Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-09-19
HIS PEACEFUL DEATH.
Presidents Last Words Were Goods VIII,
Not Ours, Be Done" Last Conscious
Moments Spent With Wife.

Moments Spent With Wife.
President Mckinley died at 2:15 Sat
urday.'
lie had been unconscious since 1850
p. III.
Ills last conscious hour on earth was
spent with the wife to whom he devoted
lifetime of care
lie died unattended by a minister of
the gospel but bis last words were an
humble submission to the will of God in
whom he believed
lie was rcconcilcd to the cruel fate to
which an assassin's bullet had condemned
him and faced death in the same spirit
OF calmness and pose which has marked
his long and honorable career.
Ills last conscious words. reduced to
writing by DIR. Mann. who stood at his
bedside when they were uttered were
as follows: Good bye, all Good bye.
1t IS Gods way. His will he DONE
His relatives and th" members of his
official family who were at the house
except Secretary Wilson who did not
avail himself of the opportunity. az
some nf his personal and political friek
took lcaie ui him.
ne ihlnii' Il ceremony was simple. His
friends taine 20 the door OF the sickroom,
TOOK loiiSinS glance at him and turned
teaffulif aWay. lie was practically un-
conscious during this time.
But tie powerful heart stimuIants in
Guiding oxygen, We're employed to restore
him to consciousness for his final partinr
with his wife,
He asked for her, she sat at his side
and held his hand. He console1 bor and
bade her good bye. She went through
the heart-trying scene with the same
bravery and fortitude with which she has
borne the grief of the tragedy which
ended his life
Before 6 o'clock it was clear to those ot
the presidents bedside that he was dying
ana preparations were made for the last
sad Offices of farewell from those who
were nearest and dearest to him. Oxygen
mad been administered steadily but with
little effect in keeping back the approach
OF death. The president came out Of
one period of Inconsistencies only to
relapse into another
But in this per- :, when his mind was
partially clear occurred a series of events
of profoundly touching character down
stairs. With tear-stained faces, mem
bers of the cabinet were grouped in anx-
ious waiting. They knew the end was
near and that the time had come when
they must see him for the last time on
earth. This was about 6 O'Clock. 1t
was an awful moment for them.
One by one they ascended the stairway
Secretary Root, Secretary Hitchcock and
Attorney General Knox. Secretary VIII
son also was there but he held back. not
wishing to see the president in his last
agony. There was only momentarv
stay Of the cabinet officers at the thresh-
old of the death chamber. 0hen they
Withdrew, the tears streaming q wn their
faces and the words of intense grief
choking in their throats.
After they left the sick room the pbv
siclans rallied him to consciousness and
the president asked almost immediately
that his wife be brought to him. The
doctors fell back into the shadows of
pe room as Mrs. Mckinley came
through the doorwar.
The strong face of the dying man
lighted up with faint smile as their
hands were clasped. She sat beside him
and held his hand. Despite her physical
weakness she bore up bravely under the
ordeal
The president in his last period of con-
sciousness, which ended about 7:4O
O'Clock chanted the words of the beauti-
full hymn, Nearer, My God, to Thee"
and his last audible conscious words as
taken down by DR.. Mann at the bedside
were: Good bye ALL Good bye. Ii
is Gods way. His will be DONE"