The Washington times., 1908-01-03
DR.. STAFFORD
DEAD DESPITE
QUICK OPERATION
Beloved Pastor of St.
Patrick'S Church Sue
cumbS After Linger-
ing Four Days.
Sisters and His Assist
ants at Bedside When
the End Came.

The Rev. DR.. D. J. Stafford, pastor OF
St Patric6s Church and one Of the emil
neEt scholars, lecturers and preachers
Of this country, died at Providence Hos
pital at 1885 o'clock this afternoon.
BY his bedside when the end came
were his sisters, Mrs. a. c. Whitton and
Margaret stafford, the Rev. Thomas
MeGuigan, the Rev. William Carroll.
and the Rev. James S. Smyth, all as
sistant pastors of st. Patrick's and DR..
Bayly, one of the physicians who as
sisted ct the operation.
The congregation of St. Patrick's was
shocked and pOignantly grieved over the
loss Of their beloved pastor.
Operation Was in Vain.
In spite Of his great physical strength
and his indomitable Will, he was not
able to recover from the effects Of an
attack Of cirrhosis of the liver, for the
relief Of which an emergency operation
was performed at Providence Hospital
last Tuesday morning. DR.. George T
Vaughan, assistant surgeon general OF
the United States public health and ma
rine hospital service, performed the
operation. He was assisted by cele-
brated surgeons from New York Balti-
more, and this city.
So precarious did Dr. Stafford's condI-
ton become last evening that ex rene
JUNCTION, the last rites OF the Catholic
Isltn' was administe cred TO him by
Father McGuigan. OF ST. Patricks. The
distinguished patient suffered from de-
hrium last evening.
his sisters, Mrs. Albert Q. Walton and
MISS Margaret Stafford. were Il mis- bed
side when he died. They spsnt much
OF last night at the hospital.
Born in Washington.
DR.. Stafford was born in the south
western section OF Washington forty
seven years ago and received his early
education in the Catholic schools OF this
city. Later he attended St. Charles Col
lese at Elllcott City. Nd. and later
went to Niagara University, where he
made his philosophical and theological
studies and was ordained in 1885 by the
Eignt Rey, Richard Giimour. D. D.
The 6rst five years d Dr.. stanord,s
IIe as priest were spent as assistant
pastor OF ST. Johns Cathedral, in Cleve-
land- he was made pastor OF a small
church in MdSsillOn Ohio. where he re-
mained eleven months and then effected
MS transfer from the Ohio 10 the Balti-
In the first years OF his service Dr.
sIanord attracted attention by his re-
lnarkaDle sermons. They were not only
exhaustive treatments Of religious sub
Jects, but we're intersperscd with MIS-
tory and science that attracted the at
tenuon OF students many years his
senior.
Won BaitimOreans.
For three years DR. Stafford was sta
toned at st. Peters Church, in BaIti-
more. and it was a notable fact that
his sermons drew to the church an
equal number Of Protestants and Catho-
lies, and this feature of the services
made st. Peters one Of the most popu-
lar churches in Baltimore. The ediIice
was always filed 10 its capacity when
Dr; STAFFORD was scheduled to preach.
and when he was sent to Washington
by the Cardinal his leaving was deeply
regretted
DR.. STAFFORD came 10 Washington as
the successor Of the late Rev John
1loyd, as pastor Of st. Patriok's S Church
he continued IN this city, as he had in
baltimore, a series of lectures on the
plays of Shakespeare
In this feld DR.. Stafford stood prac-
tically alone. He had been a student
or literature and the dra-la since his
early school days and careful attention
to the cultivation of his voice only add
ed 10 his merits as a lecturer. DR.. stat
lords lectures We're given for the most
part for charitable purposes.
8SSNIA~S Al ways EVpHidEs
His lectures on Hamlet" and Julius
Caesar were probably the best known
and in spite OF their frequent use in
Washington Dr. Stafford was always
greeted by an audience which com
pletely filed the thcater or hall in which
the lectures We're given.
His sermons at st. Patrick's proved to
be as great a medium 70 draw q large
attendance as they had in Baltimore
particularly a series Of Ienten dis
only in Washington but in various other
cites. These sermons were fine eX-
amples Of oratory and historical re-
lgiOus discourse and proved as inter
esting TO scholars as to Iaymen.
DR.. StaffoEds s influence among the
people OF st. Patrick 5 has been marked.
His relations with the priests associated
with him in the pastOrats OF the church
were always Of the most cOnSenial kind,
and the three young men under his di-
rection held him IN the highest esteem
and affection.
To his congregation DR.. stafford was
a genuine leader. When money was
needed for any specific purposes. par
ticularly for the Catholic University
or America and for the Vatican, a Spe-
eial collection being taken up each year
Tor these purposes, DT. STAFFORD would
not preach to his congregation, but
would ask them in a friendly easy way
which never failed 10 reach the hearts
of his people He took particular pride
IN the fact that 81. FatriclSs people al
ways answered the call for aid readily
hnc never lost an opportunity to inn
press upon them his gratitude for stand
ing by him in these times.
II was not until DR.. Stafford came
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