The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-03
PAIL OVER THE PRESIDENT.
MOTHER MKINLEY STRICKEN
WITH PARALYSIS AT CANTON.

cover ana LOOK FOR Her Demise
Within "a Few Days-The Patient
Now i'm a Condition of Semi-COn-
sciOusness-ParaIy at First Com
fined TO Her Vocal Chords.
Canton, O., Dec. AT an early hour
this morning Mrs. Nancy Allison McKin-
ley, the venerable mother of the President,
was stricken by paralysis, and her death
is believed to be only question of a short
time
Not since Mrs. Mckinley was stricken
has there been favorable feature in her
condition. That the attack win ultimately
end in death was the first fear of the fam
lily on discovering her illness, and the con-
situations of the attending physicians
tended to confirm this belief. Every effort
is being made to render the patient COM
Portable, and what viii doubtless be her
last illness as free from suffering as pos
sible.
The paralysis, when it first appeared,
was not of a serious form and seemed only
to have affected her vocal chords. She
was able to walk from her own bed cham
ber to that of her daughter, Miss Helen
Mckinley, to give the first intimation of
the attack, and at that time seemed to
be in possession of all her mental and
physical faculties, but soon afterward a
change was noticed, and in the afternoon
she sank into a condition Of semi-con-
sciousness, in which condition she has
since remained.
Mother" Mckinley must have been
stricken some time during last night, but
the first intimation she had of any change
in her condition was when she awoke this
morning and found herself unable to
speak She walked to the room of her
daughter and aroused the latter. At once
Miss Mckinley saw that something had
happened. She awakened the other mem
bers of the family, and a physician was
called. He at once pronounced the trouble
paralysis.
Mother Mckinley had been slightly i'll
for several days with mild attacks of the
grip, She aad been up and about the
house, and no serious results from her
illness were apprehended, Her son, Abner
Mckinley of New York arrived in Canton
on Tuesday, and has mother seemed to be
greatly cheered by his presence. Yester-
fday she was so bright and cheerful as to
cause the family to remark on her i'm
provement, Mr.. Mckinley saying he had
not seen his mother looking so well and
rugged for a number of years. That being
her condition when she retired last even
ing, the blow to the family when discoV-
ering what had come upon her during the
night was a sad one.
During the forenoon a letter from the
President was received. 1t was read to
the aged sufferer, and in response to
questions if she understood its contents.
she nodded assent.
Abner Mckinley communicated with the
President as soon as he learned the Sc
rious nature of the Illness Of his mother,
and the President asked that he be advised
Immediately of every change. Appoint
ments We're made for communication by
telephone and kilograms were also ex-
changed frequently. Soon after noon,
Abner Mckinley notified the President that
the sufferer had lapsed into semi-con-
sciousness, and promised to communicate
further at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
The President did not wait for the 5
o'clock message He responded Tell
mother l Will be there" and a once pre-
pared to start for Canton. He is expect
ed to arrive here at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning.
DR.. Phillips, when he saw the patient at
6 o'clock this evening, had little to add
TO what he had already said to the effect
that she was very i'll and stood but little
chance of recovery. 1t was the opinion of
the doctor that she could not last more
than a few days, and the end might come
at any time.
Inquiries concerning the condition of
Mrs. Mckinley are coming to Canton from
all parts of the country a flood of tele-
grams starting as soon as the news of
her illness was made public, which, ow-
ing to the quiet and secluded life which
Mother" Mckinley leads, was not for
some time after. the attack.
DIR. Phillips, the attending physician, to-
night gave the family no more hope than
on his earlier visits. He expressed the be-
lief that death was inevitable from the
present illness, and that the only uncer-
tainty was as to the time when it would
occur. 1t might be in a very short time, he
said, possibly not for several days, and
there is a chance of rally and postpone
ment of death for some weeks.
The disease, he says, is not primarily
paralysis, but senility, the result of old
age, which has produced the partial pa
ralysis. In such cases, he says, there is a
general break down of the powers, and
nothing left upon which to build up
strength
Abner Mckinley said late tonight that
he thought his mother was sinking rapidly,
and he fears the end Is not far off.
Mrs. Mckinley came of the race of har-
dy pioneers who laid the foundation of the
American republic. She was Miss Macy
Campbell Allison, and was born at New
Lisbon, o., in 1909 Her family originally
came from England to Virginia, thence TO
Pennsylvania and finally settled perma-
nently in Ohio She was married to Will
lam Mckinley, Sr., jan. 6, 1929 and was
living in a 2-story frame house, still
standing near Niles o., when her dis
tlnguished son was born, Jan. 30, 1913.
Mrs. Mckinley was a woman of sterling
qualities frugal industrious, pious ana
proud of her son. Her patriotism was
strong and passionate, and her intellect
ual power was truly wonderful Like the
mothers Of Garfield and Grant, she lived
and rejoiced to see her son president Of
his and her country.
When President Mckinley entered con-
gress over twenty years ago, he was away
from his mother much of the time until
he retired from congress to make the can
vas for governor in 1891 During his SER
vice from 1892 to 1896 as governor, he went
to Canton frequently to visit his mother
and he was with her from January. 1895
until he went to Washington last March.
Previous to entering public life, the Pres
ident was always located near his parents