The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1912-01-05
DIR. CARDWELL IS
STRICKEN DOWN
RARE BLOOD DISEASE TAKES VIC.
TIM FROM FRONT RANKS
OF SURGEONS.

All Colfax and eastern Washing
ton was shocked to learn of the crit
ical illness followed by the sudden
death of DR.. VIM. Clay Cardwell at
6 o'clock Tuesday night Leukemia,
a rare blood disease little understood
and for which medical science knows
no nelp, was the cause of death.
Dr. Cardwell was not feeling per-
fectly well when he went east early
in November to attend the surgeons
congress in Philadelphia as dele
gaze from the state of Washington.
While in New York a minor opera
ton was performed 10 remove a
gland from the doctors throat and
1t was during this operation that the
surgeons discovered the presence of
the fatal disease. A careful eXami-
nation and diagnosis was made by
the best doctors in America. There
was no mistake about the presence
of the symptoms of leukemia. All
that remained for the doctor to do
was to return home and arrange his
business affairs. His condition was
made known to only his family and
He was in his office nearly every
day through December until Thurs
day afternoon of last week when he
was suddenly taken worse and re-
moved to st. Ignatius hospital. His
condition was repOrte4 as critical on
Sunday. He fingered until late Tues
day afternoon, rational and able to
talk until almost the last moment
DR.. Cardwell was 80 years of age
last June. At an early age he de-
cided to take up me study of medi-
cine and before he was 21 years old
he was practicing at Carollton, Ark,
his birthplace He was an untiring
student and before completing his
professional training had graduated
from Marion Sims Medical college at
st. Louis, Vanderbilt University at
Nashville, Tenn, and the Polytechnic
school of New York. He was also
an annual visitor at the best surgi-
cal clinics in the United States.
Before coming west DR.. Cardwell
practiced at Ripley, Tenn, where he
was also a railroad surgeon. About
II years ago he came to Pomeroy in
Garfield county, where he practiced
in partnership with Dr. Kuykendall
until he came to Colfax a little over
three years ago. During his stay
here he practiced with marked sue
cess and was considered one of the
bright surgeons of the Northwest
The Whitman County Medical So
ciety will miss an eX-president and
active worker. The doctor was also
a member of the Washington Medical
Society and the American Medical
association. He was also recently
appointed surgeon for the Spokane
and Inland railroad.
While living in Pomeroy DR.. Card
well married Miss Grace Crofford,
who survives as does one daughter,
Elizabeth, four years of age. He is
also survived by his parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. ]. N. Cardwell, three brothers,
G. W., Frank and H. H., and three
sisters, Mrs. J. A Gardner of Spo-
kane, Mrs. R. d. Williams of Pome-
roy and Miss Beulah Cardwell of
Pomeroy. The father and three sons
are in business in Pomeroy under
the name of ]. N. Cardwell & Sons
and conduct the largest department
store in Garfield county. They began
business there about the same time
that Dr. Cardwell began to practice
medicine there.
All three brothers were visitors here
during the last few days of the doc
tors illness. At the time of his
death Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Cardwell,
Frank Cardwell and Mrs. Cardwell's
sister, Mrs. Catherine Elsensohn,
were at the bedside.
The body of DR.. Cardwell was TAX
en- to Pomeroy Wednesday. A large
delegation of knights of Pythias ac-
companied the body to the O.-W. r.
& N. station and several members of
the lodge went to Hay where they
were met by delegation from the
Pomeroy lodge. George Neil, as a
representative of the local lodge, ac-
companied the relatives to Pomeroy.
Funeral services were held at the
home of the parents in Pomeroy
Thursday and burial was in the
Pomeroy cemetery.