Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1911 — BRIEF SICKNESS RESULTED IN DEATH OF MRS. HARRIS. [ARTICLE]

BRIEF SICKNESS RESULTED IN DEATH OF MRS. HARRIS.

Operation as Last Besort Did Not Avail—Tnken 11l nt Hospital when - Daughter Was Operated On. An extremely aad death occurred at 2 o'clock this Thursday morning and one that will cast gloom into many homes. The victim .was Mrs. Elizabeth Harris, wife of R. Benjamin Harris, the insurance agent Her brief sickness and the fact that she was first taken sick while at the hospital where her daughter was operated on and the fact that her daughter is Btill a patient in the hospital add to the sorrowing circumstances surrounding the death.^

Mrs. Leonard Rhoades, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harris, was operated on at Hahnemann hospital in Chicago Thursday of last week and Mrs. Harris was at her side when the operation was performed. She was taken ill almost at once but was uncomplaining and remained at the hospital until Sunday morning. She took her mealrf some distance Yrom ■ the hospital but was unable to eat following the operation, although she went regularly for her meals. She had no appetite and would drink a little coffee and partake of scarcely any food. She walked from the hospital to the place where she was to eat, in hope of creating an appetite, but it did not produce the result. She went about the city some, visiting Mrs. E. P. Honan, who had been operated on at another hospital. She spent much time with her daughter and concealed her own suffering so carefully that it was not until Sunday morning that the skilled eye of the surgeon detected that she was not well. He told her that she was unable longer to stand the strain that she was under and that she must either go to bed there at the hospital or return to her home in Rensselaer. She choose the latter and arrived in Rensselaer on the 1:58 train Sunday afternoon. She was taken to her home, but her family had not expected her at that time and they were at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Oren Parker, the latter being a daughter of Mrs. Harris. She did not call them upon her arrival an<J they did not know that she was home until Miss Mildred Harris went to the house some two hours after her arrival. She complained at that time of a slight headache only and told of her lack of appetite. Miss Mildred prepared something for her to eat and she partook of it sparingly. The local family physician was not called until later in the evening and her condition did not seem at all alarming. Monday there was no considerable change. She suffered from a pain side but it did not seem severe enough to warrant an operation. She was up most of the day, but was somewhat worse in the evening. On Tuesday morning there was a decided change for the worse and her fever, which had been a little above normal, rose to about 105%. It was then decided to call into consultation a specialist and an effort was made to get the surgeon, who had operated on Mrs. Rhoades, but he did not feel like leaving the city. Another surgeon from the same hospital came Tuesday night. The fever of the patient had broken then and returned almost to normal and it was believed that the crisis had passed and that an operation would not be necessary. The specialist returned home on the early train Wednesday morning. The local physician found, however, that the fever began to raise that morning and by noon it had again reached the highest point of the day before. The specialist was recalled and arrived or. the milk train Wednesday evening. It was decided to operate as a last resort to save the fast ebbing life and shortly after 8 o'clock an incision was made and an abscess was found at the lower border of the liver and drainage tubes were inserted. The operation was very simple and was quickly over. The patient seemed to rally very nicely but the encouragement was not to last long for she soon began to sink and the end came at about 2 o’clock. Apparently there was some deeper trouble than the abscess, but the skill of the surgeon assisted by two local physicians could not detect it and if there was it is still in doubt. The surgeon thinks the reduction of the fever Tuesday night may have followed the breaking of the abscess sac, the fever raising when the pus again formed. There was some talk of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Deceased was 51 years of age oh Nov. 3rd, and was married to R. B. Harris Sept. 26, 1876. She was a daughter of George Headley Brown and wife, and spent her entire life in Jasper county, the earlier part in Barkley township, .where they resided until about, twelve years ago. Her parents preceded her in death, as also, have two sisters, Mrs. Nelson Randle and Mrs. J. L. Brady. She is survived by the husband and three children, viz., Mrs.’ Oren Parker, Miss Mildred Harris and Mrs. Leonard Rhoades, all of Rensaelaer. Four sisters also survive her, vis.. Mrs. Evallne Randle and Mrs. Rebecca Porter, of Rensse-

laer, Mrs. Minerva Karsner, of Oroville, Calif., and Mrs. C. W. Coen, of South Bend. One brother also survives, George Brown, of Knox. Mrs. Coen has been quite poorly at South Bend for several weeks ahd Mrs. Porter went there to be with her several weeks ago. She was taken soon after her arrival with a severe case of erysipelas and is still in a quite serious condition although slightly improved. Mrs, Coen is also too poorly to come to the funeral. It is/also quite probable that Mrs. Karsner can not come from California. She was called back twice within the past four years on the sad missions to attend the funerals of her mother and her sister, Mrs. Brady. Her daughter, Mrs. Rhoades, will be in the hospital for some time yet and a niece, Mrs. Clyde Randle, is also in the hospital. These circumstances add to the sorrows that the grief stricken family are burdened with. The funeral arrangements have not been made, the family awaiting word from Mrs. Karsner; It is probable, however, that the funeral will take place Sunday. While Mrs. Rhoades is improving from her operation as well as could be expected, it was deemed inadvisable to let her know at this time of the death of her mother, and friends who write to her at the hospital are asked by the father to make no mention of the loss to her. This request is made by her father.