The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-09-19
PASSING Of A GREAT LIFE.
President Mckinley Met Death
with That Heroic Calmness Which
Marked His Public Career.
ut is GODS WAY" HE WHISPERED.
Last Hour OF Console usness Was Spent with
the Wife to Whom He Had Devoted
Lifetime of Care Grief of the Nation
Knows No Bounds Interment at His
Old Home in Canton.

an
Buffalo, n. Y, Sept. 14.-President
Mckinley died at 2:15 Saturday morn
ing He had been unconscious since
1850 D. IN. His last conscious hour
was spent with his wife TO whom he
devoted "a lifetime of care. He died
unattended by minister of the Cos
pei, but his last words were an hum
BILE submission to the will of God in
whom he believed. He was recon
ciled to the cruel fate to which an
assassin's bullet had condemned him
and faced death in the same spirit
of calmness and poise which has
marked his long and honorable ca
reer. His relatives and the members
of his official family were at the Mil
burn house, except Secretary Wilson,
who did not avail himself of the OPP
portunity, and some of his personal
and political friends took leave of
him. This painful ceremony was sim
pie. His friends came to the door of
the sick room, took longing glance
at him and turned tearfully away.
He was practically unconscious during
this time. But the powerful heart
stimulants, including oxygen, were
employed to restore him to conscious
ness for his final parting with his
wife. He asked for her and she sat
at his side and held his hand. He
consoled her and bad her good-by.
She went through the heart-trying
scene with the same bravery and for
titude with which she has borne the
grief of the tragedy which ended his
life.
The president in his last period of
consciousness, which ended about
TAO, chanted the words of the hymn,
Nearer, My God to Thee" and his
last audible conscious words as taken
down by DIR. Mann at the bedside
were: "Good-by, all; good-by. 1t is
Gods way. His will be done" Then
his mind began to wander and he COM
pletely lost consciousness. His life
was prolonged for hours by the adj
of oxygen and he finally
expressed a desire to be allowed to
die. About $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 extrem-
tiles and they grew cold. At 9:37 Sec
rotary Cortelyou, who had been much
of the time with his dying chief. sent
out formal notification that the pres
ident was dying. But the president
on, his pulse growing fainter
and fainter. There was no need for
official bulletins after this. Those who
came 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
was the only remaining fac
tor in the result, and this gave hope
only of brief postponement of the
end.
After her final parting with the
president Mrs. Mckinley was urged
to go to her room and obtain
rest She was sleepin" when the
end came. Up to 80 o'clock
morning no members of
the afflicted family had put in an
appearance. From the servants
It was learned that Mrs. McKin-
ley had not yet left her room. At
the house the only visible sign OF
the nations calamity was to he found
in the crepe badge of death fiuttering
in the doorpost.
DIR. WaSdin came from the house
at $40. He said that Mrs. Mckinley
had rested well during the night and
was feeling quite strong. She bears
up wonderfully we'll in her grief and
some of the apprehension as to her is
passing away.
Absolute quiet prevailed in the
neighhorhood of the Milbrrn resi-
dence through the early hours Of the
day. The police maintained III" lines
on Delaware avenu" ami sud N"
streets which intersect it, and double
picket lines patrolled bv Fourteenth
protected n" house
from amy intrusion. Many persons
came to the outer pole ms and |
raZed in silence At the hou~ whore |
the body Of the dead proS;1cnt re- |
poses. Some talked in avcd whispers |
Of the cruel tragedy thar had taken |
the nations rule and among all The |
deepest sorrow was manifest. Pa
'hetic figures in the crowd VINO scores
pf old Grand Army men who grieve |
ut the loss nj comradr. Their hit |
'erness at the crime seemed melted in |
regret. Many of them pleaded with |
the police for admission to the lines. |
declaring that il was their right and |
privilege to guard the body of the |
man who had fought in their ranks |
and was their comrade. The police |
enforced the order against /
them.
Mrs. Barber and Miss Mckinley. sis |
fers of the dead statesman. drove to |
the Milburn house at $50 and were |
IT once escorted in. Both showed |
deep grief.
An affecting incident OF the morn |
ing was the coming of Mrs. Garrett |
Hobart. wife of the former vice |
president of the United States and !