Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-09
DYING IN THE HARNESS.
History of Previous Vice Presidents
Who Died in OHcc.

NnlCagO NnTOTlCst.
The critical state Of Vice President Ho-
bart's health and the possibility that he
may not survive through his official term
naturally create interest in the history OF
previous vice presidents. especially OF those
who died in office. The fatalities among tho
vice presidents are the same in number as
among the presidents. Four presidents have
died in Office two from natural causes and
two by assassination. william Henry Har-
rison, elected president in 1910, was inaugu-
rated March 4, 1S41, and died April Of the
same year-after only one month in office.
Zachary Taylor. elected president in 1S4S,
died July 9, 1850. Abraham Lincoln was
assasslnated April Il, 1865. when less than
six weeks of his second term had expired.
President James A. Garfield was shot by
Guiteau July 2. less than four months after
his inauguration, March T. 1881, and died
September 10 OF the same year. All Of the
vice presidents who failed to serve out their
terms died from natural causes
Elbridge Gerry was a famous Massachu
sotts democrat, or republican, as the party
Of Jefferson was called. lie had been
member of the continental congress and OF
congress after the union was formed, had
served in many state and diplomatic offices
and was elected vice president in 1912, when
James Madison was elected to the presidency
the second time. He died in Washington
November 23, 1914 While he was governor
Of Massachusetts the state was redlstricted
and the new apportionmcnt was called
"gerrymander," the result OF bad pun by
federal politician, who said that one OF the
districts in shape resembled salamander.
The next vice president to die in office
was William Rufus King, although he can
hardly be said to have died in office, as he
never took his seat in the chair OF the SEN
ate. He was elected in 1852 on the ticket
with Franklin Pierce as president. His
health failed after the election and he went
to Cuba for the benefit of it's milder climate.
He did not recover and, owing to his con
dition, special act OF congress was passed
authorizing him to take the oath of office
as vice president before the United States
consul at Havana. Still increasing weak
ness admonished him OF a probably fatal
result, and soon after this ceremony he re-
turned to his home in Alabama, where he
died April 49, 1853.
The next vice president to die in office
was Henry Wilson, elected when Grant was
chosen in 1872 for second term. He sue
ceeded Schuyler Colfax in office, but left
an untarnished name. He died November
%, 1875. Thomas A. Hendricks. the greatest
statesman that Indiana ever produced, was
elected vice president on the Cleveland
ticket in 1884. He had also been a candidate
for vice president with Samuel j. Tilden
in 1876, when both were defrauded out OF the
election by the trick OF the to electoral
commission. In both years, 1876 and 1884,
Hendricks desired the presidential nomina-
tion and consented with great reluctance to
accept the second place. For many years
he had been a member of the senate from
Indiana. He died in 1885 at the age OF 66
years.
By the original provision of law IL both
the president and vice president died in
Office the president pro TEN of the senate
and the speaker Of the house in their order
became acting president. BY later law,
passed in view of the contingency that this
line of succession might fail, it was pro-
vided that each member of the cabinet ac-
cording to his rank shall become acting
president. With this ample provision it is
extremely unlikely that the presidency ever
will become vacant by any casualty which