Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-05-29
PAUNCEFO|E DEAD.
The British Ambassador at WASH
ingthn Passes Peacefully
Away.
HIS Wife AND FRIENDS At THE BEDSIDE.
President Sends Letter of COndO1-
Ience to Lady PauncefOte and
Later Calls-A Biographical
Sketch of theD Distinguished Diplo-
mat Who Served His Nation Well.


Washington, May 25.-Lord Paunce-
fote, British ambassador to the Unit
ed States, died at the embassy Sat-
urday morning at 5:35 o'clock.
The improvement which had been
noted in his condition during the past
week received a sudden check about
six o'clock Friday evening, when it
was noticed that he was experiencing
difficulty in breathing. DR.. Jung, his
physician, was Immediately sent for,
and he decided on a consultation with
a local physician, in the meantime
telegraphing for DR.. Osler, of Balti-
more. In his stead came Dr.. Thayer,
of John Hopkins university, arriving
about two o'clock Saturday morning.
The patients pulse was still good,
and when DR.. Thayer left the en-
bassy at three o'clock. for Baltimore,
the ambassador was resting so COM
fortably that a cablegram was sent
to his son-in-law, Mr.. Bromley, in
London, that there was no immediate
danger.
Soon after three o'clock a distinct
weakness of the heart developed, and
his pulse began to collapse. He died
so peacefully that it surprised even
his physician, who feared that the
asthmatic affection would prove trou-
blesome when the end came.
At the bedside when the distin-
guished diplomat passed away were
Mrs. Pauncefote, Hon. Maude Paunce-
fote, Miss Sibyl and Miss Audrey, DR..
Jung and Mr.. Radford, one of the
clerks attached to the embassy.
AS soc as it become generally
known that Lord Pauncefote was
dead, flags were half-masted over the
different embassies and legations. At
the Arlington hotel, where the visit
ing Frenchmen who have come to wit
ness the Rochambeau statue unveil-
ing are stopping, the French flag was
placed at half-mast.
The news of Lord Pauncefote's
death brought Secretary Hay to the
White House, shortly after nine
o'clock, and he spent some time with
the president considering what ac-
ton should be taken by this govern
ment. After the conference it was
announced that the president would
call at the British embassy immedi-
ately after the unwilling ceremony
to offer personal condolences, and
ascertain the wishes of Lord Paunce-
fate's family in regard to further
plans. The president also sen a let
ter of coincidence to Lady Paunce-
fote.
Biographical.
TRt. Hon. Lord Pauncefote, of
Preston, G. c. B., G. C. NJ. G., the first
ambassador to the United States, and
the dean of the diplomatic corps in
Washington, was born in Munich, Ba-
varia, "A years ago, and was the issue
of one of the most ancient of British
families, whose history is founded in
the Doomsday Book. Educated as a
lawyer, his governmental service be-
gan in Hong Kong, as attorney gen.
eral in 1865, and after much valuable
colonial experience he was sent to
Washington, in 1885, first as minister,
and afterward as first ambassador.
His service at Washington has been
one unbroken record of successful
diplomacy. The Behring sea negotia-
tions were among his earliest works
, of Importance, and it was his IA
miliarity with the difficult subject
that led to his selection by the for
eign Office for the post at Washing
!, ton. The arbitration treaty negoti-
, ated with Secretary Olney was the
!, forerunner of the great work accom-
plished at The Hague, and it may be
:. said that it embodies some of the
i, most important principles of the
, great general convention regulating
!, arbitration afterwards framed by
, The Hague conference. Then came
a number of reciprocity treaties and
arrangements involving vast
amount of study and work, all Of
which were perfected as far as the
executive branch of our government
could cooperate with Lord Paunce-
a fote. Soon after Secretary Hay as
sumed office, Lord Pauncefote began
the task, which he himself regarded
as the greatest accomplishment of
g his busy life, namely: to forever set
= at rest the questions growing out
!, of the old Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and
he entered with energy again upon
y negotiations, the result of which was
the framing of the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty recently ratified. For these
valuable services the British govern
+. ment did Lord Pauncefote the honor
= to three times extend the term of his
service at Washington, which would
otherwise have ceased when he at
tanned the age of 10 years.