Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1889 — CONGRESSMAN COX DEAD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESSMAN COX DEAD

THE STATESMAN AND AUTHOR BREATHES HIS LAST. His Death the Result of Heart Failure Caused by Peritonitis—The End of a Busy Career—lncidents in the Life of a Noted Man. A New York dispatch reports the death of Congressman 8. S. Cox at his home at 8:30 o’clock Tuesday even-

ing. The end was quiet, and the dying man breathed his last as peacefully as if falling into a light sleep. Mrs. Cox, who had been scarcely away from her husband’s bedside for the last two days and nights, held his hand, while his old friend Douglass Taylor held the other. He had

been conscious all day until about a quarter of an hour before the end. Dr. Lockwood was in attendance at the time. Nicholas Kearney, William Hirschfield. two nurses, and two servants were in the room. All knelt about the bed. Mr. Cox’s last conversation was about the four Territories whose statehood he hoped to father. He mentioned New Mexico and Arizona, and said something about making a great effort in their behaif at the coming session. Two hours before he died his colored servant, who had just come on from. Washington, went to the bed and Mrs. Cox asked her husband if he recognized him. Ho looked at him and patted him on the shoulder. The colored man’s eyes filled with tears, while all were deeply affected. In the afternoon, while Dr. Lockwood wastalking to him, Mr. Cox made some witty remarks which completely upset the doctor’s dignity. Later in the afternoon telegrams were sent to Mr. Cox’s three sisters, two of whom live in Zanesville, Ohio, and the other in St. Louis. Mr. Cox’s nephew, who is the superintendent of the Smithsonian institution, was also telegraphed for. Dr. Lockwood said that the immediate cause of death was heart failure, and the cause peritonitis. Telegrams were sent to Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives J. P. Leedorn and to Speaker Carlisle.

Mr. Cox was taken ill four weeks ago while on a tour of the four newly acquired States. He returned home and improved for a few days, but took to his bed two weeks ago and did not leave it. He retained his mental faculties to the last, and made a determined battle against death. Mr. Cox was the son of Ezekiel Taylor Cox and was born in Zanesville, Ohio, Sept. 80, 1824. He attended the common school and afterward spent some time im the Ohio university. He then entered Brown college at Providence, R. 1., and! graduated in the class of 1846. He studied law and returned to Ohio to practice his profession. He did not take kindly to the work and made a trip to Europe, the story of which he told in “A Buckeye Abroad.”' Oh his return he became editor of the Ohio Statesman, published at Columbus. In 1855 he was appointed secretary of legation to Peru, and on his return was elected to Congress from the Columbus district. He stood by the Union in the dark period just before the war, and was returned to the XXXVIth, XXXVIIth, and XXXVIIIth Congresses. In 1864 h» was defeated by the Republican candidate,, and the following spring removed to New York.

In 1868 Mr. Cox first appeared as a candidate for Congress in New York city and was elected by a large majority overStarr, his Republican opponent. The ma*‘ jority was greatly augmented two years after, when Horace Greeley ran against him. In 1872, when he ran for Congress-man-at-large against Lyman Tremaine, 1 he was defeated. He was a few months after chosen to fill the seat made vacant, by the death of James Brooks. He was re-elected to the XLIVth Congress, was appointed speaker pro tempore June 7, 1876, and was elected speaker pro tempore June 19, 1876, serving until June 24. He was elected to the XLVth, XLVIth, XLVIIth, and XLIXth Congress,, and resigned to become minster to Turkey. This position he resigned and took his seat in the XLIXth Congress, filling the vacancy caused the resignation Joseph Pulitzer. He was re-elected to the Lth Congress and again to the List. Mr. Cox was a fluent talker and his. fund of humor was inexhaustible. As a, story-teller he had few equals. He was kind and generous to a fault and made* many friends. The production which won for him the sobriquet of ‘‘Sunset” was a piece of descriptive writing which appeared in the Ohio Statesman May 19, 1853. He was in the composing-room of the Statesman the! evening before and witnessed an unusually brilliant sunset. After viewing it for a few minutes he sat down and wrote a florid description of it. The article was widely copied, and was often quoted by Mr. Cox’s opponents during debates in. Congress.

S. S. COX.