New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-09-14
AT THE MILBURN H0C~E
NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING SCENES.
GALLANT FIGHT OF DOCTORS FOR THE
PRESIDENTS LIFE-ALTERNATIONS OF
DESPAIR AND HOPE
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I


to prevent the Angel of Death from claiming and
bearing away to his final reward the nations
chief will live forever in the memories of those
| inside the Milburn house, in Delaware ave. To
the little brigade of newspaper men and tele-
graph operators who kept ceaseiess vigil across
! the street the night and morning of September
| II and ID will always likewise be memorable
l. Secretary Cortelyou, with haggard face, but
always firm and imperturbable. gave the first
| portentous warning Of the blow which to
| fall in the early morning, when. at o'clock. he
handed out the S:15 bulletin. which said that the
! President was not well. But" said he, I'VE
all expect that the President will be better in the
| morning." Then the anxious hours for
| the DOCTORS who watched for the first signs of
| surrender by their patients refractory stomach
The rain fell internationally. Returning visitors
| from the exposition shrank from the peltng
| drops. and said. mo matter; the President is
| better"
That the consolation everywhere. It was
heard in the hotels In the afternoon. and it
| the answer vouchsafcd to travellers alightng
| from railroad trains. THE President is bet
| ter" 1t was tonic to tired nerves and hearts
soothing lotion for weary eyes. Not even the
| saddening S:15 bulletin was sufficient to destroy
| the conviction that the physicians must
| tainly be right in their previous opinions.
AS midnight approached there feeling
VI.
| Stockton. the bowel specialist, was in attend
ance. He had the advantage OF coming into the
consultation with no favorable first impression
| He and his medical brethren prescribed calomel
and oil to flush the bowels. 1t given. Then
| the incidents Of the day were gone with.
Recurring calls to the sickroom increased the
gravity OF the situation. The pulse was high
| and fluttering. 126 beats to the minute With
a temperature Of 1902, it should have been very
much less. The heart began to grow weak.
Just before midnight the bowels responded to
| treatment. and then began two hours OF nerve
wrenching solictude Would he rally from his
exhaustion? The pulse dropped to 100 and this
inspired some degree Of hope that the worst was
| over.
TELLING THE WHOLE TRUTH
Then came noteworthy test of faith keep
ing. Should the bold truth be sent across the
continent? 1t Secretary Cortelyou who
broke the stiffness.
Gentlemen" said he I'VE have kept faith
with the people hitherto. We must continue TO
| do So"
faint flash Of lightning followed by the
distant roll of thunder. It almost seemed as II
nature was cognizant Of the engrossng topic OF
the new century. The heavens opened and the
rain, which had been falling in dribIets gushed
from the pitchy sky flooding the cutters and
soaking the skin the policemen and soldiers
| and newspaper men who. with growing alarm
noted the lights being turned up in the Milburn
house
MRS. M'KINLEY NOT TOLD.
There one room where no extra lights
| were used. Mrs. Mckinley was left unds-
| turbed. She sleeping sweetly.
The worst has not yet come" said Or. Rixey
land there is no necessity for disturbing her"
| II was a few minutes after 9 o'clock that Drs
| Rixey and Stockton. after looking at the PresI-
dent and trying the heart action. shook their
heads decsively and told Secretary Corteiyou
that the President sinking. The end APP
peared TO be at hand. The pulse fiuttered and
weakened and the Presidents face looked like
that OF dead
There was no time TO be lost Decisive ac-
ton had brdged dangerous crisis OF
| Friday at the Emergency Hospital. the expo
siton grounds. and the doctors met the second
one with equal promptness Digitas and a so.
luton containing strychnine were administered
The history making incidents inside the Mil.
burn house soon reached the teegraphers and
reporters across the street All vapd tall
ceased. WEAKNESS forgotten Scores OF
bulletins were thrust upon the overwrought OBJ
orators.
Rush this to Roosevelt" was what Secret
Service Detective Foster said TO the swftes
d
dence with two reporters. The government
levied upon one of the three working wires at
o'clock, while rush messages were sent TO the
Western Union and Postal headquarters down
town for extra men. Every messenger who
slipped away from the dark portals of the Mil
burn house told to hurry.
WARNING CABINET MEMBERS.
Lights began to appear in unlighted room
where nurses and attendants were gaining brIe
rests Secretary Cortelyou hurried through th
rain across to the telegraph tents. and ordere,
messages sent to the members of the Cabine
not in Buffalo
. The whirring of soft running automobiles wa
heard from down Delaware ave and soon tn
chauffeurs bore messages to the consulting phv
sicans. Drs. Mann. Park, Mynter and Wasdin
The scene about the house was sombre an.
dramatic. The spirit Of tragedy possessed ever
heart. Secretary Corteyou stood in a group O
intense questioners. He read the injuries he
fore they were put.
The President is worse" said he quietly
He is much weaker, and the situation is ex
tremey grave"
The announcement was almost stunning In II
import. After he had returned to the hous
Secret Service Detective Foster came to the tele
graph tents, and said that the President ha
| partially collapsed.
GRAVE ALARM CAUSED
Then came official bulletin which caused a
involuntary shudder In the beasts of those VIII
saw 1t or heard it read. 1t was as follows:
Friday, Sept 13, $50 a. M The President =
condition is very serious and gives rise IN
10 ct. I.x,,a