Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-09
BRILLIANT CAREER ENDED
THE DEATH OF SURGEON LOUIS p.
SMITH.
Body to BE Brought Home From
Manila-His Last Letter
to His Father.

Lieut.. Louis P. Smith. assistant surgeon,
L. S. A. died Of septicaemia, at $50 o'clock
a. M, yesterday. in the hospital at Manila,
as stated in The Star yesterday. The
announcement of the sad event was trans
mitted by cable by Gen. Macarthur to
the War Department, and Adjutant General
Corbin Immediately informed Mr.. F. n.
Smith of No. 141S F street northwest, the
fether of the dead officer. Lieut.. Smith
went to the Philippines a year ago last
November, arriving there in December,
and was assigned to duty with the 18th
Infantry on the north coast of the Luzon,
being stationed at Dagupan He suffered
an acute attack of appendicitis in October
last, and getting a little better. was taken
to the hospital at Manila. He was des-
perately anxious to come home to the
United States and have an operation per-
formed by an eminent New York specialist,
and applied for leave for that purpose, but
was informed that the military authorities
could not spare him and that he could be
operated upon there.
His Last Letter.
The last letter received by Mr.. F. H.
Smith from his son was dated November
80 last, and was written at the First Re-
serve Hospital Manila. In this he indi-
Gated his intention to undergo an opera
ton, writing follows:
After recovering to certain degree
progress seems to have stopped, and
still use a cane to get around bit, with
intermittent attacks of fever and pain
about my appendix.
Il hoped to obtain at least an ordinary
leave to go to the United States for opera
ton, but have had to entirely give up the
idea, and while the facilities here for surg
ical work are not by any means all l could
wish, the probable existence of an abdom-
inal abscess makes it dangerous to delay
operative interference. l expect. therefore.
to be operated upon next Monday, which
means at the best, three weeks of conf1ne-
ment to bed 1t is naturally a source OIL
worry to Jessie and confoundedly annoying
any way you look at 1t. OF course If the
cable has not told you otherwise you may
expect me to be about again all right when
you get this letter.
Mr.. Smith naturally imagined that his
son had successfully undergone the opera
ton and was awaiting letter telling him
so when the shocking news of the death
reached him. The Jessie alluded to In the
young mans letter was his wife, formerly
Miss Jessie Nesbitt daughter Of Mr.. D.
NJ. Nesbitt of College Park. Nd, who Joined
after he reached there, following by the
first steamer leaving after he had departed.
An Already Brilliant Record.
Lieutenant Smith was thirty years old,
and was widely known in this city, where
his boyhood and youth were passed. He
received his medical education at the Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons Of New
York, and spent a postgraduate year in
Vienna. He devoted a year to private
practice in this city, and was then appoint
ed, five years ago, an assistant surgeon In
the army, with the rank of lieutenant He
was regarded one of the most capable,
efficient and valuable Of the younger men,
bers of the medical corps Of the army.
He was a member Of the Cuban expedi-
ton. and the first man to land, going
ashore with thirty men of the hospital SER
vice to build shore hospital He was at
the front during the fights around Santiago,
and came home on the first transport bring
ing wounded from the island. Upon his
return he was given complete charge of the
reconstruction of the general hospital on
Bedloe's Island, and received unstinted
praise for his work in this connection.
His career In the Philippines attracted
the notice and inspired the warm admira-
ton of his superiors in authority. Although
an assistant surgeon, ranking as lieutenant,
his duties have been those usually de-
volving upon a captain or major. He was
acting brigade surgeon while at Dagupan.
as we'll as health officer of the port, and
last year formulated the plans which were
carried out with eminent success by which
go 900 natives were Vaccinated
DR.. Smiths body will be forwarded on
the Sheridan which will leave Manila to-
morrow and is due in San Francisco the
9th or 10th Of February. Mrs. Smith will
come by the same steamer.