The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-03-21
WIDESPREAD REGRET is
EXPRESSED IN CAPITAL
The Dead Congressman Had Many
Strong Friends in the House,
and Had a Brilliant Fu-
ture Before Him.
BY wATTERsoN srEALEY.

BY WA EHSON EHLEfs
Washington, March 20.--(Special)-Rep
resentative Charles Winston Thompson OF
the Fifth Alabama district died this af-
ternoon a few minutes after o'clock.
His younger son, C. w Thompson, Jr.,
who has been visiting his father here dur
ing the present session of congress, was
the only member of his family with him
at the time. The remains will be carried
to his home in Tuskegee tomorrow night
and the interment will take place We'd
nesday afternoon.
Mr. Thompson died of toxaemia, blood
poisoning, due from a virulent form of
pneumonia resulting from grip. There has
been little hope here for him in the past
two days. He was taken sick last Sun
day night and gradually grew worse. On
Friday his condition was pronounced so
critical that 1t was deemed advisable by
his physician to call in the specialist, DR..
Osler of Baltimore. At a consultation
held yesterday afternoon the physicians
practically agreed that the case was
hopeless. There were no signs of an
abatement in temperature and pulsation,
while the respiration steadily increased,
combined with a distension of the abdo-
men due to gases, which was considered
highly unfavorable. Double pneumonia
set in and evidences of blod poison were
manifested. Shortly after 8 o'clock this
morning Mr.. Thompsons respiration be-
came very labored and he was evidently
suffering a great deal. Before noon it
was found necessary to resort to saline
solutions to keep the patient alive This
was repeated at close intervals but the
system finally became so weak that it did
not respond and all hope was abandoned.
Was Without Hope.
Mr.. Thompson was absolutely without
hope He seemed to have a premonition
that his Illness would result fatally. Be
fore he became critically i'll he told his
friend, Representative Wiley, who lives
at the Metropolitan hotel and who has
spent practically the whole of the last
two days with his sick colleague, that
he was seriously i'll and feared the worst
would result. Mr.. Thompson's mind was
perfectly clear until this morning. He
then became delirious and did not recover
consciousness.
The house tomorrow will adjourn out
of respect to the late representative
Thompson. Representative Wiley of Ala
bama will present resolution reciting
that the house has learned with profound
regret of the death of Representative
Il
a day be set apart in which proper re-
spect may be paid to his memory. This
resolution will be adopted and the speak
er will appoint a committee of the house
which, Joined by committee of the sem
ate will accompany the remains on
special car furnished by the sergeant-at-
arms of the house to Tuskegee. The car
will be attached to the regular Southern
train, leaving here tomorrow night and
will arrive in Tuskegee at IL o'clock
Wednesday morning. The personnel of
the committee has not yet been deter
mined, but the members will probably be
Representatives Wiley, Clayton and Tay-
Tor of Alabama and six Others who will
be selected tomorrow.
General Regret Expressed.
General regret was expressed here to-
night over Mr. Thompson's DEATH He
had made many strong personal friends
in the house, and during his Illness con-
stant inquiries were made at his hotel
about his condition. He was a most esti-
mabe gentleman and mar Of more than
ordinary ability. He was in all respects
a self-made man, succeeding in life by
his own energetic effort. He was very
successful business man an. is reputed
to have been very wealthy.
Mr.. Thompson was one of the most con-
servative democrats from the south.
While an intense southerner he was moth
ing of a partisan and numbered among
his friends many on the republican side
of the house. When. he first came to
Washington he conceived the idea of taxi
ing number of prominent republicans
on trip through Alabama. 1t was direct
ly after the Booker Washington dinner
at the White House and the pending ne
gro appointments in the south. Feeling
against the negro was running high anu
many republicans declared their inten-
tions to force upon the south a reduction
of representation in the electoral col
lege. Mr.. Thompson concluded to take
a number of representative republicans
to his state and show them the actual
conditions in the south. He felt satisfied
that more would be accomplished there
by than could be expected from thou
sand speeches on the subject of the negro
problem.
The party. headed by Littlefeld of
Maine, accepted the invitation of the
Alabamian and spent a week in the state.
Every one of them came back satisfied
that the great problem could well be left
in the hands of the south, and there are
today no stronger opponents of sectional
legislation in the house than those who
accepted the hospitality of the deceased
member.