The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-01-05
SENATOR s. B. ELKINS DEAD
PASSES AWAY Ar HIS HOME
~ UASHINGTON.
sudden Collapse Follow Ing a Long Illness
caused Death septic Poisoning Is
nderstood to Have Developed Ills
Interesting Career In the West.

'""'NN'"N W" "V''
1 WASHINGTON. Jan 4 Senator stephen
B. Edkins Of West Virginia died ~ his
HON" IN this city ct ~ O'Clock tonight.
Sudden collapse following a long illness
caused death The end was not uneX-
pected, for the Senator had been sinking
for hours At his bedside were Mrs
Elkins. his two sons. blaine and Richard
/ Elkins, his daughter, Miss katherine
Elkins. and Henry Gassaway Davis.
| his father-n-law
! Senator Elkins had been sick for several
months. He was unable to attend the
sessions of Congress when il convened
early III December and had been confined
to his home on X street practically all the
fall Every effort had been made to
bring him back 10 health. but it was un-
awaiting, and tn. last few DAYS septic
poisoning IS understood to have devel
oped ana this probably caused the end.
Two physicians in addition to the family
were with the senator when he died
Senator Elkins had been in the United
states Senate since 1901. when he was
elected by the unanimous vote of the
| Republican members Of the West Nir-
ginia Legislature. His present term of
service would have expired on March
3, 1919. His death will probably mean
one more Democratic member of the
! Senate
| The story of Senator stephen b Elkins
Is an odd combination of the sort of tale
dear to the Sunday school library books
! OF twenty years ago and the yellow backed
romance. In part 1t Is the story Of the
poor boy who rose to fame and great
wealth 10y following the precepts of a
religious mother and in part it is mar
rative of stirring border adventure in the
wild days when Quan,rell's guerrilla bands
overran the Kansas border
Senator Elkins's people came from the
| Rappahannock River country in Nir-
ginia and his grandfather, who held the
views of the early Methodist itinerants
condemning slavery. emigrated TO Ohio
about 1877. trampng barefooted beside
his wagon along trail which crossed the
Potomac at point where the railroad
which his grandson built now has sta
ton. The Senator's father was a fighting
man, who, as MIR Elkns once said. spent
his patrimony in various kinds of wars
and turbulences
Senator E!kins was born in Perry
county. Ohio, in 1871, but when he was
about years old his father removed
| To the furthest part Of Missouri in Jack
son county, settling AT Westport. which
took its name from being at that time
the most western port on the Missouri
River. where wagon trains and eNped-
tons started for California
| Through his mothers influence Senator
Elkins was sent To the University of Mis-
I III h.., t..l.l
study of -Wayland's Moral Science"
which held mild anti-slavery views.
started debates in which he took the anti
slavery side
Elkins was graduated in 1860 and went
home just a. l.incoln's election threw
every hing in his part of the country into
disorder. His father dropped everything
and went into Prices army, and stephen =
brother John. a boy of 10. who was to
have entered college that year, followed
his father. Il met him on the prairie
when the first horns of war blew" said
the Senator, speaking of his brother
| He was carrying gun on his saddle
! string and he SAID he was going to kill the
Yankees stephen tried 10 diss,Iade his
brother, telling him that there was no
excuse for going to wa against the Gov.
ernment but the younger boy stuck
10 his desire to kill Yankees and went
through the war on the rebel side
Stephen Elkns stayed al home TO look
after his mother One day as he was
walking along road not far from his
home h" came upon three men in the
Union uniform PLAYING cards by the
roadside. Them boots lS too good for
him. said one a the players. and another
added. I'm gong TO have his jacket"
Elkins recognized the men as members
of Quantrells band and expected to b.
shot without further ceremony. He
pllcked up courag. enough to demand
70 l,,. tuE f. hair lnslI Iav x.ss.a
marched into camp. There he met Col.
Younger. who was later sent to prison for
a long term for murder and bank robbery;
Dick Wager and Todd, and finally
Quantr.ll himself
MANY Of tn. wors, Of the guerrilla chiefs
band Mere the sons uf farmers in Elkins's
neighborhood and they We're Willing 20
speak a good word for All inoiiensiive
n.ighbor Quantrell was told that FL
sins = father and brother We're in ia. army
and that he would probably join later
triins ex,lain.d that there would b. no
one TO support his mother it he We're
killed and The bandits let him 90, Later
he did enter the army. but IL was on he
Union side and Quantrell sen, him woru
tina, h" would h" shot on sight.
He finally entered the militia and was
elected captain of company Kansas
City was az that time the only place in
Missouri that had Union people in il, and
Capt. Elklns company marched there to
Join regiment commanded by Col.
kers-y Coates. He saw one battle. that
of Lone Jack.
When the celebrated general order
No H." compelling the farmers on the
Missouri side to move ont and have their
homes burned was issued Elkins ddn I
feel that he could stay to see il done and
perhaps bc compelled to take part in
destroying the homes of his former
friends and neighbors He got Gov
Gamble to accept his esignation as a
militia officer and determined to quit
the country. Going mp to St Joseph.
then the terminal of the railroad, Elkins
mad. his first visit To New York The
, Territory If Arizona had Just been
| created and when Elkhls met f.. G.
Met Cur,nic,. its newly appointed secre-
iary. end Gov. Goodwin he determined
= to 20 too He YVES three months crossln L
! what Wa, then known rs the Great
American Desert to th" Rio Grande.
The young pioneer stopped on AT Me-
dila. y. NJ. where he met the famous
Sheriff Jones, who had known his
family and invited him 10 stav'w ilh him
EIkins had heard that Arizona was full
of hostile Indians and fearing 10 run
into more battles he decided 10 accept
he Sheriff \ offer.
During the first year after he left col
lege Elkins had s,,ided law by himself
II. now made up his mind TO begin prac-
ice with the intention of ultimately re-
| NIL