The Washington herald., 1914-01-29
CILLOM' Death
Loss TO NATION
Former Senator Wanted to
!, Live to Finish Lincoln
Memorial.
LEADER IN BIG AFFAIRS.
Services At Home This Morning. When
Body Will Be Taken to Spring
field. Ill.,, for Burial.
LEADER IN BIG AFFAIRS
II want to live to i,nish my work"

uCt0, HE, lof Ooil4i.
81 want to live to finish my work"
With these words. uttered in voics
made feeble by q long fight agains,
death. shelby Moore Cuiion. OF Illinois
protege OF Abraham Lincoln in boy.
hood. member of the United State,
Senate for thirty years. and a leader
in the public affairs Of the nation for
more than half a century. died yesterday
afternoon at the age OF eighty-foar years.
s The end came in the big bed chamber
! in the Cullom residence at 1413 Massa-
chusetts avenue northwest, with Miss
Victoria Fisher. the sister-in-law who
has cared for the aged statesman for
several years, standing by the bed.
holding between her hand the fingers
of the dying man. His last words. Il
want to live to finish my work." were
spoken to her.
Besides Miss Fisher those present
when the end came were Mr.. Cullom's
son-in-law, William Barrett Ridgely.
former Comptroller of the Currency;
DR.. II. p. Parker, husband OF q grand
daughter: Mr.. and Mrs. Phillip ]. Ryan,
and the family servants. Mr.. and Mrs.
bors for twenty years. were summoned
shortly before the end came, the for
mer Senator wishing to bid them good
by.
Describes Detailed scene.
The Senator turned to me just before
he died and held out his hand" said
John r. Smith, secretary to former SEN
ator CuIlom.
Although We had all been expecting
his death for many days, the real end
came as great shock to us all The
Senator merely shook hands with U.S.
all. and, in spite of the fact that he
had been fighting death for so many
weeks, seemed resigned. In fact ! do
not think he realized the end was near
until he saw us all gather about the
bed. He called all the servants who
had been with him for many, many
years. to his bedside and said farewell
70 them.
You have served me faithfully and
we'll" he said. Il want to thank you"
Then he beckoned for me and / moved |
closer to the deathbed. He tried to whis- |
per something. Then he just seemed to |
60 to sleep. His death was 80 peace |
full; just as peaceful as a little baby |
dropping on to sleep. We are all glad |
that ii was SO, for he had suffered |
greatly"
The Senate adjourned out of respect to /
Mr.. Cullom's memory upon hearing the |
of his death from Senator
Lawrence Y. Sherman, Of Illinois. Sena-
tor John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi,
moved the adjournment Some of the
older attaches Of the Senate were unable
to recall an instance before where the
to the memory of a former member of
That body
The work that is unfinished with the
death Of Cullom is the erection Of the
Lincoln Memorial. Except for the COM
pletion OF the monument to the memory
Of Lincoln. Cullom had ended all OF his
public duties. He was resident commits
sioner of the Lincoln Memorial Commits
sion and the fondest hope of his de-
Ginning years was that he would gaze
upon the completed monument to Lin
coln, with whom Cullom, as a lad. began
the study of law. In
Taken Ill Month AGO.
Gallon entered upon his last illness
4 general breakdown. the result Of age
md hard and ceaseless work. The trou-
bic seemed to center in his heart, with
several complications, and he had three ,
sinking spells in which his breathing /
became so labored that death seemed but ,
/ matter o. minutes. ,
But three times the aged statesman i
allied The fourth spell, which came J
asst night. was more sudden than the
previous three and the patient seemed \
o lack that vitality which had warded :
w former attacks. He was conscious \
Until the last and recognized his sister
n-law, other relatives, and doctors and G
lurses until his life passed. Death is ,
aid to have been directly due to heart I
rouble. ,
The body OF former Senator CuIIom I
ril be taken to Springfield, H., his | 7
ormer home, this morning. 1t will be a
ccompanied by his sister-in-iaw, Vic q
oria Fisher. and his son-in-law, Will
Am B. Ridgely. The funeral arrange /,
1ents were taken charge Of by J. Otis
iumphries. OF Springfield. Ill, an old
riend Of former Senator Cullom.
There will be a short funeral service
the former Senator's home, 1913 Massa-
husetts avenue northwest, this morn
ne. Rev. Charles Wood, of the Church e
the Covenant, will conduct this brief 6
eryice.