The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-09
NEWSPAPER DEATH WATCH.
REPORTERS ON DUTY AT WHITE
HOUSE NIGHT AND DAY.

Spend the Night Hours Spinning
Newspaper Yarns of Similar Ex-
Deriences with Former CeIebri-
ties-rhe Strain Upon the Presi-
dent Is Having Its Effect and His
Friends Are Concerned for His
Unsatisfactory COrtelyOu Keeps
the Ofice Seekers Away and the
President Only Sees Callers Where
Business of Importance Demands.
Washington, June 9, (SpeciaD. Mrs. Nc
Kinley's Illness brings into prominence
that gruesone practice of establishing a
newspaper death watch" upon distin-
guished patients in this country and in
Europe. 1t has become universal Gus
tom that as soon as a distinguished per-
sol, male or female, is announced to be
at the point of death, the newspapers of
the country have their representatives on
guard near the sick room day and night
until the end comes or the patient recov-
ers.
1t is remarkable the amount of interest
exhibited in the progress of Mrs. McKin-
ley's battle for life From all over this
country and Europe, daily inquiries are
made at the White House concerning her
condition. All the heading newspapers of
the country have men constantly on duty
at the White House so that any change
that may occur may be at once flashed
over the wire to the various newspaper
offices. 1t is not a desirable assignment to
be detailed for death watch" duty. The
newspaper watchers are excluded from
the White House after midnight and they
are obliged to camp out in the park under
the shelter of the big fir trees or coil
themselves down in corner on the soft
est side of the stone portico they can
find. Those who are engaged in this in
convenient duty find that the hours be-
tween midnight and dawn drag along very
slowly and thus far they have been with
out incident
DIR. Rixey usually makes his last cah of
the day a little before midnight After
he departs the doors of the Executive
Mansion are closed, the lights on the low
err floor are turned low and the watchers
outside endeavor to keep awake spinning
newspaper yarns and relating similar ex-
periences prior to the death of
former Secretary of State Blaine
Mrs. Harrison, the wife of
the late President Harrison, John Sher-
man, President Garfield. Gen. Sheridan
and other notables who have passed
away.
President Showing the Strain.
These are trying times for President
Mckinley His devotion to his invalid
wife and his intense anxiety regarding
her personal condition is beginning to
have it's effect upon him. Many of his
friends are seriously concerned about his
health, Notwithstanding his efforts to
guard against a physical breakdown.
There are many important public ques-
lions in which he is directly concerned
and he is giving them such attention and
consideration as existing circumstances
and conditions will permit. 1t is fortu-
nate for the President that he has at his
right hand such an able and considerable
secretary in Mr.. Cortelyou. There are
many persons anxious to invoke presi-
dental assistance in furthering their
personal aims. Many of them hurried to
Washington as soon as 1t was known the
President had returned from California
and day after day they have been at the
White House trying to get an interview
with the President Secretary Cortelyou
has thus far been successful in keeping
a great majority Of such callers from
seeing the President. Exceptions have
been made in few urgent cases, but as
a general rule the officeseeker and his
friends, after learning the serious nature
of Mrs. McKinley's illness, have very
CONSIDERABLY abandoned for the present
their efforts to seek personal interview
with the President Even the cabinet Off
GERS spend as little time at the White
House as possible, knowing that it is
the desire of the President to be near
the bedside of his wife whenever the
doctors and the nurses will permit. The
President goes out for an airing twice
day In the morning about II O'Clock he
takes a short walk around the south
grounds of the White House, usually &C
companied by Secretary Cortelyou or
some personal friend who happens to be
at the White House at that
hour In the Afternoon about 3
o'clock he goes for drive in his victoria.
accompanied by his brother, Abner Nc
Kinley or Secretary Cortelyou, or some
member of the cabinet. These drives are
not prolonged beyond an hour, and be-
fore leaving the White House, the route
of the drive is left behind so that, should
an emergency arise, the President could
return to the White House at once.
Mrs. MckinIey's Niece.
The only guest at the White House
now is Miss Barber, Mrs. Mckinley s
favorite niece. Miss Barber accompanied
the presidential party to California, and
returned to Washington with them. The
young lanes OIL llie duAilHlSti oeiOti a. y
daily visitors at the White House, and
thew endeavor to make life pass as
pleasantly for Miss Barber as the dis
tressing conditions will permit. 1t is not
an unusual sight to see Miss Barber and
several of her girl friends in the south
grounds of the White House, gathering
roses and other flowers from the beds at
this season. giving forth such an abund-
ance of fragrant and beautiful blossoms.
Miss Wilson, daughter of the Secretary
of Agriculture, Mrs. Dawes, the young
wife of the controller of currency, and
Miss Merriam the daughter of the direc-
- = -. .-rnr,,- nro r,orh a rss he most