DIR. GOdding was
lOath to give up attending to the affairs of
the institution where he had presided with
such remarkable success for over twenty
years. with hardly a days loss by sickness,
and as late as Monday last did some cleri-
cal work of a pressing character, it is said.
Personal Loss.
1t has been decided to hold the funeral
services over the remains of DR., GOdding
tomorrow afternoon at , O'Clock. Rev. w
G. Davenport of Anacostia and Rev. Dr.
Sunderland will officiate. The services will
be of a private character. 1t is understood
that the honorary pallbearers will be com
posed of the members of the visiting
board. The services will probably be
u
conveyed in the afternoon to his home at
Winchendon, Mass, where the interment
will be made. AT st. E.izabeth's today all
unnecessary business was suspended, and
a stiffness bordering on the solemn hung
over the institution that is usually SO lively
with the hum of daily work. There is no
mistake in stating that each officer, each
employe and, lastly, each patient with
enough reason to remember the visits OF
DIR. Godding to the various wards and re-
call his kindly words feels that in the death
of the superintendent a personal loss has
been suffered. The flag at the institution
flies today at half-mast.
An Authority.
DIR. Godding held membership in many
medical societies. At one time he was
president of the Association of Medical
Superintendent of the United States. He
was an ex-president of the Psychological
Society, eX-president of the Literary So
ciety of Washington and a member of the
Academy Of Science and the Philosophical
Society. He was connected also with the
medical associations OF the District DR..
GOdding was regarded the country over
an expert Upon insanity. During the trial
of Guiteau. the murderer of President Car
field, he gave expert testimony to the
prisoners sanity, taking the ground that
Guiteau was insane. DIR. Goddings i'm
pTessions Of this case and one somewhat
similar are recorded IN a book written by
him, entitled Two Hard Cases" He was
a contributor at times to medical volumes.
He has left no work upon insanity, it is
stated. to the medical profession, though
II was his intention TO do so. and Just be-
fore his death, it is$ understood he had
prepared the ground work of such q book.
1t has been said of his writings that they
came from a facile pen. pervaded with q
sentiment that renders them attractive
as romances. In his bearing and in his
dealing with hts fellow-men DIR. Godding
was always kind courtly and dignified. The
inmates of the asylum always looked for
his coming with pleasure. 1t is said that
fl ON his parents "he inherited that union
that is as rare in a mans character as it
is desirable-strength and force combined
with amiability and Denevolence."
His Memorial.
The St Elizabeths Asylum of today is
the perfection of DIR. Godding's labors
During the years he has been superinten-
dent he has materially advanced the insti-
tuition in every way. He came to the Gov
eminent Hospital for the Insane when II
was small and crowded, and. going to work
theoretically, advancing along lines pecu-
larry his own. he had the satisfaction of
seeing before his death st. EliZabeth's re-
garded as the model institution of its kind
in the world. The improY ements he made
are vast "Godding Croft" the only memo
rial with his name, ne purchased as an out
side Maryland farm, where he established
a working colony of patients. He also con-
ceiVed the idea and constructed a SEPARATE
leaves family of four, consisting of a
wife. two daughters and a son. kilograms
OF coincidence We're received today from
many prominent people.