Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-09-19

Then his mind began to wander,
and soon he completely lost conscious
ness. His life was prolonged for hours
by the administration of oxygen, and
the president finally expressed a de-.
sire to be allowed to die.
About $3.50 the administration of
oxygen ceased and the pulse grew
fainter and fainter. He was sinking
gradually, like a child, into the eter-
nal slumber. By ten o'clock the pulse
could no longer be felt in his ex-
tremities, and they grew cold.
Below stairs the grief-stricker
gathering waited sadly for the end.
All the evening those who hao
fastened here as fast as steel II
steam could carry them, continued to
arrive. They drove up in carriages
at a gallop OF were whisked up IN au-
tomobiles, all intent upon getting
here before death came.
One of the last to arrive was At
torney-General Knox, who reached
the house at $50. He was permitted
to go up stairs to look for the last
time upon the face of his chief. Those
in the house at this time were Secre-
| taries Hitchcock, Wilson and Root;
Senators Fairbanks, Hanna and Bur-
rows; Judge Day, Col. Herrick, Abner
Mckinley, the presidents brother, and
his wife; DIR. and Mrs. Baer, h pres
ident's niece and her husband; Mrs.
Barber and Mrs. Duncan, the presi-
dents sisters; Mrs. Mary Barber;
Mrs. McWilliams, Mrs. McKinley's
cousin; the physicians, including DR..
McBurney, who arrived after eight
o'clock; John G.. Milburn, John N.
Scatcherd, Harry Hamlin, all of this
city; Secretary Cortelyou and a num-
Der of others.
Rev. C. D. Wilson, a Methodist min
lister of Tcnawanda, n. Y, who was
the presidents pastor for three years
at Canton, called at the residence to
inquire whether his services were
needed, but did not enter the house.
| Another Methodist minister, who has
a church near by, remained at the
Milburn residence for two hour in
the belief tina his service might be
desired.
At 9:37 Secretary Cortelyou, who
had been much of the time with his
dying chief, sent out formal notifica-
ton tina the president was dying.
But the patient fingered on, his
pulse growing fainter and fainter.
There was no need for official bull
letins after this. Those who anne
from the house at intervals told the
same story-that the president was
dying and that the end might come
at any time. His tremendous vitality
was the only remaining factor in the
result, and this gave hope only of
brief postponemept of the end. DR..
Mynter thought he might last until
two a. m. DR.. Mann said at eleven
o'clock hat the president was still
alive, and probably would live an
hour. Thus minutes heightened to
hours, and midnight came with the
president still battling against death.
Secretary Root and Secretary Will
son came from the house about mid
night, and paced up and down the
sidewalk. All that Secretary Root
said was:
THE night has not come yet"
Despite the fact hat vitality N
tinued to ebb as midnight approached,
no efforts were spared to keep the
spark of life glowing. Dr.. Janeway,
of New York city, arrived at h de-
pot at 11:40 o'clock. George Urban
was waiting for him, and they drove
at break-neck pace to the Milburn
house. He vas shown to the presi-
dents room at once, and began an
examination of the almost inanimate
form.
Secretary of the Navy Long arrived
at the Milburn house at 1906 o'clock.
This was his first visit to the city, and
he had the extreme satisfaction of
seeing the president alive, wen
though he was not conscious of his
visitors presence. Secretary Long
was visibly affected.
Vice-President Roosevelt had been
notified early in the day of the critical
state of affairs. There was no long
er a doubt that in the approaching
death of the president a complete
change in the executive administra-
ton of the government would ensue.
President Arthur took the oath at 2
a. m, after the death of Garfield, and
in that case Justice Brady, of New
York, administered the oath
Without unseemly haste the MEM
bers of the cabinet will tender their
designations, and the new president
will then be free to initiate his own
policy and choose his own cabinet.
Therei is littl epossibility to-nightth
Mr.. Roosevelt will get here. Mr.. AnsIey
Wilcox, who entertained the vice-pres-
ident when he was here last, said to
urgers that the best information he
had was that Mr.. Roosevelt would be
here tomorrow morning, and not I'M
til late in the morning. He said that
the vice-president would be unable to
reach a railroad station much before
four o'clock tomorrow morning that
would bring him here about noon to-
morrow. Mr.. Wilcox said in e~xplana-
ton of Mr.. RooseveIt's being SO far
out of touch:
1.-THE vice-president was at all times
very optimistic, and when he went
away was absolutely positive that the
president would recover, and that the
convalescence would be rapid. He
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