The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-25
TRAGIC END FOR
TWA|N'S DAUGHTER
Miss Jean Clemens Drowned in
Bathtub at Home of Father,
Redding, Conn.
EPILEPTIC FIT CAUSE
ASCRiBED FOR FATALITY
Young Woman Had Been Sub
ject to Attacks for Years. but
Had Recently Improved.

REDDING, Conn, Dec. 24.-Mark
Twaiu s invalid daughter, Jean, met
death tragically this morning when al
the bath bringing poignant grief al
Christmas time to "Stormield,' the
country home of the great American
humorist
She was his youngest daughter, en-.
dcared 10 him not ouly by long com~
panionship, but by her frai health,
caused by recurrent attacks of epilepsy.
Her death leaves Mr.. Clemens with
sorrow, for his surviving dgughier,
rlara, was recently married To Ossip
Gabrilowitsch. "A Russian pianist, aud
is on her way TO Europe
Jean Clemens died, not directly from
drowning, as was first supposed. but
more probably by strangulation, due to
an attack of epilepsy, or from heart
failure. The body was found in The
bath tub. with the head only partly
submerged. and medical examination
tonight showed that the lungs con-
tanned little water.
Prepares Christmas Tree.
Miss Clemens had eviuced physical
WEAKNESS of late, probably induced bv
he excitement incident 70 her sister ;
departure for Europe and the recent
return Of her father from Bermuda.
But yesterday afternoon she rode her
favorite horse to the postolice 10 get
the early Christmas mail. and last night
she cbecTfully prepared A Christmas
tree. from which she bad planned 10
distribute gifts tomorrow morning.
On retiring she asked her maid 10
call her early and when she arose this
morning she went TO the bathroom.
where her lifeless body was found later.
Her failure TO respond TO the maid 3
knocking on the door revealed her
death. With characteristic philosophy.
Mark Twain rs bearing up bravely.
Hundreds Of messages of condolcuce
lzed world. Death had already takeu
from him his wife and his daughter
Susan.
Was Chum of Father.
Jean Clemens WAS 80 years old, and
was her father 5 close companion in
his literary work. Since carly woman
hood she had beeo subject 10 epilepsy,
but in recent years her health had i'm
proved particularly last fall
The body will be sent TO Elmira. y
Y, for burial. where the funeral viii
be held Sunday afternoon from the rcSi-N
deuce of Charles j. Lanedou. an uncle
II was said tonight that Mr.. Clemens
Will not be able to leave for the
funeral He is now a years old. and
his physicians discourage the, unusual
fatigue that would necessarily result
from such Il. Journey. For tho present
he viii remain at Stormiicld.
Speaking of his daughter death,
Mr.. Clemens said:
My daughter, Jean Clemens, passed
from this life suddenly this morning at
half past Z o clock,
- All the last half of ber life she was
an cpileptic, but she grew better latter.
ly. For the last two wears We consid-
cred her pra Siicallv well but she was
not allowed 10 be entirely free. Her
maid. who has served us twenty-eight
years. was always with her when she
went to New York ou shopping eIcur-
sions and such things She had few
couvulsions in the last two wears aud
those she had wero not violent At
$50 this morning a maid went 70 her
room TO see why she did not come down
70 her breakfast aud found her in the
bgthtuD drowned. 1t means that she
had a convulsjou and could not get out.
Led Active Life.
She bad been leading \ very active
life. She spent the Greater part of her
life timc looking after farm which [
bought for her and she did much OF my
secrclarial work besides. Last might
she and T chatted later than usual IN
the ihrury and sho told mo all her
plans about the housekeeping, for she
was also my housckeopcv. ! ssid
everything WAS going ON smoothly. that
Thought / would make another trip
to Bermuda III February and she said
put it of till March and she ard her
maid would 90 with me. So we made
that arrangement.
But she is gone, poor child. She
was all I had left except Clara. who
married Mr. Gabrilowitsch lately. and
has Just arrived in Europe.
The household was immediately
aroused and pr, Ernest J.. Smith was
called. Life was apparently extinct,
but the physician Yainly worked over
the body nearly IN hour, endeayoring
by means Of artificial respiration TO re-
store action.
Dr. Smith said rhc cause OF death
was drowning and that there was no
doubt that the drowning was accidental,
resulting from uncousciousucSs follow
ing an epleptic attack. Miss Clrmeus
had been subject to attacks Of erj-
lersy. tho last previous attack oc-
CURING about month ago. Attacks
of this nature were usually followed by