The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-15
DID NOT REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS
While IN Conatose Condition Patient Sufferer Ouiet1v
Breathes His Last-Grover Cleveland Paws
Tribute to Dead Statesman.

indianapolis, Ind, March 13-Gen
eral Harrison died at 4 :45 O'Clock this
afternoon, without regaining con.
sciousness. His death was quiet and
painless, there being gradual sinking
until the end came, which was marked
by single gasp for breath as life de.
parted from the body of the great
statesman. The relatives, with few
| exceptions, and several of his old and
tried friends we're at the bedside when
he passed away.
The generals condition was SO bad
this morning, after a restless night,
that the attending physicians under
stood that the end could not be far off
and all the bulletins sent out from the
sick room were to this effect, SO that
the family and friends were prepared
when the final blow came. The grad
ual failing of strength shown by the
patient grew more noticeable in the
afternoon and few moments before
the end there was an apparent break
down Oh the part of the sufferer, as he
surrendered to the disease against
which he had been so bravely battling
for so many hours.
The change was noticed by the ply
sicians, and the relatives and friends,
who had retired from the sick room to
the library below, were quickly sum-
moned and reached the bedside of the
general before he passed away. News
of the death spread quickly through
the city and several of the more inti-
mate friends at once hurried to the
residence to offer services, which,
however, We're not needed. The word
was bulletined by all the newspapers
and thus communicated to the people
on their way home in the evening.
The announcement pr ohuced the great
est sorrow. Nearly everyone had en-
tertained the hopes that General Har-
rison would recover
Within few minutes all the flags
on the public buildings and most of
the downtown blocks were hoisted at
half mast and other outward manifes-
tations of mourning were made.
None of General Harrison s children
was present at his death. Neither
Colonel Russell Harrison nor Mrs
Mckee had reached the city, although
both were on their way to the bedside
Of their dying parent as fast as steam
would bear them.
Elizabeth, the little daughter, had
to be taken from the sick room by her
nurse before the end came.
The group at the bedside included
Mrs. Harrison. W. Fl. II. Muller,
Samuel Miller, his son, the Rev. M.
L. Haines. pastor of the First Presby-
terian church, which General Harrison
had attended, or so many years; S. H. !
Iibbitt, Doctor Jameson and Doctor
Dorsey, Colonel Dan. Ransdell, SER
seant-at-arnls OF the United States
senate and close personal friend of
ihe dead ex-president; Clifford Artick,
md the nurse, who had been in con-
tant attention at the bedside. General
7arrison's two sisters and an aunt
vas also present. Mrs. Harrison
Zneeled at the right hand side of the
'ed, her husbands right hand grasped
II hers, while DR.. Jameson held the
eft hand Of the dying man, counting
he feeble pulse beats. In few
moments, after the friends had been
to the room the end came,
DOCTOR Jameson announcing the sad
act.
The great silence that fell on the
orrowful watchers at the bedside was
roken by the voice of DR.. Haines
aised in prayer supplicating consola-
ion for the bereaved wife and family,
Mingled with the sobs of the mourn ]
rs. Steps were at once taken to noti-
: the friends and relatives, abroad.
he first telegram sent to Washington
'as by Colonel Ransdell, who at once /
1ired his wife that the end had come. (
'ther kilograms were sent to promi- I
ent men at the national capital, in e
luding Indiana's senator's. Other /
Messages to other cities were also dis /
atched. S
General Harrison had been unoon- 9
,ious for hours before his death, the /
kact time when he passed into a '
state being hard to deter +
line. He spoke tc no one to-day and
liled to recognize even his wife. t
he greater part Of Tuesday, too, he