The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-25
DEATHS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
The First Was the Grandfather and
Pred cCcssor of President Harrison

The First Was the Grandfatie and
Predecessor Of President Harrison.
WASHINGTON, Oct. Mrs. Harrison
is the second mistress of the White
House to die III The executive mansion.
1t is strange coincidence that most Of
the deaths that have occurred within
the walls Of the White House were of
persons connected more or less remotely,
personally or politically, with the fam
lily of President Harrison.
The first death was that of President
William Henry Harrison, which oc
CURED on tho morning of April 4, 1871,
just one month after his inauguration
The president on that occasion went
through tho ceremonies bareheaded In
the midst of a driving storm April
he was compelled to take to bed and send
for a physician. But the disease resisted
all treatment, and at IL 80 o'clock of the
morning Of April the president
breathed his last. Funeral services were
held in the Gust room on the 9TH, being
conducted by Roy. Mr. Hawley, rector
of st. Johns church. No sermon wa.
preached, but Mr.. Hawley pointed to
Biblo and prayer book on table near
daily companions Of the deceased since
he entered the White House, and had it
not been for illness, said Mr. HaWley he
would havesunited with the church the
previous Sabbath. Escorted by pro.
cession, civil and military, two miles in
length, his remains were temporarily
LAID away in Congressional cemetery,
Mrs. Letitia Tyler, first wife of Presi-
dent Tyler, who was elected vice pres.
dent on the ticket with General flarri.
sOn and succeeded him as chief execu
tive, died in tho White House on the
10th Of September the next year. 1912
During her brief stay in the executive
mansion Mrs. Tyler was unable to dis.
charge the duties of hostess, her place
being taken first by Mrs. Robert Tyler,
her sons wife, and later by Mrs.
Semple, her daughter. Her funeral ser
mon was also preached by DR.. Hawley.
and her body laid to rest in the family
Lurying ground in Kent county, Va
The third death was that of President
Nacharia Taylor, who entered the White
House March 4. lS49. He lived only un-
til July 3, 1850. His death was the re-
suit of exposure on the Fourth of July
just previous, when he took part in
the dedication of Washington's monu.
ment. The weather was exceedingly
hot and the president drank freely of ice
water and partook of a large quantity of
fruit. Immediately upon his return to
the White House he Was seized with all
indisposition from which he never re-
covered, but which was not believed to
be OF fatal OF even serious nature until
the morning of his death.
Willie Lincoln second son Of Presi.
dent Lincoln died in the White House
IN February, 1859. at the time when
Tad" the favorite son Of the martyred
president, lay seriously i'll. Mr.. Lincoln
said that the blow was the saddest ex.
perience of his life and the hardest to be
borne, Willie was 10 years old at the
time of his death
Frederick Dent, father of Mrs. U. S.
Grant, who was member of the presi.
Dental family from the time General
Grant entered the White House. Dec. s,
1870. Funeral services were held in the
east room, the sermon being preached by
Key o II. Tiffany, d. d.
lhe last previous death within the
portals of the executive mansion was the
most dramatic of all. 1t occurred at the
New Years reception being held by
President Arthur Jan. /, 1888, and threw
pail over the festivities of the occasion,
which were at once brought to a close
by the unbidden and unexpected en-.
trance of the grim messenger Mr.,
Elisha II. Allen, minister to the Unitei
States from Hawaii and dean of the
diplomatic corps, was at the head of his
associates, making his way to the presi.
dent to present the members of the lie.
cations with their compliments, when
he was smitten with heart disease. Fall.
ing to the floor he was hurriedly borne
into one of the parlors, but never recov.
cred consciousness, and expired before
medical aid could reach him.
Besides these deaths, the White House
has been the theatre of other scenes of
sorrow and suffering. When President
Garfield fell with the assassins bullet in
his back he was conveyed to the room
in which Mrs. Harrison died, and le.
manned there until carried forth to die
at ElbSrOn