The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-20
GIVEN MILITARY HONORS
ARMY AND NAVY CONVEY THE
REMAINS TO EXECUTIVE
MANSION.
rs VIEWED BY THOUSANDS
A LANE OF PEOPLE EXTENDS
FROM BUFFALO TO THE
MARBLE CITY.

| mAh6LE SlIrs
Washington, Sept. 1.-THE remains
Of President Mckinley during the
night lay in the East room of the
White House, where for more than
four years he had made his home as
the chief magistrate of the great
American republic. 1t was with sim
pie ceremony and silence that fitted
perfectly the sadness of the occasion
that the body Of the late president
was borne UP Pennsylvania avenue to
the White House and laid upon the
bier in the great East room, where he
nad stood so often in the prime Of his
manhood to receive the greetings Of
the common people he loved better
than himself.
1t was fitting that such ceremony
as there was should be severely MILL
tary in character in recognition of the
! fact that the president was the COM
mander-in-chief of the United States
army and navy. Nowhere was there
show of civilian participation. The
streets about the station were filled
with mounted troops and the station
Itself was occupied by stalwart SOL
diers and sailors IN uniform. The
blue coated policemen and the rail-
road employees were nearly all that
stood for civil life.
1t was not so on the broad stretch
Of avenue that LED to the White House.
There the people strained and crowd
ed in vast multitude against the
stin wire ropes which restrained them
from the space marked out for the
line of procession. The silence that
marked the progress of the funeral
party through the national capital was
profound. The people as a whole did
not even talk in whispers and the only
sign Of agitation in the crowd was the
silent pressing and striving against
the ropes to see the mournful cortege
which swept slowly along.
The Last Home Coming.
When the funeral train pulled into
| the Sixth street station the members
Of the late presidents family took car
riages and were driven at once to the
White House. President Roosevelt
and the members of the cabinet re-
| manned to accompany the remains of
their dead chieftain to the executive
| mansion. The casket was removed
from the observation car and carried
to the waiting hearse by the body
bearers-four soldiers and four sail
ors detailed for the purpose. AS the
casket emerged from the station a
bugle note clearly rose and taps"
rang out. That was the only sound
that broke the dead silence. Just be-
yond the entrance to the station Presi-
dent Roosevelt, with the members of
the cabinet, had paused and had taken
| station so as to leave road space for
the funeral cortege. They ranged
themselves on the sidewalk in double
| rows onnasite each other and stood
| with barred heads as the corpse was
| carried to tina hearse drawn I'D at the
side of the gate. The hearse was
drawn by six coal black horses, each
of whom was led by colored groom
| In black livery. The hearse bearing
the third martyred president quickly
| drew away and was followed at once
| by President Roosevelt and those &C
companying him. AS the procession
| swept into Pennsylvania avenue
deeply impressive sight was present
ed. The historic thoroughfare was
hung in black. Emblems of the ma
TONS mourning were displayed on
every building. The Stars and Stripes,
furled and knotted with crepe, f1oated
from hundreds of windows. Over all
cleaned coldly scores of electric
lights, defining sharply each detail of
the solemn scene
| Thousands Line the Way.
Banked on both sides of the ave-
nue., from Sixth street to the execu-
tive mansion, were tens of thousands
Of people. With bare heads and with
no murmur or sound the people
watched with tear-stained eyes the
last home coming of President Nc
Kinley. There was no music. Amid
the hush of the great crowds, only the
clatter of the horses hoofs ringing
sharply upon the pavement was heard
A platoon of mounted police led the
way. Next came delegation of ".
A. R., members of the Union Veterans
union and the Spanish war veterans
and Troops I and L of the Eleventh
cavalry. Following the cavalrymen
was the hearse, 1anked on either side
by the body bearers, with a detach-
ment Of signal corps men bringing UP
the rear. The carriages containing
the distinguished officials were next
in line, that of President Roosevelt
being Immediately behind the signal
corps. It was about $3.50 when the
head of the procession reached the
White House grounds and turned into
the driveway.
When the sad cortege arrived at the
White House the hearse stopped under
the portocochere. The body bearers
took the coffin upon their broad Shout
ders, and, passing up the three or four
steps, waited until President Roose-
welt and the members of the cabinet
had alighted from their carriages and
thsn followed them through the wide
open doors into the East room.
His Comrades Kept Watch.
Just In the center of the room under
the great crystal chandelier they de-
posted their precious burden upon a
black draped base and stood at salute
while the new CHIEF executive and the
members of the cabinet with bowed
heads passed by. Following them came
the chief officers of the army and
1sk {hn or1 ~