The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-17
JUDGE JOHN R. HAZEL
United States District Judge Ad-
ministered Oath at Home
of AnsleH Wilcox.

VLleL magistrate VI Tic ALleIlCdH lc-
public by the death of President Nc
Kinley entered, this city of mourning
this afternoon after a remarkable and
perilious journey from the heart of
the north woods.
He had been president under the
constitution and law Of the land
since the minute the martyred pres
ident ceased to live. All the duties
and powers of the Office had devolved
upon. him but he was as powerless
as the humblest citizen to exercise
one Of them until he had complied
with the constitutional provision re-
auiring him to take the prescribed
oath to support and defend the con
stitution and laws of the United
States.
He took that oath at $3.50 this af-
ernoon in the library Of the resi-
dence of Ansley Wilcox, the personal
friend with whom he stopped earlier
in the week when the physicians
thought President Mckinley would
o from the~wound inflicted by
the assassin.
There were present when he swore
to the oath: Secretaries Root, Hitch
cock, Long, Wilson and Postmaster
General Smith, Senator Chauncey M.
Depew of New York, Judge Of the
Court of Appeals Heaight, John N.
C11+l~,I Nv --1 NTre c1nv MIL
cox. Miss Wilcox, Geo. P. Sawyer,
Doctors Mann, Parke and Stockton,
Mr.. and Mrs. Carleton Sprague, Mr..
and Mrs. John G.. Milburn, Secretary
to President VIM. Loebjer, Secretary
to deceased President Geo. B. Cortel-
you, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Carr, R.
C. Scatherd, J. D.. Sawyer and VIM,
LETTERS, official t~elegrapher, in add.
ton to Judge John R. Hazel of Unit
ed States district court who admin.
istered the oath.
The scene was a most affecting
one. The new president had just
come from the Milburn house where
his predecessor lay cold in death
Overcome by deep persona
sorrow which he felt ir
his characterically impulsive way
he had gone first to the
house Of mourning to offer his
coincidence and sympathy to the
broken hearted widow.
Secretary Root who, 20 years ago
had been present at a similar scene
when Arthur took the oath after thu
death of another president, who fel
a victim to an assassin's bullet, al
most broke down when he requested
Mr.. Roosevelt on behalf of the mem
bers of the cabinet of the late pres
ident to take the prescribed oath
There was not a dry eye in the room
The new president was visably shak
en-, but he controlled himself an
when he lifted his head to swear, i
was as steady as though carved i
marble.
He assured those present that hi
aim. would be to be McKinley's sue
cessor in deed as well as in name
Deliberately he proclaimed it i
these words: ''In this hour of dee
and terrible bereavement, 1 wish t
state that it shall be my aim to col
tinue absolutely without yarianc
the policy of President Mckinley fc
the peace and prosperity and hone
of our beloved country"
The great and %farreaching signit
canoe of this pledge to continue tn
policy of the dead president, announ'
ed at the very Threshold of the ne
governmental regime, profoundly in
pressed his hearers and Preside1
Roosevelt's first step after taking tn
oath was in line with it's redemption
His first act was to ask the member
of the cabinet to retain their por
folios in order to aid him to condu
the government on the lines lai
down by him whose policy he had d
clared he would uphold. Such a
appeal was not to be resisted ar
every member of the cabinet, inclu
Ing OeCTcIdIy VI oldIe IAoy ~ Nc
rotary Of the Treasury Gage, WI
were communicated with in Was
ington, have agreed for the presel
at least, to retain their several POI
folios.
The president has made no plal
as yet. He said he was SO shock'
by this national calamity that hi
thrust his new responsibilities up'
him that he had had no time yet
think of his future career at Wa
ington. He will remain here quiet
tomorrow and on Monday will accol