The Washington herald., 1907-06-12

Conscious nearly to the last. Senator
John Tyler Morgan. Of Alabama. next to
the oldest member Of the United States
Senate, died at his home late last night
Of an afilicti0n Of the heart The ven
cradle statesman would have been eighty
three years old had he lived nine days
longer. His home was at 2l5 John Mar
shall place.
While Senator Morgan's death was un-
expected. nc had been confined To his bed
for the last ten days. and had been Sc
riously i'll for three months Last night
shortly after o'clock. his condition be
came critical and gradually ne sank. until
the end came. little after II o'clock. At
his bedside during his last moments
We're his two daughters, Miss Mary and
Miss Cornelia Morgan. and the attending
physicians.
When his condition became alarming
last night the physicians, Drs Fry.
Snowden. and Harden. held a consuta-
tion. and as the aged Senator grew
feebler it was known among them that
the end was not-fars Everything possible
known to the medical world was brought
into use. but 20 no avail and the law Of
nature had its way.
Just before the end he became uuccn-
scious. and passed away as If he were
falling into a natural sleep. There was no
struggle. death coming most peacefully.
Shortly after the Senator death. James
oscar Jones. who for many years has
been the statesman's private secretary.
notified Sergeant-at-arms RauSdell. Of the
Senate, of the fact To-day the honorary
palIbearers vino are TO represent the
United States Senate ar the last sad rites
Of one of the noblest members Of the
body will be selected.
Burial In Alabama.
The body will be taken to Selma. Ala.
for burial The funeral will take place
only a short distance from the home
where the Senator was bern and where he
spent his boyhoOd days No arrangements
have been made for the funeral, but the
body will probably leave Washington to-
morrow.
Senator Morgan was a communicant Of
the Methodist Church, and he and the
other members Of the family attended
services regularly.
sketch of His Career.
Senator Morgan was born at Athens.
Tenn. June p 1924 When nine years old
his family moved TO Alabama. where he
received his academic education. He
studied law and was admitted to the bar
Of Alabama IN 1916. Except for the years
of the civil war, when he saw varied and
extensive service in the Confederate army,
rising TO the rank of brigadier general.
he practiced law until he was elected
Senator in 1871
In 1850 he was a Presidential electOr for
the State at large, and voted for Breck- !
enridge and Lane. The following year he
was a delegate from Dallas County to
the State convention which passed the /
ordinance of secession. In Nav of the /
same year he joined the Confederate |
army as private in Company /. Cahaba |
Rifles When that company was assigned |
TO the Fifth Alabama Regiment under /
Col Robert f. Rodes. he was elected /
major, and afteTward lieutenant colonel |
Of the regiment.
In 1852 he was commissioned as colonel. |
and organized the 5lst Alabama Regl /
meut. His services brought him the ap- |
pointment Of brigadier general the next /
year. and he was assigned TO a brigade |
in Virginia. He resigned to rejoin his |
old regiment. whose colonel had been
killed in action. but later he was reap /
pointed brigadier general and assigned 10 /
an Alabama brigade that included his old /
regiment.
Resumes Law Practice
At the close OF the war he resumed the
practice Of his profession in Selma. In
1876 he was chosen a Presidential elector
for the State at large. and voted for TIL
den and Hendricks His election to the
Senate, TO succeed George Goldthwaite.
Democrat. followed. and he took his seat
March .. 1871. He was reelected in 1859.
in 1SSS. and in 1894 was mas nominated
for fifth term in the Senate by a caucus
of the Democratic party. and also by a
meeting Of the Republican and Populist
parties.
In November, 1900, he was chosen by the
unanimous vote of the State Senate and
house OF representatives for fifth term.
BY the custom prevailing in Alabama.
where the legislature meets only once in
four years. the election of Senators is
practically by popular vote. and Senator
Morgan and his colleague, Senator Pettus.
were reelected in this manner last fall |
Realizing that either Senator. both Of
whom were more than eighty years Of
age, might die before the next legislature
meets, Congressman Bankhead Of Ala
bama, was chosen as successor in case of
such a vacancy occurring The governor of
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