Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-22
JOhn Paul Jones.

Attended by one of the most notable
naval demonstrations in honor of a
naval hero and one of the noblest tri-
butes ever paid TO a nations dead. the
body of John Paul Jones was brought
from foreign shores back 10 his own
land today.
One hundred and thirteen years ago
Tuesday-July Is. 1792-it was that
Paul Jones died. The anniversary of
the death of the father and founder OF
the American navy found his body on
the high seas. borne hither on a battle
ship to gain a resting place in the ma
ton he helped TO make and to receive
homage TOO long deferred.
The 18th Of July in 1892 fell upon
Wednesday, For three years the great
naval commander had been suffering
from an affection of the lungs contract
ed while in the Russian service. and
for some time he had been steadily de
Ginning. His friends had observed that
the end was approaching. but he bore
up with the courage that was one of
his marked characteristics. Despite
his weakness and suffering he was the
most cheerful and interesting of all
when surrounded by his companions
Just three days before his death Gov
erncur Morris visited him at his home.
~ Tournon street, Paris, and found
him lying in a hammock stretched in
the little garden in the rear of his
lodgings. He was conversing in his
happiest vein with a group of callers
About o'clock Wednesday after
noon Paul Jones made his will This
ne did in response to the insistence of
his intimates. that had extended over
several months. rather than the feei-
ing that death was at hand. At .
O'Clock that evening he died.
The circumstances of Paul Jones
death are gathered from papers left by
contemporaries. The notaries having
finished their task with the Will and
gone. Nine. Abergne. the housekeeper.
brought Jones a bowl of broth This
was about : o'clock. Two hours after
ward she went into the bedroom 10
clear the table The admiral had died
IN the interim. The upper half of his
body lay face downward across the
middle of his couch. his feet were on
the floor and his arms were outstretch-
ed on the counterpart. As one of his
biographers has just put it-"He died
as he had lived, alone and with his
boots on From all appearances it
was judged that he had expired very
suddenly. On the floor. halfway be
tween the chair in which Nine Ar
bergne last saw him sitting and the
bed. was one of Voltaire's books. which
had fallen from his hands. In one
clenChed hand was a little watch, given
him by Mary Adelaide. of Orleans. and
bearing her miniature The physicians
said he doubtless had been seized with
a coughing spen and exhausted. had
endeavored to 90 from the chair to the
couch, only TO fall upon it dead from
tubeTCular effusion and strangulation
There were orations and public cere-
monies. in which prominent French
men led. for TO Paul Jones they looked
for reorganization of their navy and
for victories over their enemies on the
| sea. Then the body. in its leaden cas-
ket. was deposited in a vault in the
cemetery for foreign Professionals Cow
erneur Morris. American minister. re
Quested this. believing the government
of the United States would have il con
veyed 10 American soil for final inter
ment and hOnoTs-which the govern
ment for years neglected TO do. Later
the body was buried in the cemetery.
The corpse was at last reclaimed
thanks 10 the tireless and patriotic la
bors OF Gen. Horace Porter. The cot
fin now back in America contains be
yond all reasonable dispute the mortal
remains of the intrepid commander
There is comfort in the thought. there
fore, that, late as it is, this particular
anniversary of Paul Jones death wit
messed the voyage OF his body TO the
shores he loved TO rest under the folds
Of flag that he was the first to unfurl
on water.