The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-27
FINAL TRIBUTE PAID
REMAINS OF THE MARTYRED
PRESIDENT LAID AT REST
IN CANTON.
SIMPLE AND IMPRESSIVE

Services Consist of a Brief Grafton,
Prayers by the Ministers and Sing.
ing by a Quartette-sody Placed in
Vault Awaiting Final Interment.
Mrs. Mckinley Unable to Attend the
Ceremonies.
Canton, O., Sept. 2O.-With majestic
eolemnity, surrounded by his country
men and his townspeople, in the pres
ence of the president of the United
States, the cabinet, justices of the SUI
preme court, senators and representa-
tives in congress, the heads Of the
military and naval establishments, the
governors of states and a great con-
course of people who had known and
loved him, all that is mortal Of the
third president to fall by an assas-
sins bullet was committed to the
grave. 1t was a spectacle of mournful
grandeur. Canton ceased to be a
town and swelled to the proportions of
a great city. From every city and
hamlet in Ohio, from the remote cor
nerS of the South and from the East
Rnd West, the human tide flowed into
che town until 100000 people were
within it's gates, here to pay their last
tribute TO the fallen chief.
The final scenes at the First Meth
odist church, where the service was
held, and at the beautiful West Lawn
cemetery, where the body was con-
fined to vault, were simple and i'm
pressive. The service at the church
consisted of brief Grafton, prayers
by the ministers of three denomina-
tons and singing by quartette. The
body was then taken to West Lawn
cemetery and placed in a receiving
vault, pending the time it shall be laid
to rest beside the dead children who
were laid to rest years ago. The fu-
neral procession was very imposing
and included not only the representa-
tives of the army and navy of the
United States but the entire military
strength of the state of Ohio, and hun
dreds of civic, fraternal and other or
CARNATIONS. 1t was two miles long.
Mrs. Mckinley Too Weak to Attend.
One of the most pathetic features
Of the day was the absence of Mrs.
Mckinley from the funeral service at
the church and cemetery when the
body Of her husband was laid to rest.
Since the shock Of the shooting, then
Of death and through the ordeal Of
state ceremonies, she had borne up
bravely. But there was a limit to
human endurance and when the final
day came it found her too weak to
pass through the trials of the cere-
monies. Through the open door of her
room she heard the prayer of the
minister as the body was borne out
OF the house. After that DR.. Rixey
remained close by her side, and al
though the full force of the calamity
had come upon her it was believed
by those about her that there was a
proVidential mercy in her tears, as
they gave some relief to the anguish
Of the heart within.
The line of the funeral march from
the church to the cemetery was about
q mile and a half in length. The route
was crowded with spectators the en-
tire distance. A double line of SOL
diers extended from the doors of the
church to the gates of the cemetery.
1t was exactly four minutes after 4
when the funeral car bore the remains
OF the dead president through the
gateway to his last resting place.
Twenty minutes after that time the
brief services at the vault were over
and the members of the family and
distinguished men of the nation who
had come so far to do him honor had
passed through the gates on their
homeward way. One hour and forty
minutes after the hearse had entered
the cemetery the place was clear and
the dead
President Was Resting Alone
under the watchful care of the men
or the regular army. A sentry's meas
ured tread resounded from the cement
walk before the vault, another kent
vigil on the grassy slope above and at
the head and at the foot of the casket
stood armed men. Before the door,
which was not closed, was pitched
the tent Of the guard, and there it will
remain until the doors are closed.
Sentries will then guard the vault
every hour Of the day and night until
the body has been borne to it's final
resting place.
For nearly an hour before the head
OF the funeral procession arrived at
the cemetery the strains of the dirge
played by the bands came over the
hilltop to the watchers by the vault,
telling them that the procession was
on its way. Finally at $3.50 o'clock
The detachment of mounted police
heading the parade came slowly
around the corner of Lincoln street
and passed up West Third street to
the cemetery gates. Behind them came
the Grand Army band of Canton, the
solemn notes of Nearer, My God. to
Thee" yelling out as it came I'D the
driveway. A moment after entering
the cemetery the music was changed
to Chopin's funeral interlude and it
was to the sound of this that the band
passed out and on to Kentucky avenue
at the south side of the enclosure.
Behind the band came the Grand
Army posts, fully 500 of the veterans
marching by. After the veterans came
the regulars with rifles q arms port.
the men of the Sixth Ohio infantry
Of the national guard, the engineer
corps of the national guard from Cleve-
land and the
Comrades of the Late President
In the Twenty-third volunteers during
the Civil war.
Then came long line of carriages
bearing the members or the family
and the distinguished visitors. From
the first carriage that stopped at the