The sun., 1901-09-20
DEAD CHIEFS BODY
RESTING IN PEACE
Funeral of the Late President Mckinley at Can
ton. Simple but Impressive Ceremony
in the M. E. Church. Thou
sands View Dead Friend.


little front room formerly used as the
presidents library, she pleaded to be
allowed to enter the room and sit be-
side the casket. Consent was reluctant
ly granted and for half an hour the
! stricken widow sat in the dim light
beside the flower draped bier. Then
she was led away weeping piteously to
her room and has not left it since.
Owing to her condition she was able to
take no part in any of the funeral cere-
monies, neither being at the church
nor coming into. the chamber of death
when the body was borne away for
the last time. From this time on shd
will be guarded with the most solici-
tous care and quiet, for it is only in
this way that collapse can be averted.
In Difference to the wishes of Mrs.
Mckinley and the members of the fam
lily, the remains of the president We're
not taken back to the Stark county
courthouse before the funeral as was
originally planned, but conveyed direc
to the First Methodist Episcopal church
where the funeral services were held
The face of the dead president was
seen for the last time when 1T lay i'll
state in the courthouse. The casket
was not opened after it was removed
to the Mckinley residence and the
members Of the family had no further
opportunity to look upon the silent
features.
Wealth of Floral Tributes.
The collection of flowers was prob.
ably the most beautiful ever seen in
the United States. The conseryatories
Of the country had been denuded to
supply them BY the direction of the
monarchs of Europe, the South Amer
lean rulers, the governors of the Brit
sn colonies in Australia and Canada
the emperor of Japan-from the -four
quarters OF the earth. in fact--caEe
directions to adorn the bier Of McKin
ley with flowers whose fragrance
| might be symbolical of the sweetness
and purity of the ended life. But these
tributes from foreign countries were
buried beneath the floral tributes of
| McKinley's countrymen. There were
tons and tons of them, and list of
those who sent them would be almost
a complete roster of those prominent
| in the official. commercial and social
! life of the United States.
| Simplicity marked these services, as
| the late president would have wished
| and as the heartbroken widow desired
| 1t.
| With sad and solemn pageant the re-
mains of the dead president We're taken
/ from his home to the church.
| When the hush of silence had fallen
upon the great throng gathered ut the
church. which was composed of the
| president and members of his cabinet,
the diplomatic representatives Of for
| eign nations, members Of the nited
! States senate and house of representa-
| tives representatives of the army and
navy and personal friends and neigh
bors of the distinguished dead, the
solemn and impressive but simple serv-
ices We're begun.
| The Church Services.
The services opened with the renai
tion of an organ prelude, Beethoyen's
/ funeral march, played by Miss Flor
ence Douds. As the last notes of the
1 prelude We're stillcd, the Euterpean
Ladies' quartet of Canton sang THE
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" Rev
| o. b. Milligan, pastor of the First Pres
byterian church of Canton, delivered
the invocation, which was as follows:
o God, our God. our nations God, thou Coo
and Father of Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
| Of mercies and God Of all comfort, we have
tered the courts of thy house today with bowed
and burdened hearts. In thy inscrutable proyi
dence thou hast permitted this great calamity tt
come upon Truly thy ways are in the deer
and thy paths in the mighty waters We bow
| in meekness before this exhibition OF thy soycr
eighty and thy right to do as thou wilt il
the armies OF heaven and among the sons o.
men. But blessed he thy name, Thy sovereignty
over us is the sovereignty over love. Thou ART
our Father, and like a father pitieth hi.
children, so the Lord piteth them that fear him.
Thou hat so revealed thyself to us in thy word
but especially In Jesus Christ, who was the bright
ness Of thy glory and the express image Of I'll!
person. Therefore Lord. we can the more
cheerfully submit to the doing Of thy hand anc
heart.
We can say with him whom we so deeply
mourn, "This is Gods way; his will, not ours be
DONE" and, while cannot understand thy gta
cieus purposes in this dspensaion, help us, Lord,
to wait in patient confidence assured that thou
| who art thine own interpreter wilt reveal thy
thoughts Of peace and purposes of mercy in This
great mystery. In this spirit help US to accept
this providence and still 10 trust thee. We thank
thee, o Lord, for this life which has been taken
| so ridey from US We thank thee for shy
ants endewments and achievements. We thank
thee for the evidences that he was chosen Of thee
for the great purposes in this world and for the
! splendid way in which by thy grace these prr
poses wrought out in his life. Adorned by
thee, we thank thee for what he was in himself
in his home in society. in church and state and
national relations. We bless thee for the inspira
tion OF his example, and we rejoice that, though
dead his influence for good will forever live
among us. Blessed be thy name, in the temple
OF American honor another is written among the
, immortals. Help all, Lord, to see in his
lie the divine possibilities of life and TO strive
for like fidelity as we go forward to meet life's
appointment. youchsafe, pray thee, all need
ful blessings to our nation in this season OF sore
! bereavement. Thou knowest, God, how this
blow has struck every heart, how this sorrow
pierces every soul The nation is dotted with
sackcloth and bowed with grief Our land is full
Z OF mourning; our hearts are heavy with an mex
! rressible and almost uncomfortable sorrow.
Surely thou hast stricken in thy sore dis.
pleasure, for thou dost not aiict willingly, Thou
v dost not delight in punishment Oh, that thou
n wouldst help us TO search hearts to seek out
the hidden DEPTHS and springs of wiekedoess.
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