Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1901-09-21
ON LAST JOURNEY.
Body of the Dead President Taken
to the Capital.
Great Crowds Linod the Railway Between
Buffalo and Washington TO Catch y
Glimpse OF tho CasEet Containing
the Silent Form.

Washington, Sept. 1.-THE remains
Of President Mckinley last night laid
IN the east room of the white house,
where for more than four years he
had made his home as the chief mag
istrate of the great American repub-
lie. Upstairs his widow mourned for
her dead in the family apartments
that now brings back but the saddest
of memories. 1t was with simple
ceremony and silence that fitted
perfectly the sadness of the occasion
that the body of the late president
was borne up Pennsylvania avenue
to the white house and laid upon the
bier in the great east room where
he had stood so often in the pride OF
his manhood to receive the greetings
of the common people he loved bet
ter than himself.
The Journey from Buffalo.
Washington, Sept. 17.-Through q
living lane of bareheaded people
stretching from Buffalo up over the
Alleghenies down into the broad val
ley of the Susquehanna and on to
the marble city on the banks of the
shining Potomac the nations mar
tyred president yesterday made his
last journey to the seat of govern
ment over which he presided for AZ
years. The whole country seemed to
have drained it's population at the
sides of the track over which the
funeral train passed. Work was sus-
pended in field and mine and city.
The schools were dismissed and every
where appeared the trappings and
tokens of woe. A million flags at
half-mast dotted hillside and valley
and formed thicket of color over the
cities. And from almost every ban
ner streamed bit of crepe. The
stations were heavy with the black
symbol of mourning. At all the
larger towns and cities after the
train got into Pennsylvania a militia
men drawn up at present arms"
kept back the enormous crowds. The
silence with which the countless
thousands viewed the remains of their
hero and martyr was oppressive and
profound.
Only the rumbling of the trains
wheels. the sobs from men and wom-
en- with tear-stained faces and the
doleful tolling of the church bells
broke on the ear. At several places,
Williamsport, Harrisburg and Balti-
more, the chimes played Cardinal
Newman's grand hymn. Taken alto
gether, the journey home was the
most remarkable demonstration OF
universal personal sorrow since Lin
coin was borne to his grave. Every
one of those who came to pay their
last tribute to the dead had an OPP
portunity to catch a glimpse of the
flag-covered bier elevated to view in
the observation car at the rear of the
train.
Mrs. Mckinley stood the trip brave
ly. In the morning, soon after leav-
ing Buffalo, she pleaded SO earnestly
to be allowed to 60 into the car where
her dear one lay that reluctant as
sent was given and she spent half an
hour beside the coffin. All the way
the train was preceded about is min
utes by q pilot engine sent ahead to
test the bridges and switches and
prevent the possibility of an accident
to the precious burden it carried. The
train had the right-of-way over every
thing. Not a wheel moved on the
Pennsylvania railroad system 80 min
utes before the pilot engine was due,
or for the same length of time after
the train had passed. General Su-
perintendent j. B. Hutchinson had
sent out explicit instructions cover
ing every detail.
The Funeral Train.
Buffalo, N. Y, Sept. 1.-THE train
that bore the president from Buffalo
to Washington was a solid Pullman OF
seven cars, drawn by two locomotives.
Fifteen minutes before the train was
scheduled to leave an engine sped
out through the yards with orders to
precede the train by Is minutes and
keep the track clear. Tho casket was
placed between two windows in the
last car where it could be seen by the
people as the train went by. Crepe
was draped from the two locomotives
and from the rear of the OBSERVE
ton car, and the ratings OF the car
were shrouded with crepe. The only
relief was in two tiny pilot flags of
white on the leading locomotive.
Two sheaves of wheat were crossed
above the breast. A white dove with
outstretched wings seemed to be aris-
ing from the head of the casket. 1t
was part of an exquisite floral piece
of red and white buds picturing the
American flag and the French colors,
a tribute from Franco-American So
ciety. Standing at the foot of the
casket was o soldier of the United