Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-09-25
Beloved of the Nation in His
"Windowless Palace
of Rest"
WORLD WEEPs AT HIS BIER
National Heart Answers to the Grief
Throb al Canton.

Canton, o., Sept. 20.-With majestic
solemnity, surrounded by his country
men and his townspeople, in the pres
ence of the president of the United
States, the cabinet. justices of the
United States supreme court, senators
and representatives in congress, the
heads of the military and naval estab-
lishments, the governors of states, and
great concourse of people who had
known and loved him, all that is NOR
tai of the third president to fall by an
assassin's bullet, was Thursday COM
mitted to the grave. 1t was a spec
tacle of mournful grandeur. Canton
ceased to be q town and swelled to
the proportions of great city. From
every city and hamlet in Ohio, from
the remote corners of the south and
from the east and west, the human
tide flowed into the town until 100000
people were within its gates-here to
pay their last tribute to the fallen
chief.
The final scenes at the First Meth
fodist church, where the funeral SER
vice was held, and at the beautiful
West Lawn cemetery, where the body
was consigned to vault, were simple
and impressive. The service at the
church consisted of brief grafton
prayers by the ministers of three de.
nominations, and singing by a quar-.
tette. The body was then taken to
West Lawn cemetery and placed in a
receiving vault, pending the time when
1t will be finally laid to rest beside the
dead children who were buried years
ago. The funeral procession was very
imposing, and included not only the
representatives of the army and navy of
the United States, but the entire mill
tary strength Of the state of Ohio and
hundreds of civic, fraternal and other
organizations. 1t was two miles long.
The Soldiers Las; Call.
The service at the vault was that of
the Methodist church. When it was
over Colonel Bingham waved his hand
to eight buglers of the Canton band,
who had taken station upon the side
Of the vault. Instantly from the eight
bugles rang out the notes of the SOL
dier's last call, ''taps." 1t was beau
tifully done. and the last notes of the
bugles died away so softly that all
who heard it remained listening for a
few seconds to hear if it was really
ended. When the last note had fioated
away Secretary Wilson was in tears,
Secretary Hitchcock also weeping, and
the president was gazing grimly at the
wall. 1t was the last moment for the
man who had been so closely associ-
ated with + q president for so long,
and the thought seemed greater than
most of them could lear.
1t was all ended at last.
Tears Give Her Blessed Relief
One of the most pathetic features
Of the day as the absence of Mrs.
Mckinley from the funeral services at
the church md cemetery, when the
body of her husband was laid to rest.
Since the first shock of the shooting
she had borne up bravely. But there
was limit human endurance, and
when yesterday came 1t found her too
weak to pass through the trials of the
ludl CeTeluOlleS. through the open
door of her room she heard the prayer
of the minister as the body was borne
cut of the house. After that DR.. Rix-
ey renamed close by her side. and al
though the full force of the calamity
had come upon her it was believed by
those about her that there was prOvi-
dental mercy In her tears, as they
gave some relief to the anguish of the
heart within.