The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-22
|EX.PRESIDENT
HARRISON DEAD


so many hours. The change was no.
ticed by the physicians and the rela-
tfves and friends who had retired from
the sick room to the library below
were quickly summoned and reached
the bedside of the General before he
passed away
News of the death spread quickly.
Word was flashed from the bulletin
boards of the newspapers and was thus
communicated to the people on their
way home. The announcement pro-
duced the greatest sorrow, nearly every
one having nurtured the hope that
General Harrison would recover In
few moments the flags on all the public
buildings and most of the down town
business blocks were hoisted at half
mast and other outward manifestations
Of mourning were made.
CHILDREN NOT PRESENT.
None of General Harrison's children
were present at his death Neither
Russell Harrison nor Mrs. Mckee had
reached the city, although both were
hurrying on their way to the bedside
of their dying father as fast as steam
would bear them.
Elizabeth, the little daughter. had
been taken from the sick room by her
nurse before the end came.
The group at the bedside included
Mrs. Harrison, w. II. Miller, Samuel
Miller, the Rev. M. L. Haines, pastor
of the First Presbyterian church, which
General Harrison had attended for so
many years; Secretary Tibbetts, Drs.
Jameson and Dorsey, Colonel Dan
Ransdell, sergeant-at-arms of the Unit
ed States Senate and a close personal
friend of the ex-President; Clifford Ar
rick and the two nurses who have been
in constant attendance at the bedside.
General Harrison's two sisters and an
aunt were also present.
Mrs. Harrison kneeled at the right
hand side of the bed, her husbands
hand grasped in hers, while DR.. jamie
son held the left hand of the dying man,
counting the feeble pulse beats In a
few moments after the friends had been
summoned to the room the end came,
DR.. Jameson announcing the sad fact.
The general silence that fell on the
sorrowing watchers by the bedside was
broken by the voice of DR.. Haines,
raised in prayer, supplicating consola-
ton for the bereaved wife and family,
mingled with the sobs of the mourners.
Steps were at once taken to notify
the friends and relatives abroad that
the end had come. Colonel Ransdell
dispatched kilograms to prominent men
at the national capital, including the
Indiana Senator's. Messages TO rela-
tives in other cities were also dispatch
ed Immediately:
UNCONSCIOUS FOR HOURS.
General Harrison had been uncon-
scious for hours before his death, the
exact time when he passed into a
comatose state being hard to determine.
The greater part of Tuesday, too, he
was in a semi-conscious condition, al
though he was al times able to recog
nize those at his bedside.
At that time he recognized and spoke
to Mrs. Newcomer, his aunt, who had
just reached the home. He also spoke
to Mr.. Miller, the words being very in
distinct, however, only doctor and
my lungs" being understood. Almost
the last words he uttered were address
ed to his wife, of whom he inquired
shortly before he became unconscious
If the doctors were present.
One of the most pathetic incidents of
the whole Illness of the General occur
red Tuesday before he became uncon-
L
Elizabeth, was brought into the sick
room for a few moments to see her
father and offered him a small apple
pie which she herself had made. Cen
eral Harrison smiled his recognition of
the child and her gift, but the effort
to speak was too much and he could do
nothing more to express his apprecia-
ton.
Today all efforts to arouse the slowly
diving man to consciousness failed and
ne died without word Of recognition
to any of the loved ones who surround
ed him.
PITY FOR STRUGGLING BOERS.
From one who was present at the
deathbed it is learned that the allega-
tions of cruelty and injustice dealt our
.bv England to the Beers in their strug-
gle for liberty had been subject OF
thought in the mind of General Harri-
son. To his friends he had often spok-
en- of the pity and shame, as he viewed
it, that the brave and sturdy farmers
of South Africa should be robbed OF
their country. of all they have in the
world. and forced to submit to terrible
miseries in resisting the expressions OF
a world power.
lI6neTal f1dIElSOll, II Is sNeiNSN, "CNiN
have liked nothing better than to come
out frankly and strongly and say to
every one who would hear what he
thought of England's alleged cruelty II
was on his mind constantly. but he be-
iieved that an ex-President should OBJ
serve the same proprieties OF speech
which are observed by President ol
the United States. He was at all times
careful to say nothing which could De
misconstrued or twisted into seeming
disregard for the dignity of the high
office which he once held.
In his semi-conscious condition, when
the sentinels of discretion and propri-
etv had gone from their posts and the
mind of the man was wandering. ne
began to speak of the Beers and their
homeless struggle for national life. His
voice was weak and trembling, his
thoughts were not connected, but the