"Anna, I've been
doped," are the last words spoken by Edward C. Throckmorton to his wife,
Thursday morning, before he closed his eyes in death at 10"25 o'clock that
night in All Saints' Hospital in Fort Worth. The dying statement was made in
the presence of the wife and son, Fred, both of whom were at his bedside in
the last lucid interval of the unfortunate man's life. For five days
Throckmorton had lain in a semi-stupor, rallying only at rare intervals, and
then only for a few minutes or moments at a time. The last words above
quoted, were spoken during one of the few intervals of consciousness, and
during a short conversation held with his wife and son, whom he fully
recognized. The man's death is said to have been due to salimetis.
"That was all he
said," was the statement given out by Fred Throckmorton in referring to the
last intelligible words of his father, Ed. C. Throckmorton. "He opened his
eyes, recognized my mother and spoke to her and made that statement after
which he again lapsed into unconsciousness."
Throckmorton, a
full account of whose discovery in an unconscious condition in a Fort Worth
hotel last Sunday morning, was made in these columns Wednesday, never fully
regained consciousness, but had momentary lucid intervals, during which he
recognized the members of his family who were at his bedside. Mrs.
Throckmorton, the wife arrived in Fort Worth early in the week from their
home at Marietta, Cass county, and had been with her husband almost
constantly up to the time of his death.
As is well known
to the citizens of McKinney, Edward C. Throckmorton was a son of the late
Governor Throckmorton, and was practically reared in the city of McKinney.
Governor Throckmorton, the father of the dead man, was not only a most
highly honored citizen of McKinney and Collin county, but of the State of
Texas. In fact, the family was a noted one in the history-making of Texas.
J. W. Throckmorton was the first governor of Texas elected after the Civil
War, and was one of the best governors who ever served the people of the
State.
Edward C.
Throckmorton was born in McKinney in 1854, and was therefore near 58 years
of age. He left McKinney several years ago since which time he lived at
several places, finally locating in Ft. Worth, where he engaged in the real
estate business.
Besides his
wife, Mrs. Anna Throckmorton, the deceased is survived by four sons, Harry,
Fred, and Hugh, of Marietta, and John of Mexico; a daughter, Miss Bessie
Throckmorton of Marietta; also three sisters, Mrs. Anna Shirley of Austin;
Mrs. Lula Barnett and Mrs. Florence Bennett of Coleman City, and a brother,
J. W. Throckmorton, living at Channing, Texas. The son, John has not as yet
been located. He is somewhere in Mexico, but his exact locality is not known
to any of the relatives.
There are
numerous relatives of the deceased in this county, some of whom reside in
McKinney, he having been married here.
The body of the
deceased man was removed to the undertaking parlors of a Fort Worth
undertaker from which place it was forwarded to McKinney, arriving here
Saturday morning over the H. & T. C. railway from Fort Worth, via Dallas.
The body was accompanied by the sorrowing wife and children, and was met at
the train here by a number of relatives, and a
large crowd of
old friends and acquaintances. The funeral cortege moved directly from the
station to the Pecan Grove cemetery of McKinney, where, following a brief,
but impressive religious service, the body was consigned to its last resting
place. The religious service was conducted by Rev. E. B. Fincher, pastor of
the First Presbyterian church, in the presence of a large concourse of old
family friends and sorrowing relatives. Mrs. Throckmorton, accompanied by
some of the children will likely visit at the home of her brother, Sterling
Stiff, three miles north of McKinney, several days before returning to her
home at Marietta. These papers extend sincerest sympathy to the bereaved
wife, children and other relatives in their great sorrow.
Throckmorton was
considered one of the most important witnesses for the State in the trial of
J. B. Sneed, now being held in Fort Worth, in which Sneed is charged with
the murder of A. G. Boyce, Sr. Throckmorton was sitting beside Boyce when
the fatal shots were fired by Sneed and it is said that he heard the only
words spoken by the two men. The prosecution does not believe, however, that
their case will be materially weakened by the absence of Throckmorton's
testimony.
