The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-05
Death Comes to Relieve Suf-
 ferer After Long Illness
GREAT SERVICE TO PUBLIC
Career Of Senator ElI<ins Was One Of Signal Ability md He Was One Of the Leaders In Upper
 House of Congress

Washington. January 5.--Senator Stephen B. Ellxins of West Virginia died at midnight tonight. At his bed side were his wife, his daughter Kath- crime, and four sons, David, Richard, stephen and Blaine, and his physicians. Death was due to septicaemia or blood poisoning. He was conscious until within half hour of death
 In the early evening there were per- sistent rumors in Washington that the senator's condition had become grave and fears were expressed that he might not live through the night The Elkins family, however, were hopeful to the last and to the numerous in- quiries which poured In at the Elkins home a hopeful and encouraging re- sponse was given.
 Senator Elkins became i'll in the early summer at his home at Elkins, w. Va. He was kept In strict confinement there and only the members of his imme- aiate family were allowed to see him. On November g, when he was removed to Washington In private car, he was reported considerably improved Phy- sicians declared that he might possib f. 7 be able to take his seat at the opening of Congress.
 Senator Elkins ailment had never been definitely known. During the sum mer he was reported to be suffering from intestinal trouble in many re- spects similar to acute indigestion. At other times physicians are said to have believed him afflicted with a nervous malady Last week 1t was reported that open air treatment had been ad !. vised and that a room on the roof of his home would be arranged for him.
 According to the physicians in att tendance tonight. the Senator died from complication of disease arising from septicae mia.
 No funeral arrangements have yet been announced, but it is probable that the senator will be buried at Elkins w. Va. Career of senator Eltins
 Genialfty and practicability were the predominating traits in Senator Elkins character. He seldom was with out a smile and his prevailing manner was courteous and sympathetic A man of vast affairs outside the Senate and re- sponsible, therefore, for important leg isiation, he always had time to give attention to the wants of his constit- uents and of his friends
 During a large part of the time of his service in the Senate MT. Elkins was chairman of the important committee on iiitciotdte COIIl1leTCe. AS the head Of this great committee he had charge of the Hep burn rate regulation bill of 1907, and of the administration bill of 1910 A rail- road builder and owner himself Mir FL kins had intimate knowledge of all the questions affected by this legislation
 He was outspoken champion of the bilI of 1910 and as such fought for its passage night and day for many months
 MT. Elkins would not allow differences of ODinion to make enemies and ba c as popular on the democratic side as on the republican side of the Senate cham Der.
 It was the late Senator Deliver of Iowa who declared that in putting through the administration bill the West Virginia senator had performed the hardest task which had been undertaken by any sen ator for 30 years.
 Leading Achievements
 Among the achievements standing to Senator Elkins' credit is the passage of the Elkins antitrust bill soon after he entered the Senate; innumerable material amendments to the railroad bills of 1901 and 1910 and many notifications of the tariff. He it was who first suggested the use of the corps of engineers of the army in building the Panama canal.
 MT. Elkins was born in Ohio in 1s41. While still very young he went with his fathers family to Missouri.
 He was one of the first graduates of the University of Missouri and as early as 1864 went to New Mexico, where he lived for number of years, having been In succession attorney general, United States district attorney, territorial senator and delegate in Congress from that territory.
 While serving as delegate in Congress MT. Elkins married the eldest daughter of Henry Gassaway Davis, then Senator from West Virginia. Soon after his mar riage he established his home in that state and there he built up great for tune. largely through the developments of the natural resources of the state.
 The republican party in West Virginia owes much to MT. Ellxins. From the time he settled there he was active in promot- ing the party interests and brought his state into the fold. He became chairman of the republican national committed, which elected Benjamin Harrison to the presidency and became MT Harrison s Secretary of War. His first election to the Senate took place in 1885,
 Events In Early Life
 While residing in Missouri MT. Elkins taught school and to this circumstance owed his success in one of the most thrill ing situations of his eventful life. Riding one day toward the close of the Civil war along a lonely road in the western
  squad from the band of the Confederate guerilla Quantrelle. He was charged with being spy and the penalty was death. Fortunately for Elkins he was placed in the care of two brothers who recognized the young man as their former teacher. Appreciating his peril they contrived his escape. The senator's new found friends were Jim and Cole Younger, who after ward became notorious as the most daring of the band of outlaws led by the James brothers. When, after the close of the war, the Youngers were captured and sent to prison on life sentence. for rob- ping a bank in Minnesota, MT. Elklns re- called their kindness to him. He exer- cised his influence to procure their re- lease and ultimately succeeded.
 Senator Elkins friends believe that the recent gossip connecting the name of his daughter, Miss Katherine Elkins, with that of the Duke of Abruzsi was a source of much embarrassment to him, but if such was the case he never indicated it by his manner. He discussed all the ru- mors of marriage between the two young people with frankness, but while express ing admiration for the young Italian, al- ways denied any knowledge of any under standing between him and his daugh-