Evening star., 1901-09-19
DEATHS in OFFICE
Presidents Who Passed Away While
Serving the People
mo ASSASSINATION IN. EARLY DAYS
Close of the Lives of Generals
Harrison and Taylor
I INCIDENTS CALLED

| The death of President Of the United
States by the hand of an assassin was
| an event never dreamed of by our fore
| fathers, in the early days of the republic
| No matter how bitter the campaigns, when
| the choice of the people assumed the reins
of Office all bowed to the verdict given at
| the polls and the incumbent was recognized
by all as the chief magistrate Indeed
| nearly forty years had passed before a
hand was raised against a President, and
then 1t proved to have been the act of an
insane man, his insanity being accelerated
| By the effects of whisky.
The simplicity and beauty of our insti-
tutions then shone FORTH for Presidents
and other dignitaries walked in and out
among the people, the positions held in
| suring them respect and immunity and not
| until the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln in
| 1865 was there death by violence of a
| President of the United States.
The Presidents, however, were not exempt
from death by natural causes during their
| terms of Office but the dread monster did
| not display it's hand until April 4, 1S41
| when it took away the ninth President
| Gen. William Henry Harrison-the hero Of
| Tippecanoe and grandfather of the late ex-
| President Benjamin Harrison. Gen. Har-
| rison had arrived in the city a few weeks
| before the 4th of March and was kept busy
| in receiving the hospitalities and applause
/ Of the people Before three weeks passed
| he was taken with a severe cold, which, it
| is believed, he contracted when he walked
| in procession escorting him on his ar
| rival here in February. Many, however,
| believed worry had much to do with ac-
/ celebrating the disease, for words spoken in
his delirium indicated that he was greatly
exercised over the patronage at his dis
| posal, and the petitions for appointment to
and retention in office.
4
| Whatever may have been the origin of
| his cold, it grew worse, and when. March
q. he suffered severe chill, his family
and friends became apprehensive. A fever
followed, and bilious pleurisy set in, which
terminated his life in just one month after
the Inauguration. He died in delirium. 1t
| is said, evidently believing that he was ad-
dressing his successor, Mr. Tyler. His
words were:
ciples of the government. wish them car
ried out. | ask nothing more.'
| His death had been feared by the public
several days before it occurred, but when it
was announced it was hard to believe for
| it seemed but the day before that he was
the central figure amid the ceremonies at
tending the seating of President.
Mrs Harrison had, not yet left Indiana
when the death occurred Mrs. William
Harrison the widowed daughter -in-Iaw;
Miss Clark Of Baltimore Mrs. Findlay,
Mrs. Taylor of Richmond, d. o. Copeland
his nephew: Henry Harrison a grand
nephew, and Findlay Harrison, a grand
son, with his rector, Rev. DIR. William
HaWley. were present when he expired
There were also in the house the members
Of the cabinet, Daniel WEBSTER Thos
Ewing, John Bell, George Badger. Francis
Granger and John j. Crittenden, and a
number of other friends
An official announcement was at once
prepared by the cabinet announcing the
| melancholy event. and Mr.. Webster's son
| Fletcher was dispatched for Mr.. Tyler the
| Vice President, then at his home in Vir-
ginia.
| ToIling Of the Bells.
The solemn tolling of the bells of the city
in the early hours of Sunday morning an
| nounced the event and the melancholy
| tidings were spread by the then slow modes
| of communication, while preparations were
made for the funeral to take place the fol-
lowing Wednesday.
Mr.. Tyler arrived from his Virginia home
on Tuesday morning following the death Of
| his chief, and the cabinet called upon him
! and were requested to retain their positions.
He then took the oath of office.
| Indian Queen Hotel (Brown's), now the
| Metropolitan, and at noon that day was
waited on by the cabinet. When officially
| informed of the sad event, Mr.. Tyler ex-
| pressed some doubts as to the necessity for
| taking the oath, but subscribed to it before
| Chief Justice VIM. Cranch of the Circuit
| latter set forth that Mr.. Tyler deemed him
| self qualified to perform the duties of
| President without taking any other oath
| than he had taken as Vice President but
| las some doubts may arise and for greater
| caution he subscribed to it.
The preparations for the funeral were
| made, flags at half-mast and emblems of
| mourning being displayed everywhere. The
| body was laid out in a coffin covered with
black velvet, trimmed with gold lace.
| On 1T rested two swords emblematic of
| justice and state, and the scroll of the Con-
| stitutlon bound by a wreath of yeW and
| cypress 1t was laid on a catafalque in
| the east room, which had so shortly before
been the scene of the largest reception
given at the White House up to that time.
| The people were admitted and hundreds
| passed and viewed the remains before the
services.
When the services were held, Rev. DR..
| aaWiey officiating, there were present John
quincy Adams, who had served as Presi-
cent twelve years before; the new Presi-
dent, Mr.. Tyler; the members Of the cabi-
net, the diplomatic corps and many distin-
gulshed people, besides the family and rel
| atlVes and personal friends, the room be-
| Ing well filed
During the services the funeral escort
was being formed outside under Major
Generai Alex. Macomb. 1t is noted that
| General Macomb was the subject of the
next military funeral in Washington. his
death occurring but few months there
| after.
The funeral car which bore the body of
tne PRESIDENT was drawn by six white
norses, each led by colored groom at
tired IN white, with turban and sash of
the same color, and following 1t was the
generals white charger, with boots re-
Versed In the stirrups, led by a groom.
Escort of Citizen S0ldiery.
There were few government troops in
this vicinity at the time and the escort
was mainly the citizen s0ldiery of three
cities OF the District7-W Washington, George
town and Alexandria. The government
was represented by the marines, with their
band. and the light battery Of artillery of
capt Ringgold from Fort McHenry. Be
sloes the District companies there were
seven volunteer companies from Baltimore
and one each fromt Annapolis, Md, and
YORK, "a There were in line few of the
sold1ers OF he revolution and the war Of
lsl2 and many who had engaged in the In
dian war. The civicprocession included the
corporate authorities of tile then District
cities, the Odd Fellows, all the old volun-
cieties
The funeral moved down Pennsylvania
avenue, where there were many habili-
ments OF sorrow, flags being at half mast