The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-09-22
THE DEATH BED.

AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE.
LONG BRANCH, Sept 19.-The deathbed
scene was not grand nor striking. 1t wac sim
pie and impressive; the people who saw tho
president of tho United States expire looking
upon him as plain citizen of the
republic, husband and father whom they
loved and reverenced rather than as the ruler
of mighty nation. After DR..
Bliss had been hastily summoned
to the bedside and he pronounced the
president to DO dying, the friends of the FAM
lily and it's members wero hastily sum-
moned Mrs. Garfield entered the cham
Der of death Immediately. There were pres
ent Gen. Swain, Maj. Rockwell, C.. o.
Rockwell, Private Secretary Stanley Brown.
Drs Bliss, Agnew, and Boynton, Nellie
Garfield, Lulu Rockwell, and Atkinson
aud Ricord, the White House messengers,
brought on from Washington to attend
tho president DR.. Hamiltop did not arrive at
the cottage until the presidsut was dead.
Warren Young, ono of the OK
ecutivo clerks, was at Elberon after
mustard for the dying man when
the last sad scene in the terrible tragedy was
brought to close Before Mrs. Garfield and
her daughter reached the sick room the hus-
band and father was unconscious. He had lost
his senses while his hand rested upon
his heart and after exclaim!ng
ooh. this terrible pain is here!'' Mrs.
Garfield leaned upon the shoulder Of Stanley
Brown. She was not entirely unprepared for
the sad ending, and Dr. Roynton had told her
some days ago that be did not believ the
president could live She stood by the side Of
the bed, ~
SILENTLY WEEPING.
The two little girls stood in the doorway open-
ing from the hail in the chamber. Their faces
were blanched, but 1t seemed as though they
did not fully comprehend the awful calamity
which stared them in the face. Mollie,
observing her mother weeping, slipped softly
into the chamber and placed her arms around
her mothers neck. DR.: Bliss held the presi-
dents wrist in his hand, feeling in vain for the
pulse which would indicate life. Drs Boynton
and Agnew were busily engaged in administer
ing hypodermic injections Of brandy. There
was hardly hope Of sustaining
life, but the single chance was taken
and 1t proved unsuccessful. Gradually
the breath became less perceptible When tho
president first became uncon cious the
signing respiration could be heard
in every part o! the room. A.
the end approached hardly movement of the
chest could be perceived. DR.. Bliss placed
bis ear above the heart, its beating
had ceased. The president was dead
The physicians. stepped back from the bedside,
1T is ended" said DR.. Agnew There was >
moment Of painful suspense, the silence being
broken only by the low sobbing Of
the widow. Every spectator of the
scene was moved to tears. Mrs. Rockwell.
who has been Mrs Garfield's bosom friend
and con6dant during the troubles, ;a2.
preached her, gently placed her arms
around her waist, and whispering some
thing in her ear. led Mrs. Garfield from the
Garfeld's apartments. Mr.. Brown fol-;
lowed them. As the door was
reached Mra Garfield slowly turned
and putting her hand in that Of the private
secretary, said, 81 shall depend on you"
The door closed behind her and the last scene
in the tragedy ended -. -:
MRS. GARFIELD swooNs.
8 .. m.-The members of the cabinet have
returned to the West End from the Elberon.
Mrs. Garfield, after the friends of the
cottage had left. the chamber Of death,
returned to the side Of her dead husband.
She remained IN the chamber alone for some
time. Below the members Of the cabinet
and their wives waited Mrs.; Rockwell
and her husband stood at the head Of
the stairs and snxiously awaited
the appearance Of the grief-stricken widow:
As she At last left the chamber in which the
dead president was lying, and crossed the
threshold, she sank, exhausted, to. the door.
She was -tenderly lifted up by loving
hands and carried to her chamber, where
loving hands restored her Il consciousness.
Grave fears for the safety Of Mrs. Garfield are
entertained. Whom she was summoned from
Long Branch to the bedside Of her
wounded husband last July, she had
not fully recovered from tho effects.
of au illness which at one time had
threatened to kill her. Since then she has
remained day aud night BY her husbands bed.
eide. Her friepdshsve feared that she could not
bear the strain, but she has borne up
wonderfully under tho pysssurh Now there 4
Z suddau Al eonnleta hfeak deNn,i Is q b,