The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-17

| General Bissell. John N Scattered. OF
| Buffalo and Representative Alexander
| of the Buffalo district.
| One BY one they assembled the stair
| way. Secretary Root. Secretary Hitch
cock and Attorney Genera Knox
| Secretary wilson also was there. but he
| held hack. rot wishing to see the pres
;dent I'm his agony. There was only a
! momentar- stay OF h cabinet officers
at the threshold of the death chamber.
| Then the withdrew. the tears stream
ing down their faces and b words or
intense grief choking In their throats.
After they left the sick room the ply
siciars rallied him TO consciousness
and the president asked almost tmne-
diately hat his wife be brought 10 him-
The doctors fell back into the nadow
OF the room as Mrs. Mckinley came
through tn doorway. The suoHs iace
OF the dying man lighted up Win
faint smile as their hands were ciapSe9-
She sat beside him and held his hand.
Despite her physical she
bore I'D bra ely under the ordeal
LAST CONSCIOUS MOMENTS.
The president in his period OF con-
seriousness. which ended about a:fo p
M chanted the words OF the nynli
Nearer NV God TO Thee" and his last
1uOlDle CONSCIOUS WINS -
nv DIR. Mann 1t the bedside We're:
Good bye. all, good bye. IL Is Soos
way. His will be dom
Then his mind began TO wander and
afterward he completely lost conscious
ness. His life was prolonged FOR hours
by the administration OF oAssen anu 1ne
president finally expressed a desire 10
be allowed 10 die. About $50 the Id
m~inistration Of oxygen ceased and the
pulse grew fainter and fainter. be
He was sinking gradually like a child
into the eternal slumber by 10 O'Clock
the pulse could no longer be felt in his
extremities and they grew cold. Be
low stairs the grief stricken 1rienos
gathered sadly for the end.
At. 9:37 Secretary Cortelyou who had
beer much of the time with his dying
chief. sent out formal notification that
the president was dying. But the pres
ident fingered on, his pulse rowin
fainter and fainter.
There was no need for Official buile-
tins after this. Those who came from
the house at intervals told the same
story-that the president was dying n
that the end might come at any time
His tremendous vitality was the only
remaining factor in the result and this
gave hope only OF brief postponement
of the end.
DR.. Mynter thought he might last
until 2 a. m DR.. Mann said at IL o'clock
tina the president was still alive and
probably would live an hour. Thus
minutes heightened to hours. and mid
night came with the president still bat
Ting against death.
At this midnight hour the Milburn
house was the center of a scene as an
mated as though il were midday, al
though a solemn hush hung over the
great crowd of watchers. The entire
lower part of the house was aglow with
light and the many attendants, friends
and relatives could be seen within NOV
ing about and occasionally coming in
to the front doorway for a
breath of air. In the upper front cham
bers the lights were low and around on
the north side where the chamber Of
death is located there were fitful lights,
burning brightly and hen turn
ed low.
Secretary Root and Secretary Will
son came from the house about mid
night and paced UP and down the side
All that Secretary Root said
was: THE night has not come yet"
Despite the fact that vitality contin-
ued to ebb as midnight approached
efforts were spared to keep the spark
of life glowing.
DR.. Janeway, of New York city, ar
rived at the Buffalo depot at 11:40
George Urban was waiting for
him and they drove at a break neck
pace 10 the MllDurn mouse. he was
shown to the presidents room at once
and began an examination of the la
most inanimate form.
Secretary Long arrived at the Mir
burn house at 1906. This was his first
visit to the city and he had the extreme
of seeing the president
aliv even though he was not conscious
his visitors presence. Secretary
was visibly affected.
Such an intense state of anxiety ex-
listed among the watches hat rumors
gained frequent circulation that death
had actually occurred. Arrival Of the
coroner gave rise to one such rumor.
and a flood of ~groundless dispatches
were sent. saying hat the end had
come. These were speedily set at rest
by an official statement from within
house that the reports Of death
were g~roundless n that the president
still lived.
Coroner Wilson reached the house a
few minutes before 1890 a.. m. This
ed to startling reports.
The arrival on the scene of Coroner
wilson is explained by the statement
that he was ordered by the district at
to go TO the Milburn house.
coroner Wilson said that he had been
ordered by the district attorney to 90
70 the Milburn residence as soon as
after the announcement Of
leath- He had seen a reputable local
paper issued, with the announcement
that the president died at 11:eS O'clock
D. m and had hurried up SO that there
would be no delay in removing the
oody. He was very much chagrined
when Dr. Mann met him at the door
ana told him that his services were
TOT required and that he would be no.
-ined when he was wanted. DR.. Mann
said that the president was still alive
that DR.. Janeway was examining
he hearts action.