The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-03
PRESIDENT HASTENING WEST
''TELL MOTHER 1 WILL BE THERE"
HE SAID, WHEN THE NEWS CAME.
Then He Hurriediy Made Arrange
ments for Leaving Washington, and
VIII Be at Her Bedside To-Day.


is believed to be only question of short
time. Not since Mrs. Mckinley was
stricken has there been favorable feature
in her condition. That the attack would
ultimately end in death was the first fear
of the family on discovering her illness
and the consultations of the attending
physicians have tended to confirm this be-
lief. Every effort is being made to render
the patient comfortable and what will
doubtless prove to be her last illness as
free from suffering as possible. The pa
ralysis when it first appeared was not of
serious form and seemed only to have af-
fected her vocal chords. She was able to
walk from her own bed chamber 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 afterwards a change was noticed, and
in the afternoon she sank into a condition
of semi-consciousness in which 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 shS awoke this
morning and found herself unable to speak.
She walked to the room of her daughter
and aroused the latter. At once Miss Nc
Kinley saw that something had happened.
She awakened the other members of the
family and physician was called. He at
once pronounced the trouble paralysis.
Mother Mckinley had been slightly i'll
for several days with mild attack of the
grip. She had been UP and about the house
and no serious results from her illness
were apprehended. Her son, Abner McKin-
ley, of New York, arrived in Canton on
Tuesday, and his mother seemed to be
greatly cheered by his presence. Yester-
day she was so bright and cheerful as to
cause the family to remark on her improve
ment, Mr. Mckinley saying he had not
seen his mother looking so we'll and rugged
for a number of years. That being her con-
dition when she retired last evening, the
blow to the family On discovering what had
come upon her during the night was d sad
one.
PRESIDENTS BRIEF MESSAGE.
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 it's contents she nodded
her assent. Mr.. Abner Mckinley communi-
Gated with the President as soon as he
learned the serious nature of the illness of
his mother, and the President asked that
he be advised Immediately of every change.
Appointments were made for communica-
tion by telephone, and kilograms were also
exchanged frequently. Soon after noon Mr.
Abner Mckinley notified the President that
the sufferer had lapsed into semi conscious
ness and promised to communicate further
at o'clock in the afternoon. The Presi-
dent did not wait for the o'clock message
He responded "Tell mother l will be
there" and at once prepared to start for
Canton. He is expected to arrive here at 10
O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Dr. Phillips when he saw the patient at
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 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, flood of kilograms
starting as soon as the news of her illness
was made public, which. owing to the quiet
and secluded life which Mother McKin-
ley leads, was not for some time after the
attack.
The President and all other members of
the Mckinley family not already here are
en- route to the bedside of Mother" Nc
Kinley tonight. The President had not
yet been summoned to the bedside of his
mother, who, no doubt, is rapidly nearing
the end. But, true to the devotion he has
always shown for wife and mother, he
could no longer remain, knowing that his
mother was seriously i'll. Without waiting
for the telephone message which had been
arranged for at o'clock he began prepara-
tions for coming to Canton. He will reach
here at 1926 tomorrow morning Mrs. A.
j. Duncan, of Cleveland, a daughter of
Mother Mckinley, who is in Chicago
visiting her daughter Sarah, who is at
tending school there, telegraphed this even
ing that she would be in Canton tomorrow
morning. Miss Helen Mckinley makes her
home here with her mother.
DR.. Phillips, the attending physician, to-
night gave the family little 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 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 postponement of
death for some weeks He thinks the de-
velopmelts of the night will decide the
matter. He expects no material change be-
fore morning. Although he arranged to
call at any time during the night that he
may be summoned. a change for the better
by morning he would regard as an indica-
tion of a temporary rally and that the end
will not come for some time. Should the
morning condition be for the worse he eX-
poets the patient to sink very rapidly. The
disease, he says, is not primarily paralysis,
but senility, the result of old age, which
has produced the partial paralysis. In such
cases. he says, there is a general breaking
down of the powers and nothing left on
which to build up strength and the basis
of recovery The doctor said after he last
saw Mrs. Mckinley that there was some
slight evidence that the facial expressions
of the patient were less rigid than they
were early in the day, this being noticeable
when she endeavored to comply with his
request to show her tongue, although she
was unable to do this. The patient is TAX
ing liquid nourishment at intervals, and
will not suffer from want OF food. Mr.. Abb
ner Mckinley said tonight that he thought