The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-09
sAlGPsoN's LAST DAYS.
His Mind Was Gone and He Knew
 Nothing of Court of Inquiry.

From Washington to New York World.
 hear-Admiral William Thomas Samp- son, retired, of the United States Navy, died at o'clock this afternoon.
 ' lie died of a broken fleart. ~
 lie hao been i'll Tor months. This morn ing ne hao a violent cerebral hemorrnage He then began 10 sink rapidly. At Z
 O'CLOCK tnis afternoon he was barely alive. His pulse kept on beating faIntiy untu ciock; then 1t stopped.
 Aomfral sampson came to Washington last September. lie was relieved of duty as commandant of the Boston Navy Yard Just before the beginning of the Schley court Of Inquiry. Stories came from Bos- ton that ne was in failing health. both mentally and physically. but they were denied by the Admirafs .elatives. He went to q New Hampshire summer re- sort in August. At that time his step was feeble and his mind confused. After he came to Washington he became stea l. fly worse.
 Sampson did not realize. except vague ". that there ever was a Schley ct Irt of inquiry. He was more vitally eonce, ned i'll that court than anybody except Schley. lie never knew what the verdict was, for his mental processes had become so in volved with disease that 1t was irnpossi- ble to make him understand even if the attempt had been made. He was retired on February last, when he dad reached the age of 62 and after forty-aye years of active service in the navy. The date of entrance to the navy.
 lie compreheEded none of the twists and turns of the Schley court. He was ignorant of the fact that the President. on an appeal from Admiral Schley, had upheld the findings of the court.
 He died without understanding that he had been placed on the retired list. None or the events from last September was clear in his mind. and to most of them ne Nhl IIz i.xhA i. understood that Theodore Roosevelt, who as Assistant Secretary of War had help ed select him for the command of the North Atlantic fleet that destroyed Ger veras vessels at Santiago. had become President. but that Is doubtful.
 His mind failed faster than his body. Tor he was able to take walks in the vicinity of his home, but could not talk coherentiy on any but the simplest top he, articulate them. The disease was commonly diagnosed as aphasia, but in reality 1t was softening of the brain. with degeneration of the arterial system.
 More than year ago Sampson's friends noticed that his highly trained mind was refusing to work. His condition was kept profound secret. The first intimat ton Washington had of his failing powers was when he came here last summer and visited the Navy Department While in one of the bureau offices he broke down absolutely and for few minutes became mentally irresponsible He was sent back to Boston in company with an attendant and the Navy Department at once took steps to relieve him from duty and to make the remainder of his life as com fortable IS possible. soon afterward the order was issued putting him on waiting orders. Last February Secretary Long, when writinr tha orie- for his ~ets-or,ant. paid him high tribute for his services to his country.
 He was. at the height of his power, the greatest ordnance expert in the Uni ted States. He served for years as head of the Bureau of Ordnance and made an especial study of all questions relating