Obituary: Winnebago County, Wisconsin: R.H. BINGHAM ************************************************************************ Submitted by Kathy Grace, July 2004 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ Daily Northwestern June 12, 1890 Dr. Bingham Dead He Expires Early Today Dr. R.H. Bingham died this morning at seven o'clock at his residence on High street. The cause of his death was an affection of the spleen and liver. Dr. Bingham's illness dates back to the autumn of 1889. On Thanksgiving day he came home from his office, feeling quite ill, and malarial fever followed, from which, it appears, he never fully recovered. After weeks of suffering, however, he regained his health sufficiently to resume his practice and January 5 he was again at his office, although by no means himself again, for the pallor of his cheek gave evidence of the fact that he was far from being a well man. With persistence, however, which alarmed his friends, he continued his professional duties, interrupted frequently, as they were, by a few days of sickness, until about a month ago, when his condition became such that he was obliged to give up his work and remain at his residence. His illness daily assumed a more threatening aspect, and to those of his professional associates who became aware of his affection, grave doubts were continually arising, regarding his recovery. Dr. Bingham, in fact, was critically ill, when, only a few weeks since, he was called as an expert witness in a trial in the circuit court. Five weeks ago Saturday the trail of an alleged murderer was in progress before Judge Burn ell and the state deemed its case incomplete without testimony relative to arsenical poisoning. Whatever Dr. Bingham would testify to, of course, would have great weight and in consequence, his services were eagerly sought by one of the attorneys. The latter's persistent efforts finally resulted in the consent of Dr. Bingham to become a witness, although he went to the court house much against his will and the advice of his friends. He returned home, looking very pale, and his sickness that followed convinced those at his bedside that his act had been an injudicious one. However, while his condition was regarded as very serious at that time it was not considered so critical but that there were strong hopes of his recovery. But the patient was undergoing his last sickness. For many days previous to death his condition gave ample evidence that the end was near. He retained consciousness to within a few moments of his death. Dr. Bingham was the son of Rev. Moore Bingham, rector of an Episcopal parish at Hampton, N.Y., and that was the birth place of the doctor. He was born June 8, 1829, and was consequently sixty-one years of age last Saturday. When a mere boy he commenced the study of medicine, attending lectures at Pittsfield, Mass. He afterwards graduated from college at Castleton, At., and later commenced the practice of his profession with his uncle, Dr. J.P. Barber, at Clarenceville, Que. He resided there for two or three years and in 1853 at Highgate, Vt., across the line from Clarenceville, married Miss Emily I. Gould, who survives him. Within a year of their marriage, Doctor and Mrs. Bingham went to Chicago, but after a comparatively brief residence in that city, where he was out of health removed to Winona, where they were living at the breaking out of the war. The doctor became a surgeon in the Second Minnesota regiment and, going south, remained in the service throughout the conflict. At the close of the rebellion, the doctor and his wife again took up their residence in Chicago, where they lived until 1881, when they made Oshkosh their home and where a large practice gives testimony to the estimation of the doctor as a good physician and popular citizen. Besides his wife, four sisters and one brother survive him. They are Mrs. H.B. Sargeant of Lake City, Minn., Mrs. Orlando Bicknell, of Oak Park, Ill., Mrs. Wareham Pierce of Jericho, Vt., Mrs. Stone, also of Jericho, and Nelson Bingham who resides in Illinois. The doctor was a member of Trinity church and was also a Mason and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In his profession he was considered a very able man, especially in coping with pulmonary diseases, in which he was exceptionally successful. His death causes deep regret throughout the city and a great deal of sympathy is expressed for his estimable wife, a lady possessed of rare culture, and the many Christian virtues which have drawn around her a large circle of friends, not only in Trinity parish, where she was a constant worker, but among all classes, who know her as a devotee of charity. Doctor and Mrs. Bingham have had one child, a daughter, whose death occurred at Chicago, when she was only about four months old. The funeral services over the remains of the doctor will occur Sunday afternoon at half past two o'clock from Trinity church and will be conducted by the Rev. John W. Greenwood, rector of the parish. The services, at Riverside, where the remains will be placed in a vault, will be private.