The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-03-21
GEN. HARRISON DEAD.
Ex-President's Death Due to an At
tack of Pneumonia Sick a Week.


tack of Pneumonia Sick a Week.
indianapolis, Ind, March 13.--Gen-
eral Harrison died at 4:45 o'clock
yesterday afternoon without regain
ing consciousness. His death was
quiet and painless. there being
gradual sinking until the end came,
which was marked by a single gasp
for breath as life departed from the
great statesman.
General Harrison had been uncon-
'sciousafor hours before his death, the
exact time when he passed into
comatose state beng hard to deter.
mine.
The sudden illness of the genera.
recalled TO many persons that he had
been in public more this winter than
for many years, and it was remem-
bered, too, that he had never before
appeared SO willing to discuss sub
jects of general interest. On New
Years day he made /; notable address
at the dedication of the Columbia
club building and since that time has
been conspicuously in the public mind
by reason OF the things he has been
saying i'll il series of articles in the
North American Review.
General Harrison was in. perfect
health last Wednesday and, contrary
to common report, was not suffering
from a cold or from illness of any
sort. He was in full possession OF
the vitality and vigor which has char
acterized these later years OF his life
to a remarkable extent.
Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock
he went down town to the law office
of Miller d ELAN. where he remained
for about an hour and Il half talking
with friends. He walked all the dis
tance to get the benefit of the exer-
else.
lie returned from the afternoon
walk without even feeling fatigue and
in the evening went to one of the
neighbors to make n short call He
then came home, and after talking
with his wife and playing with baby
Elizabeth for an hour, retired early.
Thursday morning he awakened
with Il pain in his chest which, at
first, was hardly noticeable, but later
gradually grew worse until Mrs. Har-
rison became alarmed and the family
physician. DR.. Henry jameson. was
summoned. He pronounced it simply
Il cold; and at the time feared no
alarming results.
Then the fungs became rapidly Of
fected and the illness was cpmpiicat-
ed with intercostal neuralgia. Sat
urday his condition was serious. but
not such as to cause particular alarm
Sunday for the tisrt time the physi-
clans began to have fears. for the re-
covery of the patient, but said little
to the public about the seriousness
of General Harrison's condition.
The next day it was announced to
the newspapers and to the public that
the illness was more alarming than
was at first supposed and there was
danger that the general would never
recover from the attack. Since Mon
day morning his condition has grad
ually grown worse.
None of General Harrison's chill
dren We're present at his death.
Neither Colonel Russell nor Mrs. Nc
Kee had reached the city, though
both were lurrying on their way to
the bedside of their dying parent as
fast as steam would bear them. Eliz-
abeth, the little daughter, had been
taken from the sick room by her
nurse before the end came.
From one who was present at the
deathbed it is learned that the allie
cations of cruelty and injustice dealt
out by England to the Beers in their
struggle for liberty had been a sub
ject for thought in the mind of Gen
eral Harrison. To his friends he had
often spoken of the pluy and shame,
as he viewed it, that the brave and
sturdy farmers of South Africa
should be robbed of their country. of
all they have in the world, and forced
to submit to terrible miseries in re-
sisting the expressions of world
power.
General Harrison, it is stated.
would have liked nothing better than
to come out frankly and strongly and
say to everyone who would hear what
he thought of England's cruelty; it
was in his mind constantly; but he
believed that an ex-president should
observe the same proprieties Of
speech which are observed by pres
ident of the United States. He was
at all times careful to say nothing
Which could be misconstrued or
twisted into a seeming regard of the
high office which he once held.
In his semi-conscious condition.
when the sentinels of discretion and
propriety had gone from their posts
and the mind of the man was wander
ing, he began to speak of the Beers
and their hopeless. struggle for ma
tional nfe. His voice was weak and
trembling, his thoughts were not con.
nected, but the listeners bending over
him could hear words of pity for the
dying farmer republics.
Americans to Quit China.
Washington, March 16-An order
was sent to General Chatfee yester.
day for the evacuation of China by
American troops, leaving only lie.
cation guard of $50 men. The troops
will be removed from China the last
of April.
Carnegie Libraries for New York.
New York, March 16.-Andrew Car.
negie, who, since retiring as an ac-
tive figure from the steel world, has
been able to devote himself exclu-
siyely to his other passion, the found
ing of libraries, has made his depar-
ture for Europe this spring memor-
able by the largest of that kind ever
advanced. If New York will provide
the sites and the maintenance, he
has promised to give $5,20O. 900 to es-
tablish sixty.five branch libraries in
this CITY, 800 s 45tf