Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-05
United States Senator
Passes Away at Dubuque.
The Immediate Cause Of Death
Was Heart Failure.
Public Not Aware Of Serious Illness
...Shooksd BY Ms Death.

Dubuque, Aug 4.-United States
| Senator w. B. Allison died at his home
in this city this afternoon. The i'm
mediate cause of his death was heart
| failure. The end came as a result of
| a serious sinking spell due to a pros
| tatic enlargement complicated with
kidney disease and during a period Of
| unconsciousness which had lasted
since Saturday afternoon.
Two weeks ago the senator left his
home in the city to escape the heat.
He went to the home of Mrs Fannie
Stout, friend of the family living on
the Asbury road a few miles from
| town. For a few days his condition
seemed to improve but he later began
| to grow worse. Medical advisers urg-
| ed that an operation be performed to
| relieve the prostate enlargement
| which was bringing his condition to
crisis Saturday morning the senator
was brought back home. Soon after
wards he relapsed into a condition of
mi-unconsciousness. Except for
brief periods of partial recovery he
remained in this condition until death
came this afternoon.
News of the serious illness Of the
aged senator was kept from the public
as much as possible and his death
came as a surprise to his thousands
of friends residing In this city. Only
the more intimate friends of the fami-
ly We're aware of his critical condition.
No arrangements for the funeral
have yet been made
Des Moines. Ia, Aug. 4.-Senator
Allison was born at Perry, o., March
.. 1929 and secured his education in
Allegheny college in Pennsylvania and
the Western Reserve college of Ohio
in both of which schools he distin-
guished himself by winning high hon
OrS.
Senator Allison was admitted to the
bar in 1850: was married to Miss Anna
Garter of Wooster. O., in 1855, removed
to Dubuque, where he took up the
practice of law.
Senator Allison was delegate to
the National Republican convention in
Chicago in 1860 He was q member of
the governors staff during the Civil
war and raised troops to fight for the
integrity of the nation in 1861. In 1863
he was elected to Congress and served
continuously until 1871. In 1873 he was
elected United States senator for To-
wa and represented his state in this
capacity until the time of his deah.
He was offered the position of secre-
tary of the treasury of the United
States by President Garfield. Harrison
and Mckinley. but in each instance
declined to accept the office.
In 1892 he was chairman Of the in
ternational Monetary Conference at
Brussels. He was candidate for the
Republican Presidential nomination be-
fore the Republican National conven-
ton in 1883 and again in 1896.
1t was Senator Allison as much az
any man in the service Of the people
who planned and carried through all
the great measures for the conduct of
the Civil war, the re-establishment Of
the national credit and the development
of The national resources.
His aid III the nomination of Abra-
ham Lincoln as Republican candidate
for President in 1860 was perhaps Sem
ator Allison's first great service for his
country.
On the ways and means committees
of the National House he began the
career which made him one Of the best
During the last week nurses were em-
ployed to care for the senator for the
first time since his illness, and this was
the first intimatiOn anyone had OF
change for the worse in his condition.
After the senator lost consciousness on
Saturday he did not fully recover his
mental faculties up to the time Of his
death. He had been under constant sur:
velIance Of physicians for the last few
days. His condition grew rapidly worse.
As Is usual in such cases of kidney dis
ease, the senator suffered frequently from
periods of faintness and weakness. Sens
ator Allison had been a sufferer for many
years. Early this morning Senator Alli-
son felt himself sinking and he summoned
a servant of his household. physician
was Immediately called. About noon tho
statesman lapsed into an unconscious
cordition and at 133 o'clock died peace-
fully.
Continued on Page Ten.)