Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-14


the Latest Detsiis-rhe Faint Hope
of the Afternoon Gave Place TO
Despair as Night Drew ON.
For the third time In the history of
the United States President is at the
door of death from wounds inflicted
by the bullet of an assassin.
Those OF the older generation re-
member the news from Washington
city, on the 18th of April. 1865, that
Abraham Lincoln was no longer of
earth. The generation following re-
member the sad news of the shooting
Of James A. Carried, by Guiteau. on
the ID of July, 1881. and the prolonged
suffering ending with death Septem-
Der 18th Of the same year, at Mt Nc
Gregor. Young and old alike must now
preserve as a sorrowful memento of
this first year of the new century the
cowardiy shooting and the impending
death of William Mckinley. twenty
ninth President OF the American Re-
public, counting by Presidential cleo
TORS. 1t is season for national
mourning, and all true Americans will
unite In those expressions of profound
| grief commensurate with the deplora-
BILE circumstances. To-day a nation,
/ without reserve, will bow a reyeren-
tIal head and pay that greatest tribute,
/ universal respect, to the victim of an
assassin acting without motive and
without cause.
| Up to late Thursday night, as all
the world knows the official bulletins
and private information from the bed
side at Buffalo were optimistic. Mid
night passed, and there were no indi-
cations of the portentious change so
imminent. An hour or two more, and
it was practically known that the
worst was at hand. only few hours
possibly a day-intervening between
life and eternity fer the Chief Execu-
/ tive. AS the night waned toward morn
ing the conviction deepened that the
span of life allotted to William Nc
Kinley was almost encompassed. sun
rise brought no hope, but little later
about nine o'eloek-there was tenn
porary halt in the approach of Death,
and for the succeeding seven or eight
hours nation was alternating be-
tween hope and despair. With the
shades of evening, however, the
change for the worst came, and with
the early hours of darkness the con-
vincing evidence of the inevitable end.
All during the night during the
morning hours. and throughout the
ensuing day, telegraph operators, re-
porters and editors sat at their desks
in every city in the United States, In
tent upon giving the latest informa-
ton to the public. The office of the
Register was typical of the rest. The
night force was held until nine o'clock
in the morning, after a six o'clock edi-
ton. giving the latest details of the
Presidents condition, and at that hour
another relay of men came on duty
and while bulletins were being posted
and kilograms received there was quiet
/ preparation for the issuance of spec
ial edition that the public might be
speedily informed of the latest au-
thentic details All during the day
watch was kept upon the kilograms,
enaciaI and nv the Associated Press
which poured in at rapid rate. After
! nine o'clock there was dearth of. Off
+ cial bulletins, but enough of those I'M
| official arrived to show that the end
was fast approaching. The repeated
| announcement that the President was
Sleeping" was popularity interpreted
to indicate that he was under the in
| fluence of opiates, and when the prom
! ised official 2 D. m. bulletin did not
| come there was very general feeling
that hope was gone.
So the later afternoon drifted to the
night, and as dusk approached the al
ways large crowd in front of the Reg
, lister office tended to increase, while
! four telephones kept up an almost con-
slant buzzing, enquiries coming from
all over the city and the surrounding
| towns, and kilograms came every few
minutes from newspapers and private
citizens from many points in West Vir-