The news & observer., 1905-12-14
Sudden Death of Mr..
Luther Bynum.
WAS USEFUL CITIZEN
A Character Witness and Was Writing
in Federal Court When Stricken.
His Little Son With Him. 0i-
rector OF Eastern Hospital
and 0rphanage Trustee.

In a court room crowded with ne
groes and moOnshiners and the gen.
eral rff-raff of a term of Federal
prominent and highly respected citi-
zen of Chatham county expired sud-
denly yesterday morning from heart
disease.
So quickly and quietly did the stroke
come upon MIN that there was nothing
dramatic about the occurrence, eXcelI
in the mere fact of sudden death.
Mr.. Bynum was sitting in his chair
within the bar near to his county
man, r. H. Hayes, Esq, of Pittsboro.
Suddenly his head sank upon his
breast, he slipped forward slightly in
his chair, there was conVulsiVe
quiver of his hands and life was ex-
tinct.
Mr.. Bynum's condition was first
noted by Mr.. Hayes who with the a
sistance of others removed him to t
private office of Judge Purnell, whe
he was laid upon sofa, but life v
already extinct.
He had not spoken or uttered
sound. 1t was as though he had in
fact slipped unknowingly over the line
| into eternity.
The pity of the sudden death was
rendered more touching by the fact
that the dead mans young son, JEFF
/ ferson Davis, was with his father on
the trip to Raleigh and was seated
near to him when he expired.
When it was known that Mr.. By
mum was dead there was sudden
hush upon the room but little confu-
sion or excitement Court was ad
journed for half an hour until the re-
mains were removed to an undertake
| ing establishment, when the proceed
| ings were again taken up.
Mr.. Bynum had come to Raleigh as
character witness in the court and
was waiting to be called to the stand
when he was stricken. He was on
! his way to Goldsboro to attend meet
! ing of the Board or Directors of the
Eastern Hospital for the Insane of
which he was a member. He had
! brought his little son with him to en-
| joy the trip to Raleigh and Col
| boro.
i Yesterday afternoon the rema
were taken to Bynum the home of t
deceased in Chatham county, accol
panied by Mr.. A. T. Lambeth, of Cha
ham, and other friends. The funer
will be held at that place tomorrow
Mr. Bynum and his son had ar
rived in Raleigh on Tuesday morning
and spent the night at the Methodist
| Orphanage, of which he was one of
the trustees, as well as the brother-in-
law of Mrs. J. w. Jenkins, the wife of
| the Superintendent of the Orphanage.
Mrs. Jenkins was among those who
went to Chatham yesterday with the
/ remains.
The dead man had for years been
| prominent figure in his county. He
| had held many positions of trust, hav-
ing been chairman of the Board of
| ICounty Commissioners and was gener-
ally respected and admired. He ex-
erted a wide influence and always for
the good of his county and good gov
ernment. He owned a beautiful home
| and while not a rich man, was pros
/ porous and in good circumstances. AT
| the time of his death he was mer-
chant and proprietor of q roller mill
| in Chatham county. He was at one
! time the agent of the Bynum Manu-
featuring Company and later repre-
sented the Odells after they had pur-
chased that plant. During the sixty
three years of his life he had lived
honestly. was universally esteemed and
made the repositor of trust and con-
fidence and had built up a character
unsurpassed by that of any man in
| the State.
AS stated he took a great interest
in the work of the Methodist Orphan
age. of which he was a trustee and
of the Eastern Hospital to the direc-
torate Of which he was appointed by
former Governor Aycock.
/ Mr.. Bynum was twice married, the
first time to Miss Atwater. and ten
years ago to Mrs. Nora Creel who.
with two children. survives him. OF
the first marriage there survives one
son. Mr. o. c. Bynum lawyer Of
California Mr.. A. j. Bynum, of this
CITY, was a cousin.
In appearance Mr.. Bynum, who was
we'll educated. would have been rec
| ognized as one who had lived in good
circumstances in the country. He was
small had curling greyish hair and
heard. He appeared in fine health and
the day before his death had been
Joking merrily with friends about his
age.