The Grit-advocate., 1905-04-28
SENATOR PLATT DEAD
THE CONNECTICUT srATEsMAy
Was Serving His Fifth Term as Unite.
States Senator-Death Caused
by Abscess Of the Lungs.

Washington, Conn. April 22.-Uui. 4
States Senator Orville Hitchcock Pa
of Connecticut died at his SUNNI
home in Washington. his native toa-
at S:53 last night, from pneumonia
The end came almost uneXpecIel..
the immediate cause being the bre4.
ing of the abscess which had foru.l
in the right lung, and which produr-!
strangulatiOn.
Only a few minutes before DR.. FO-I
the family physician. had prepared a
bulletin from the sick room to the .f
feet that if the patient did not hay-
another sinking spell, such as LHl
come to him during the forenoon. ls
would probably live through the nigh
When the physician left the sick chan
Der the senator was perfectly con
scious, appeared to have no pain and
had answered questions put to him hr
those at the bedside. showing that his
mind was clear. In the room at The
time were Mrs. Platt and the senator,
only son, Judge James =. Platt of the
United States Circuit Court.
Senator Plat contracted a sever
cold while the Swayne impeachment
trial at the national capital was in pro
greSs before the Senate. He had nOr
fully recovered from 1t at the time Of
Senator Hawley's funeral. He stood
in the railway station at Hartford for
some time awaiting the arrival of the
train on which General Hawley's bod
was brought from Washington. DurinS
the wait he complained of a slight chill
in consequence of which. after the eX-
erciSes at the capitol, he returned d-
rect to his country home in Washing
ton.
March 31st the Senator was taken
with the illness which proved fatal.
The first attack was of bronchitis
pneumonia of comparatively slight
nature. This was followed April 4th
by second inflictiOn, which lasted for
about a week. April 1lth he showed
signs of improvement, so that hopes OF
his recovery We're entertained, but
soon after the lung abscess began to
develop. and April 18th he had a bad
chill. The following day his physician
and nurses feared it would be the end
but he rallied from that attack. Other
chillS. however, followed at intervals,
eliminating in a particularly severe
one this forenoon between 9 and II
o'clock. Although the sick man seemed
to rally somewhat from this attack and
become comfortable during the after
noon, it was evident that his life was
ebbing away.
His physician at S:45 O'Clock stated
that the end would come with another
chill. and the tread OF life would snap
suddenly. This proved to be the case
and few minutes later Senator Platt's
life was ended.
Orville Hitchcock Platt was born at
Was s.lington, Connecticut . July 10,
1927. He received an academic educa.
ton. He studied law at Litchticld, was
admitted to the bar in 1S49 and has
since practiced law at Meriden. He
was clerk of the State Senate of Con.
necticut in 1855 and 1856. secretary q
the state of Connecticut in 1857, mem.
Der of the State Senate in 1SG1-G
member of the State House of Repre-.
SentativeS from 1864 to 1863, serving
the last year as speaker. He was
elected to the United States Senate to
succeed William II. Barnum, Democrat,
who had been elected TO fill the va
cancy occasioned by the death of Orris
S. Ferry, Republican,; took his seat
March IS, 1879. was reelected in 1855,
1890, 1897 and 1903.