Cairo Sun Obituaries 1851-1852

Obituaries and Death Notices

The Cairo Sun

10 Apr 1851-26 Feb 1852

 

Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois


Transcribed by Darrel Dexter

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Thursday, 10 Apr 1851:

The coroner held an inquest on Wednesday, over a man found in the river at the "point" of the Ohio and Mississippi.  From all appearances he had been deck hand on board some boat, and had been in the water ten or twelve days.  No hair remained on his head and his body was partially decayed.  He had on a Gangee shirt, over a cottonade frock, grey satinet pantaloons, under a pair of broad check overalls, leather belt and new coarse shoes.  He floated down the Ohio to this place.  His arms were figured with the usual sailor marks.  Verdict—accidentally drowned. 

 

Thursday, 5 Jun 1851:

A young man, whose name we were unable to learn, died at the wharf on last Saturday of chronic diarrhea.  He had got off a boat the day previous with the view of securing a boat going up the Mississippi.  He had been in California. 

A cabin passenger of the steamer Grand Turk died of cholera and was buried in Missouri immediately opposite Cairo last Sunday.  He was returning home from California. 

Andrew Scott, formerly of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., has met with a tragic death in California.  It appears that he had been in partnership with a Charles O. Baker at Brown’s Bar, Weber Creek, when a quarrel took place between the two, which resulted in Scott’s stabbing Baker in five places.  Scott was arrested, placed upon trial before a jury of 12 empanelled on the spot, found guilt and immediately executed.  Baker was alive at last accounts. 

Died in this city on morning of the 3rd inst., after a short illness, Mrs. Lydia S., relic of Samuel Ashton.  Aged 25 years.  Her remains will be taken to Chicago for interment. 

Died on the evening of the same day (3rd), Mrs. Emily, consort of George W. Kendrick of this place, in the 35th year of her age. 

Died in this place on the same evening (3rd) of cholera, Mr. David P. Abbott.  Aged about 24 years. 

Died the same day (3rd), Mr. John Healey of cholera.  Aged about 22 years.  

Joseph Currie, a teacher, who for the last 20 years has been teaching in the northeast part of this county, on Thursday, the 8th inst., administered his sick wife a spoonful of corrosive of sublimate, informing her that is was calomel.  The poor woman lingered in dreadful agony until Sunday, when she expired.  On Monday, she was buried.  A post mortem examination of the body developed the cause of the decease and Currie has fled.  He is a stout man about 60 years of age, a native of Ireland, makes extravagant pretensions to literary ability, affecting to have been a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, but is in reality, grossly ignorant.  He may easily be detected, as his vanity will overcome his caution (Madison Banner).

 

Thursday, 3 Jul 1851:

We are pained to learn that the Hon. A. G. Caldwell of Gallatin County is dead.  He has long resided in southern Illinois and ever proved himself her warmest friend.  He died at Springfield on the 26th ult. of cholera.   

Joseph Street, sheriff of Pulaski County, died of cholera on the 25th ult. at Mount Vernon, while returning home from a visit to the capital of the state.  He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity and generally known and respected in this region as an intelligent and useful citizen. 

 

Thursday, 17 Jul 1851:  

A.G. CALDWELL

The love which survives the tomb, is one of the noblest attributes of the soul.—Irving.

Hon. A. G. Caldwell, of Shawneetown, departed this life on the 27th ultimo, in the city of Springfield, the capitol of Illinois.  He was taken, as we understand, with the cholera, and survived but a short while.

Far from his wife and children—far from friends endeared by intimacy dating back to infancy—far from the home of his birth, his childhood, his manhood, he died.  A giant in intellect, the embodiment of all social virtues, a ripe scholar, an accomplished gentleman, a learned lawyer, a brilliant orator gifted with overwhelming eloquence, a friend to all the world and an enemy to no man, he was respected, loved, by all who knew him. The kindest of husbands, the most indulgent of parents and sympathetic of friends, his untimely death will be deeply deplored and as long as memory lasts with the acquaintances he has left behind him, will it be sadly mourned. None knew him, appreciated him, loved him better than we did.  He was our earliest, our latest, our best friend.  Under his vigilant eye, his careful instruction, we read our first, our most useful lessons in the study of law.  Many is the time we have listed to him for hours, descant upon the subject of political economy and the science of government—and his ideas were so original, so maturely digested, his information in reference to governmental affairs so extensive and accurate, and his conclusions always followed his premises so naturally, so logically, that, to us, he never failed to invest the subject with peculiar interest and new importance.

“Alas, poor Yorick!—I knew him well, Horatio:  a fellow infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.”  A man who never gave his confidence indiscriminately—yet was ever agreeably communicative; who never intruded his sociability—yet was remarkable for his fascinating manner and easy courtesy; in the company of companions in whose integrity he lacked confidence, he was reserved—yet with friends he was the life, the lion of social circle, and the chosen spirit, the fountain of fun, around the “inspiring board.”  He was a gentleman of eminent and universally acknowledged qualifications as a lawyer and politician—of lofty integrity—high bearing, and possessed of “that universality which marks the highest order of intellect.”

Withal, he was a plain, unassuming man, whose manner was “nature’s self.”  Though his district and State would have prided in rewarding his deserts and conferring honors upon him—he was without aspiring ambition and shrunk from the attentions, which his reputation naturally secured him.

He was induced, we should have said required, to serve in the constitutional convention and one or two terms in the Legislature, where he acquitted himself with extraordinary credit and, if possible, added to his hitherto most enviable reputation.

While he was a man of warm heart and glowing impulse—“of fancy unconfined” and “imagination rich and original”—he was occasionally visited with peculiar notions and odd fancies.  He visited the Niagara Falls some two or three summers ago, and one evening when hundreds of the “beauty and fashion” were assembled in the saloon of the finest hotel, many of the ladies and gentleman were called upon to five their impressions on beholding the Falls for the first time.  “Beautiful and grand,” “wonderful and sublime,” “terrific and mysterious,” were, as usual, some of the epithets used on the occasion.  When the “honorable gentleman from Illinois” was asked what effect the witnessing the grand cataract produced upon his mind, O, shades of Milton and Shakespeare! He answered—“Well, I saw a good deal of water running over a thundering rock, and the effect produced on my mind was that we had all made doubtful pictures of ourselves by coming so far to see, only on a little larger scale, what we have all seen a hundred times before.”

No man held a better position in Illinois—no man was more universally loved.  Peace be to his ashes!  “Philosophy is the cure to sorrow.”  Let his friends exercise it.

 

Thursday, 21 Aug 1851:

Died on the 18th inst. in this city, Mrs. Mary M. Rutter, widow of William Rutter.  In her death her many friends in Missouri and Kentucky, as well as in this city, experienced the loss of one of the kindest and most estimable ladies and mothers that ever blessed a fireside.  It will be a source of great comfort to her absent friends to know that she was conscious of her approaching dissolution and died calmly and happily.  She left four children, two sons and two daughters, to mourn her death and to be taught the comparative loneliness of life when unsolaced by a beloved mother’s presence and encouragement. 

 

Thursday, 28 Aug 1851:

Died in this city on the 21st inst., after a short illness, Mary B., daughter of S. Staats Taylor, in the 17th year of her age. 

 

Thursday, 11 Sep 1851:

Died on Monday the 8th inst., in this city, Miss Margaret Rutter, the daughter of William Rutter and Mary M. Rutter and sister of Dr. J. J. Rutter

 

Thursday, 2 Oct 1851:

Died at Cairo on Thursday, Sept. 25, of childbirth, Mrs. Sarah Reddy, consort of James Reddy, aged 20 years.  The deceased was on her way from Mobile to join her husband in Louisville.  Her sufferings were of but short duration before she yielded her spirit to her heavenly father who gave it.  Her husband came to this place to assist her to Louisville, but before he arrived the destroyer had finished his work.  Her helpless infant still survives, but there is no hope of its living.  The deceased has left an affectionate husband and numerous friends and relatives to mourn her untimely loss. 

 

Thursday, 20 Nov 1851:

By telegraph from Caledonia we learn that on Friday night a traveling Polander stopped at a certain man’s house named Bass in the Hazelwood Settlement which is in this and Pulaski County and requested to stay all night.  He was told he could sleep in the schoolhouse across the road if he would pay 50 ¢ for the privilege.  The next morning, he started off without paying and the man to whom he made application followed him a short distance with a gun and shot him.  He proceeded to the next house and was kindly allowed to stop.  When last heard from he was in a critical condition and his life despaired of.  One of Bass’s tales is that the Polander was rapidly making off with one of his horses, but this statement is contradicted by some of the neighbors who saw the Polander between Bass’s and the next house where he was taken in.  Bass has fled the country. 

 

Thursday, 5 Feb 1852:

Died on the 29th December ult., at his residence two and a half miles from America, Pulaski Co., Ill., Mr. Nathan Whittaker, in the 42nd year of his age.  In the death of Mr. Whittaker, this section of the country has lost a good citizen, an upright man and a consistent Christian.  He has resided in this country since 1839.  In all his connections with his fellow man he has ever borne the character of the noblest work of God, an honest man.  In 1845, he became a member of the Baptist Church and ever labored by precept and example to win souls to Christ.  Ever industrious, he had from very limited means acquired a pleasant location and a comfortable home for his family, consisting of a wife and three children, who live to mourn his loss.  In June 1847, he first experienced the severe affliction with God “who moves in a mysterious way” was pleased to visit him and for which the last four years of his life he bore with resignation and fortitude becoming a child of God who has taken him to dwell with Him in mansions above. 

 

Thursday, 12 Feb 1852:

Died in Cairo on the 2nd inst., of winter fever, Mr. A. J. Jeffords.  Mr. Jeffords resided in Cairo for a number of years previous to his death and ever proved himself an honest and industrious man.  He was generally respected and his loss is seriously felt.  A wife and two children survive him. 

 

Thursday, 26 Feb 1852:

Died at his father’s residence in the vicinity of Clear Creek Landing, Alexander Co., Ill., Feb. 7th, 1852 in the 19th year of his age, Thomas Carroll, son of Matthew M.D. and Eliza McClure.  His suffering was severe in the extreme, but he had sought and found the Pearl of Great Price and though comparatively a youth, conversed freely on the subject of the Christian religion and dwelt with much confidence on his future hope.  On the succeeding days of his funeral, services were performed by the writer and his remains were followed to their last resting place by a bereaved father and mother and many weeping friends and deposited there to remain until awakened by the last trump.—W. C. McMillen   


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