Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-14
SAD NEWS FROM BUFFALO
CAME As CRUSHING BLOW.
THE GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT
THE BULLETIss HAD CREATED
MADE THE
SHOCK THE MORE TERRIBLE
PREcEDENrs GOVERNING THE NEW
PRESIDENT AND THE
CABINET.

WASHtNGTON, ID. Z, september 10,
The news of the expected death of
President Mckinley came as a crush
ing blow to the nations capital. No
where perhaps had the citizens been
so full of confidence in the ultimate re-
covery of their beloved President, and
the buoyant bulletins of the past week
from the sickbed had lulled them into
a false sense of security which made
the shock terrible when the news that
the Buffalo tragedy would have a fata.
ending came to them.
All day long the bulletin boards were
surrounded by crowds waiting in sup
pressed excitement for the latest word
from the Milburn home, and numerous
newspaper extras were eagerly snap
ped up. Little work was done in the
great executive departments. as at the
slightest excuse the clerks dropped
their pens and turned to talk in small
awe-stricken groups of the chances
that their Chief Magistrate had against
death in the gallant struggle he was
making in the faraway city on the
lake.
The three cabinet officers in the cap
ital to-day were pictures of distress.
Two days ago, Secretary Hay had left
his chief apparently on the road to re-
covery. and to-day Postmaster General
Smith. who had left Buffalo even later
and reached here this morning. said
| that when he came from the Milburn
home yesterday the President was, &C
cording to his best information, surely
on the mend.
| The Postmaster General
returned to Buffalo on the 7;15 train
tonight.
Secretary Hay had engaged accom-
modations on to-night's New England
train, intending to return to his New
Hampshire summer home for much
needed rest, but cancelled the order
early in the day, as on him devolved
important functions at once on the
Presidents demise. He divided his
time between the State Department
and his home, waiting for the end in
patient resignation. prepared for his
sorrowful duty of conveying to the
nations of the world in official form
the news of the demise of the third
American President through the
agency of an assassin's bullet within
the short space of one human life.
As the senior member In rank Of the
cabinet, upon Mr.. Hays shoulders also
will rest the burden OF government Of
the great republic In the short but i'm
portant interval that must elapse before
the yice-President under the terms oil
the constitution assumes the cares and
responsibilities of the great presiden-
tial office
! At his home at Woodley, Secretary
| Gage mournfully awaited the close OF
his chiefs life. During the day he had
been at
The Treasury Department,
and had kept touch with financial af-
fairs In order that the Presidents end
might not cause any commercial dis
turbance that foresight on the part Of
! his department could avert.
General Gillespie, acting secretary OF
war, stuck at his post in the War De-
partment for the purpose of making
such army orders as the sad event
would force him to issue. He got in
to communication with General Mics
at Seattle, and the latter notified the
department that he would return i'm
mediately. The fact that the physi-
clans had given up all hope caused
some discussion among the public men
In the city of the probability of an ex-
ira session OF Congress and Of early
changes In the cabinet but the concen-
sus of opinion was that no cabinet
changes or important departures in
public policy were at all likely for some
time to come, and that Congress would
not be assembled until its regular ses-
sion in December All the cabinet, the
chief diplomatic officials and the heads
of important bureaus according to GUS
tom, will tender their designations 20
relieve the President Of embarrassment,
but 1t is believed Mr.. Roosevelt would
follow the precedent set by President
Arthur, after Garnelds demise, and
Request Them TO Continue
in office. Some of the cabinet members
are not in good health. and would SIN
cerely welcome a relief from their Of
fees, but al, would waive their per-
sonal desires and continue until such
time as they could be relieved easily,
if indeed they request relief at all. Un-
der the presidential succession act a
cabinet oficer becoming chief magis-
trate would have to summon Congress
in special session, but this require
ment does not Apply to yice-president
IN <~nt T.. 4