Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-28
SENATOR DAVIS
Passes Away at His Minnesota
Home, tuesday Evening.
End Of Two Months Illness and
Great Suffering.
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS At DY-
ING MANS BEDSIDE.

'1tattS so"fldlOT N-uSnn1an helOg{,
Davis chairman of the committee on
foreign relations of the Senate. died
at his home in this city at S.IS O'Clock
this evening. after an illness of two
months. He has suffered greatly dur
ing his sickness and gradually sank
away. being unconscious for several
hours before his death. and apparent =
ly suffered no pain. Yesterday, realiz
ing the approach of the end hrs.
Davis sent for the Venerable r. II. N.
NillerS Appleby. arch deacon of the
Protestant Episcopal diocese of Mime
sofa, and Rev. Theodore SedgWick. rec
tor Of the church Of ST. John the Evan
gelist. An attempt was made 10 secure
the attendance of Bishop NThipple. but
that venerable prclatc was in Florida.
Upon the arrival OF Archacacon .ip-
pIcby and Mr.. S.dguick. Senator avis
was for time sufficiently rational 10
express his grateful Appreciation OF
their miniStrationS.
For more than n week ii has been
known that the death Of Senator Davis
was certain 10 occur within Il short
time Although the bulletins issued by
Dr. Stone from day to day mad" no
positive statement tn this effect They
nevertheless gave the impressions that
the case was hopeless.
The announcement came. however. as
profound shock 10 the friends and
fellow townsmen Of the distinguished
citizen, who had been hoping against
hone The senator's devoted wife who
has been i'll constant attendance upon
his :ickbed had never lost hope. The
senator i'll his moments of luciditT. cX-
pressed n strong determination To re
cover.
indeed il is believed that the Sena-
tors iron viii is all that has Kept him
alive for tn. past week. The serious
kidney affection which developed, on
NOV. II. had refused to yield 10 treat
mcnt, and his weakened frame was I'M
able To withstand the poison.
ON Sunday, Nov. ~, Il serious change
for the worse was noted. on that day
the dclirious spells became more marked
and The lucid intervals have bccolne less
ana hess frequent. In his dolirium he
ravcd of his congressional work. He
would declare fragments Of the nation
foreign policy. There was Of course no
coherence--t sentence about the Philip
pines wolid be followed by n comment
upon the Monroe doctrine or a suggestion
nf an impending war with Spain But Ia
ways, his official duties We're with him.
There have been many callers at the
Davis home bat no one was admitted to
the stick room. Two trained nurses were
in attendance relieving each other after
short watches. The senator's wife. de-
spite the doctors order that she go to
rest. refused To leave the bedside. Her
vigil has been Il long and trying one, but
she has borne the ordeal bravcly and il
wifcly devotion could have saved the dy-
ing man, he would have been saved
Even in his delrium the senator was
Quick To notice her absence from his side
and woIId toss fevcrishly about until
again quoted by her presence. When ra-
his recovery-which he never ceased to
doubt-to her unwaverinS cheerfulness
and encouragement.
Second only 10 Mrs. Davis in his devot-
ed attendance has been the senator's
aged father. Although past 81 years OF
age. the elder Mr.. Davis has borne the
terrible strain with great fortitude. The
senator's mother has herself been very
feeble of late and she has not realized
her sons condition. Mrs. Morford and
Mrs. Bartlett Tripp. the senator's sisters,
have been at the house since the serious
nature of his disease has been known and
have relieved Mrs. Davis Of the house
hold cares. Every day there have been
received hundreds of cable and telc-
graphic messages of inquiry and sym
pathy.
After his return from the Maine cam
paign in September. Senator Davis was
troubled by twingcs of pain in one of his
feet, to which he paid little attention.
thinking 1t due To some neuralgia condi-
ton which woIld soon pass. He began
an active campaign in this state, speak
ing at Duluth. Sent. =: and at Ai.Nan-
speech he suffered 50 greatly that he
could not wear his shoe. He returned
home ut once and WAS examined by his
ply sicians. \ few days later aH-opcra-
ton was performed but he failed IL i'm
prove ana a consultation of physicians
was called. DrS. Stone, LAM aStcr and
i.",hrnck parliclpatci. IN operation on
oct. II was Immediately beneficial and q
further operation was performed. Oct a.
!, was At first believed the case was
one of blood poisoning caused by infcc-
ton through slight abrasion of his foot
from the dye of a black silk stocking.
His condition improved steadily until
Nov. T. when he grew worse and DIR. j. Il.
Murphy. the thicas" specialist. was sent
for. y consultation was held the next
day. At that time 4 slight i,anSrcnouS
was discovered and an opera
ton was found necessary. removing a
portion Of one Toe The wound healed
well ana the physicians were hopeful OF
the outcome. However, on Nov. II. kid
ncy trouble became apparent, both ne
phritis and diabetes complicatinS the case
and making his condition more critical.
Mr.. Murphy had been sanGuinc of the
recovery M To This time. bat
lpon the discovery Of the fresh complied
mons. he privately expressed the u- iklion
hat the case was hopeless. Sine, 3hen
he patient has steadily grown worse.
While some days showed slight improve
ment and buoyed up the sinking hopes of
hc- family and friends. the disease made
constant progress and soon ii became
lnly a question of days or hours till
heath ensucd.
1t became daily more difficult 10 induce
him 10 take nourishment ana Stimuiants
md his strength gradually ebbed away
lis delirium lasted nearly week and
his morning. he sank into unconscious
ness which lasted until death brought
him relief.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 21.-T'he death Of
senator Davis. although expected came