The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-24
DEATH COMES
 TO JEFFERSON Great Actor Goes to Greet
 His Maker. END OF HEROIC STRUGGLE Wife and Two Sons We're at
 the Bedside. Attack of Acute Indigestion Caused by Indiscretion in Eating, Re- sponsible for rilness-Trans-
 portation of Remains. 

West Palm Beach. Fla, April 23.-- Joseph Jefferson died at his home '"The Reefs" at Palm Beach at 6:15 o'clock this evening.
 The end came after a day of uncon- sciousness and after an heroic strug- gle of several days, which had ex- hausted his vitality.
 At his death bed were his wife, his sons, Charles B. and Frank Jefferson, his nurse, Miss Mabel Bingham. Dr. R. B. Potter and his faithful old ser- want. Carl Kettler.
 The end was not a surprise to his family. Ever since his last sinking spell which came after a rally on Thursday morning and which was fol- lowed by an apparent Improvement un- til Friday, the family has been waiting for the end. Mir. Jefferson's condition Saturday night grew steadily worse. and the family. who had retired. were summoned from their beds and Dr. Potter was called.
 Continued to siak.
 The patients condition continued to grow worse all through today and the brief bulletins from tho bedside con- tained no words of encouragement.
 The sickness of Mr. Jefferson which ended in his death was contracted. it Is believed. while on recent visit to his son, Charles E. Jefrerson. at Hobe Sound, few miles above Palm Beach, where he went to meet his friend. former President Cleveland. It is be- Iieved that from a slight lndiscretion in his eating he suffered an attack of indigestion. Since his return to his home his condition grew steadily worse, with slight rallies. until the end.
 The body of Mir. Jefferson win be taken to Buzzard's Bay on special train. leaving here tonoyrow evening. accompanied by all the members of his family who are here. rt will reach New York Wednesday morning and the family hope to reach Buzzards Bay the evening of that day.
 Jefferson Over-cOnfdent.
 It was on April that Mir. Jefferson went to Hobe Sound to meet Mir. Cleve- land and other friends at the home of his son. Charles B. Jefferson. The party spent about 8 week there and during that time there were frequent fishing expeditions. During that time Mir. Jefferson appeared active, but as he had been resting at his home at Palm Beach and had almost recovered his strength from the illness which pulled him down last spring, he was over-conf1dent and over-exerted him. self. To add to this there was a Dutch supper one night, when he overtaKed himself as stated.
 When he became i'll he returned at opce to The Reefs," and was taken at once to his room on the floor of the cottage, which is only 100 feet from the ocean and where he could watch the sea The weather was favorable throughout his illness.
 Dr. Potter, the family physician at the Florida home, lives three miles from The Reefs" and went only occa- sionally to the bedside of his patient, feeling that MT. Jefferson might sur vive. But when the first critical period occurred he spent most of his time there and called Dr. Morley, of St. Au- gustine, a noted specialist, for a con- sultation. pr. Morley went to Palm Beach, arriving there last Monday and the following morning, think Ing Mir. Jefferson might recover.
 It was the heroic fight the veteran was making against death and his great determination to survive in order that he could reach his Northern home that resulted in the few temporary changes for the better. On Thursday ne was well enough to take nourish- nent and to retain 1t. At one time he called for chicken broth and then thought he was well enough to eat the meat, but this was denied him. Dr. Potter was so confident Thursday at 1 o'clock that he told a representative of the Associated Press at the time that ne believed MT, Jefferson would recover, put the next day brought the most se- rious and the last change for the worse. from which MT. Jefferson could not re- vive.