The Atlanta Constitution, Saturday Morning, February 4, 1882

AN EVENTFUL LIFE
GOES OUT IN THE WATCHES OF NIGHT
Dr. N. L. Angier Found Dead in Bed -- The Cause of His Death -- The
Funeral -- An Eventful Life
Sketches by a Constitution Reporter -- An Unsullied Record and a Good Name

Dr. Needham L. Angier died suddenly at his home on Mitchell street
yesterday morning sometime between midnight and seven o'clock. It was not
until near nine o'clock that he was known to be dead, as he had slept
alone and had died during the night.

On Thursday he was up and had a conversation with Dr. Willis F.
Westmoreland relative to a supposed case of asthma from which Dr. Angier
had been suffering for some time. He was rather low-spirited, and asked
Dr. Westmoreland what he thought of his case. Dr. Westmoreland told him
that unless he followed a particular course of treatment he would not live
for two months.

Thursday night Dr. Angier retired, and nothing more was heard of him until
morning. Mrs. Angier occupied an adjoining room.

About 7 o'clock yesterday morning a servant entered Dr. Angier's room for
the purpose of lighting a fire. He noticed that Dr. Angier was laying on
his back, his hands folded over his breast and was unusually quiet for a
sleeping man. He approached him and made a close inspection, but thought
he noticed Dr. Angier breathing. The servant then left the room, but was
not perfectly satisfied, and soon communicated that facts to Mrs. Angier,
who went into the room, and on examination discovered that the doctor was
really dead. Mr. Swift, the undertaker, gave it as his opinion that death
had occurred several hours before the inmates of the house discovered it.

Dr. Angier's death was caused by paralysis of the heart, but his recent
illness was the result of a severe drenching which he suffered while
measuring a piece of land out on McDonough street about two years ago, we
believe. During his sickness Dr. Willis F. Westmoreland was his attending physician.

Dr. Angier was born in New Hampshire on the 10th of November, 1814, and
was consequently in his sixty-eighth year. He was a man of commanding
presence, and up to the time of his recent illness was the picture of
health and vigor. He was well known throughout Georgia, and had an
aquaintance in many of the citites of the country. His life was a
remarkable one in many respects, and there was much in it that stamped him
as an unusual man.

He came to Georgia in the same year with Judge Hiram Warner, which was, we
believe, about 1838 or 1840. He landed at Darien and soon after worked as
a day laborer until he secured funds enough to carry him to Randolph
county where he was examined by a board of school trustees and engaged as
a teacher. He studied medicine during his spare moments and finally went
on to Philadelphia where he took a regular course and graduated. He
returned to Georgia and practiced medicine in Fayette and Clayton counties
and soon after married Miss Lizzie Herring, daughter of the Hon. William
Herring, one of the oldest citizens of DeKalb county.

When the gold fever broke out he went to California, and was distinguished
as chairman of a citizens' vigilance committee, and it is doubtless true
that many offenders against society met summary justice at his hands.

He returned to Atlanta, or, as it was then called, Marthasville, and
resumed the practice of medicine and also traded in real estate. This was
in 1848, and was kept up until 1859, when he became interested in the
political movement which resulted in the war. He was a member of a party
known as co-operationists.

About that time a man named Choice killed a man named Webb, and public
indignation ran so high that an organized movement to lynch Choice was put
on foot. On account of the fact that Dr. Angier was chairman of the
vigilance committee in California he was chosen to that position in
Atlanta on the occasion of what it was proposed to make an impromptu
hanging. The police station was then in a building where the Sunny South
office now stands, and it was the intention of the mob to hang Choice to
Broad street bridge. Dr. Angier, the chairman of the temporary vigilance
committee, ascended an elevated position and addressed the crowd. He used
arguments and eloquence, and made a masterly appeal for law and order, and
asked that no mob violence be done Choice. He urged that the majesty of
the law should be respected, and as a consequence succeeded and quieting
and dispersing the mob. There are plenty of men now in Atlanta who well
remember the occurrence.

Dr. Angier stamped the state for Douglas and Johnson for president and
vice-president and was opposed to secession. A gentleman said yesterday
in speaking of him:

"Angier opposed secession, but when he saw that he could not carry his
point he linked his fate with his state and became a warm southern rebel."

After the war he joined the party which fell heir to the spoils, and was
among those who early succombed to the changed order of things. He was
elected to the constitutional convention of 1868 with Dr. Miller and Mr.
John H. Flynn. The same party elected him state treasurer, which position
was his under the Bullock administration.

During his continuance in the office of state treasurer the famous fight
occurred over the issuance of the notorious fraudulent bonds. He opposed
the issuance of the bonds, and sent a circular letter to the New York
World announcing that the proposed bonds would be fraudulent. The matter
was published in this country, Amsterdam, London and Liverpool, warning
the people not to trade for these bonds. The bonds were sold, however,
and were repudiated by the state.

He was elected mayor of Atlanta in 1876 and served two years. It was
about the time of the close of his administration that he received the
wetting which finally ended in his death.

He was a noble and true man, a firm and unwavering friend, a charitable
and honorable citizen. He was kind to the confederate soldiers and took
every occasion to help and assist them.

His death closes an eventful career, one filled with deeds which stamped
him as one of nature's noblemen.

Mrs. Eastman, who is in Chattanooga, and Messrs. Hugh and Alton Angier,
who are in Cincinnati, have been telegraphed for.

The funeral will occur at St. Philip's church to-day at 3 o'clock.

The following gentlemen are respectfully requested to meet at the
residence (89 East Mitchell street) at 2:45 p.m. to attend the remains as escort:

C. I. Brown, Weldon Mitchell, Dr. H. V. M. Miller, Z. A. Rice, Colonel
George W. Adair, D. Mayer, John H. Flynn, Rhode Hill, John Silvey, W. B.
Cox, Dr. Willis Westmoreland, R. Peters, Dr. John Westmoreland, James
Ormond, John McCaslin, A. Murphy, R. M. Clarke, C. H. Strong, Green T.
Dodd, John Neal, John Stephens, J. S. Oliver, J. Norcross, L. J. Glenn, J.
W. English, J. J. Barnes, John Isham, T. M. Clarke, James Lynch, M. Lynch,
W. J. Garrett, John H. James.

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