Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-02-26
.sENAToR q. q. LArIsrER DRAD.
After Brave Fight Death Came Last
Thursday MORNING at 0.f5. -


Washington, Feb. 2O.---Senator
AsbtiryC /. Latimer, of South Carr
ha, died at the Providence
Hospital here at 9.i5 A. M. to-
day, of peritonitis.
He had been at the hospital since
Sunday last, when he underwent an,
operation for appendicitis. 1t was
then discovered that he was suffering
with a far more serious ailment. The
bowels had become twisted, and his
condition was found to be such that
; surgeons held out little hope for his
recovery ~
He rallied, Lowever, and his condi-
tion was satisfactory until z o'clock
- evening, when steadily he began
ROW worse. At midnight 1t APP
pepfred that recovery was impossible.
The Family Summoned.
The members of the Senator's fam
lily We're with him when he died, havS
Ing been Informed that there was lit
tie hope that he would survive the
night.
Col. Ransdell, scrgeapt-at-arms OF
the Senate, at once made arrange
ments for the removal OF the body
Senator Tiilman will announce the
death Of his colleague when the SEN
ate conyenes to-day, after which that
body will Immediately adjourn.
A committee of the Senate will be
appointed by the Vice President to
accompany the body to South Caro-
lima.
Sketch OF Senator's Life.
Asbury Churchill Latimer. United
States Senator from South Carolina,
Democrat, was born in Bolton near
Lowndesville,A ,Abbeville county, South
Carolina, July 81, 1851. He spent
his boyhood on the farm of his father
and not until he was ready to go to
college did he himself know but that
his future life might be spent In the
tilling OF the soil. He spent large
amount, however. of his life in agri-
3H$ural pursuits, though his latter
HDys and years were given to politics.
He was elected county chairman of
the Democrat party of his county in
1890 and served two terms. He was
urged to make the; race for Lieutn-
ant Governor OF South Carolina in
1890, but declined, and later on was
elected to the Fifty-third and to the
Fifty-seventh Congress and elected to,
the United States Senate by O. big ma
jority over John Gary Evans to sue
ceed Hon. John l.. McLaurin, and
took his seat as Senator on March s !,
1903, and his term of Office would
have expired in March, 1909.
Senator Latimer wes 50 years OF
age. He was one Of the most earnest
and conscientious committee workers
in Congress, being member of the
committees on agriculture, immigra-
Ian fo 0t.sre RI m
and grounds and census, as we'll as
others OF less Importance.
The Friend of Good Roads. s.
He was especially interested In
good roads, and probably did more
to promote the national movement
for government building OF good
roads than any other member of Con-
gress. He was the author of the
'Latimer Good Roads Bill" AS a
member of the manufactures commit
tee he gave much attention to the
promotion of the pure food law, and
also played prominent part in draft
ing the pending copyright bill.
During last summer he visited Eu-
rope as a member of the immigration
commission and was preparing an
elaborote report covering immfgra-
tion conditions in the countries as
signed to him.
Served Five Terms I'm House.
Mr., Latimel rad been a Senator
since 1903, al i had served five terms
in the House There will be no off,
cial service5 in Washington. The flu
neral party will leave here this even
ing on a special train over the South
ern railway, which Is due to arrive
in Belton at noon tomorrow. X
The funeral services will be held
at Belton at 2 o'clock p. M. m
AS a mark of sepecial respect to
the late Senator there was al, ,i,ln lT@ al
attendance In the Senate to-day when
- Vice President sounded the gavel,
"a Rev Edward Everett Hale, the
chaplain, opened the proceedings
with prayer,in which he referred with
much feelirg to the bereavement that
death of a member who only a few
days ago had been on the floor of
the Senate.
After the adoption of appropriate
resolutions and the appointment of
a committee to take charge Of the
funeral, the Senate adjourned until
tomorrow.
Tillman Announces Death.
nator Tillman, in announcing the
dess<Sh of his colleague, said:
"The Senators IN the chamber were
startled Monday morning with news
that a surgical operation was to be
performed upon my colleague, Sena-
tor Latimer Tt is now my painful
duty to announce that he never raj
lied sufficiently to make any headway
and he died this morning"
Mr.. Tillman then offered q resolu-
Ition declaring the Senate's regret,
which was adopted.
The Funeral COMMITTEES.
Vice President Fairbanks designa-