Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-13
Commander Of Army De-
partment of East and Son
Of Civil War Hero and
Former President Called.
CHOKING SPELL
HASTENS THE END
Physicians Called but are
Unable to Reach Bedside !.
Had Been Ill, but Condi-
tion Not Thought Grave.

New York. April 12.--General Fred
| ertck D. Grant, commander Of the
department Of the east, and son OF
the famous civil war general died
suddenly at midnight at the hotel
buckingham, where he had been taken
secretly on Wednesday evening by MS
physicians. His presence in this city
was not known. The news that he had
been stricken was flashed to news
paper offices by the police. "A police
man stationed near the hotel had
called an ambulance at the request OF
an employe, who told him that Cen
eral Grant was choking to death.
| Although there had been rumors of
General Grants illness and reports
that he would never again take up his
duties on Governors island, the news
of his death came as distinct shock
to the public. According to DR.. Robert
Able and DR.. Edward B. Dench. his
physicians, the death Of the general
was caused by heart failure. He had
been suffering for some time, they as
serted in an official statement from
diabetes and attendant digestive els.
turhances."
Recent reports that General Grant
had been in private pavilion in ST..
lLukeis hospital In the city, suffering
from q cancerous growth under the
left lung, the same affection which
caused the death OF his distinguished
father, were denied today by the hos.
pital authorities DR.. Able, who had
been the generals family physician
for many years, refused to discuss the
subject.
Only wife and Nurse Present
Mrs. Grant was with her husband
when he died. A nurse was the only
other person present.
The first intimation that General
Grants condition had suddenly be-
come serious was given when Mrs.
Grant telephoned to the hotel clerk
about 11:45 o'clock.
"The generals son is dying she
said Historically Get doctor quick"
She added that he had been seized
with a choking spell
The clerk made an effort to get Dr.
Able on the telephone. Failing in this.
he sent bell boy to the physicians
home nearby. The haste Of the boy
caused Policeman Malloy to inquire
what the trouble was.
! General Grant is choking to death.
Get DOCTOR was the boys response
Malloy turned in an ambulance call
but before the hospital surgeons
reached the hotel both Doctors Able
and Dench had been located and were
at the bedside. The ambulance sur
geon .and the policeman who went to.
the apartments were told there was
nothing they could do. Or. Abbe IN.
formed Coroner Holzhauser that he
would file death certificate promptly
and that no inquest would be neces-
sary. To newspaper men who reached
the Buckingham shortly after mid.
might, efforts were made by the at
|tendants to deny that General Grant
was at the hotel. The hotel manage
ment finally was persuaded to COM
municate with the physicians who an
nounced that General Grant died be-
fore their arrival. Drs. Able and
Dench later sent statement down to
the hotel management in which they
said: General Grant died suddenly
OF heart failure without premonition.
at midnight. He had retired at IL
o'clock apparently in better condition
:, than for several weeks. Since his re-,
cent trip his physical, condition had
given no special anxiety to his physi-f
clans General Grant had been suffer
ing from diabetes and attendant d.
gestive disturbances. which seemed.
however. to be, perfectly under con.
troll This sudden fatal termination
came as great surprise
Lieut.. Marion Howe, personal aide
to the general, announced this morn
ing that Mrs. Grant was bearing the
shock with fortitude. She directed
that messages be sent to General
Grants son, Captain Ulysses S. Grant,
third, of the engineering corps In
Washington, and to his daughter. the
Princess Cantacuzene, as, well as to
other relatives.
Had Been of Duty Month.
For more than a month General
Grants whereabouts has been mys-
|tery. Following the announcement
i that he had been granted a four
months leave Of absence, expiring
June /, reports were current that an
ILLNESS, believed by many to be cancer
OF the throat, had caused his tempor'
ary retirement. These were denied at
1 Governors island, where 1t was stated
repeatedly that General Grant had