Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-09-20
MONTEREY, HIGHLAND COUNTY, VA" SEPTEMBER TO- 1901

mute testimony to the patient suffering
which the murdered President had en-
durcd. He was dressed as he usually
was in life. The black frock coat was
buttpned across the breast where the
first bullet of the assassin had struck.
Ia black string tie below the standing
COLLAR showed the little triangle OF white
shirt front. The right hand lay at his
/ side The left was across his body. :,
Most of those invited had entered
when. at 1857 o'clock, President Roose,.
welt drove up in carriage with Mr. ana
Mrs. Ansley Wilcox. He shook hands
/ in silence with several members Ct the
Cabinet. who met him at the carriage
and slowly walked to the piazza and
4 Into the house.
In smaller library on the north side
I OF the house were most OF the members
! OF the Mckinley family who were pres
ent and a few Of their closest friends.
Mrs. Mckinley did not come. down
stairs during the services. With Mrs,
Barber. Miss Barber. Mrs. Hobart and
aDr Rixey. she sat at the head Of the
stairs leading into the main hall. All
! the doors were open and she could hear
every word Of the minister's earnest
prayer, and the sweet strains OF the
choir reached her as they sang the
Presidents favorite hymn.
She sat through it ALL silent and pas
sive 1t seemed as il her great grief
3had exhausted her power for suffering.
SWith a handkerchief at her eyes she
buried her suffering in her broken
heart. Never moving until just be-
{ fore the coffin was carried out. she was
gently raised from her chair and led
Raway to her own room.
AS President Roosevelt entered the
library everyone rose. Gravely he
walked past the line of the Cabinet
! members to the head of the coffin. For
Ia moment he gazed on the face OF Mr..
Mckinley. His eyes were suffused
3with tears and his mouth twitched, but
4 with superb effort OF the will he mas
Stored his emotions. During the re-
5mainder OF the service his face was set
land grim.
! Turning, Mr.. Roosevelt took his
place with the Cabinet. AT this mo-
mcnt Rev. DR.. Charles Edw. Locke, OF
). the Delaware Avenue Methodist Epis
Hcopal Church, son of that DR.. Locke
swho for many years was the Mckinley
3pastor at Canton, entered the room. He
Stcok a position at the door leading into
&the outer hall.
q A quartet from the First Presbyterian
& Church had been stationed in the din
&ing room, and with the sweet strains o.
Zone OF the Presidents favorite hymns
q Lead, Kindly Light" the services be
4 gan. Eyes that before had been dry
3flled with tears as the words were SUNG
Swith exquisite feeling and pathos.
n AS the last strains died away DR.
q Lockes voice was heard. He begar
s reading from the fifteenth chapter o
= First Corinthians. There was a mo
$ment'S pause after he had finished, ant
81 then the quartet sang the verses o
8 Nearer, my God, to Thee" so dear t.
= the man about whose bier the mourn
%ers stood.
AS the music died away for mo
> ment there was intense silence. Their
4 in prayer DR.. Locke. his words uttered
= so that they reached the ears Of tn,
woman sorrowing for her dead, mad
an eloquent appeal
All present joined in the Lord
Prayer as the minister repeated it
8 President Roosevelt's voice being all
s. dible at the back OF the room. TIL,
& service concluded with a simple benc
j diction
q The funeral director was about to ste1
4 forward to place the cover on the cofhl
a when suddenly there was a movemen
u behind Governor Odell. Senator Hanna
u who had risen. saw that the last oppor
81 tunlty to look into the countenance Of hi
q dead friend had come. Pressing forward
q IN an instant he was at the side of tn
y coffin, bending over and looking dow
q into it. Almost two minutes passed ant
+ then he turned away and the coffin wa
3 closed.
81 Four sailors, two infantry sergeant
q and two artillery sergeants bore the cot
E fin out Of the house. The President
q Cabinet and others followed it. Mrs
q Mckinley and the members of the famil
q remained.
3 1t was 1880 o'clock when three lon,
q rolls of muffled drum told those outsid
81 the house that the funeral cortege wa
q about to appear. At the moment the cot
n fin appeared Nearer My God, to Thee
q assembled in subdued strains from one o
"a the military bands Tenderly the bearer
q lowered the coffin from their shoulder
Il and placed it in the hearse. Soldiers an
sailors swung into long columns an
$ took up the march southwark toward tn
q City Hall.
As the funeral cortege moved south o
Il Delaware avenue toward the City Ha
vast concourse of people looked on.
q began raining hard and the people wer
drenched by the time the body reache
& the hall.