The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-09
PRESIDENT IMPROVING.


mind was perfectly clear during the time he
was awake to-day. To-day. for the first
time. he enjoyed natural sleep. While he
was still more or less under the influence
of the anesthetic his slumber was restless
and disturbed and did him little real good.
To-day, between and o'clock, he had
the solace Of natural slumber for about
four hours and the physicians stated unof-
ficially that his sleep had been ''quiet and
reposeful" and had helped the sufferer a
great deal To-day, also for the first time,
nourishment was administered. Il was in
liquid form and was injected hypoder-
mically TO avoid the possibility of irritating
the walls of the stomach. The exterior
wound was dressed this morning and is pro-
crossing satisfactorily.
FRIENDS ALL JUBILANT.
All day the members of the Cabinet and
others associated with the President in
public life came sohcitously and went away
almost jubilantly. all rejecting the hopeful
outlook at the Milburn house. Vice Presi-
dent Roosevelt received the earlier bulle-
tins. and after going to church hurried to
the residence There ne was joined by
Senator Hanna. They came away together
and encouraging sentiments. The Vice
President not only shared the cheerful
feeling, but was extremely optimistic. Both
gentlemen took occasion to denounce in
unmeasured terms the statements gaining
circulation in some quarters that the doc
tors were not frank in their communica-
tons to the public. They maintained that
the Presidents favorable condition was
even understated by the physicians,
through motives of conservatism, during
the seventy-two-hour period.
Later Secretary Cortelyou took occasion
to emphasize this very point by issuing an
official statement assuring the public Of the
complete trustworthiness of the bulletins
sent out by the physicians. Senator Hanna
came again during the afternoon, and was
seldom far removed from the Miburn
house. Secretary Root has taken up quar-
tiers Immediately next door, and was in FIRE.
quent consultation with those inside. He
and Secretary Gage, Secretary Hitchcock
and Attorney General Knox called together
about noon, and, indeed. there was no time
during the day when some member of the
10 In hn urha
stricken chief lay Even those most prom
inent in public life did not see him, as the
doctors would not relax the iron-clad rule
they have laid down to prevent the least
drain upon his energies and vitality. Those
who came and went moved silently and
reverently, receiving the latest statements
from the doctors and departing.
HAY AND LONG ALONE ABSENT.
All the members of the Cabinet are now
here except Secretaries Hay and Long. The
former telegraphed to-day that he would
start from Newberry tomorrow probably
in time to be here tomorrow night. Secre-
tary Long also telegraphed that he was
coming, but did not specify the time. The
Cabinet officers feel it to be their duty to
be here in this crisis to meet any emer-
gency. They are holding no formal meet
ings although there are some matters of
public business which they daily discuss
informally and the possible contingencies
should the President grow worse are also
thoroughly canvassed. They do not believe
that there is the most remote possibility
Roosevelt called
upon to exercise the functions of chief
magistrate under the disability clause of
the Constitution while the President lives.
The Vice President would not hear of
such course. Still in the event of grave
international complications an emergency
might occur and the question has arisen
in their minds as to who should proclaim
the disability provided for by the Constitu-
ton. That instrument is silent on the sub
iect. There is no precedent to follow. Dur
ing the protracted illness of President Gar
field before his death Vice President Arthur
was not called upon to act. The consensus
Of opinion among the members of the Cabi-
net is that should the occasion arise they
themselves would have to decide and pro-
claim the existence of the disability. The
Supreme Court, they say, could not do so as
1 there WOulu DC HO way III NAASA NA'S NuSS-
ton could be raised before that tribunal.
The members of the Cabinet are making
their headquarters at the Buffalo Club and
there their interchanges take place. They
are to remain here for the present and the
plans of departure are indefinite and not
even thought of while the President is not
| entirely out of danger If he should pass
the danger point, however, they will return
at once TO Washington.
! The interest in the Presidents condition
was such across the Canadian border that
| the Associated Press was asked to furnish
| a bulletin this morning to be read in the
| churches in Quebec and Montreal, and
many requests of similar character came
| direct to Secretary Cortelyou from dISferen:
| parts Of the United States.
| Mrs Mckinley continues to bear up
| bravely and her fortitude under the cir
| cumstances is regarded as remarkable. One
| of her dearest and closest friends, Mrs
| Rand. of Washington, has arrived here
| this trying period.
! Secretary Cortelyou, in whose hands the
4 management of everything seems to be-
| was able to take some rest this morning
| for the first time since the tragedy. The
| great confidence which the President has
! in his secretary could not have been more
| strikingly illustrated than at the EXPOSE
/ ton Hospital. when he was about to be
DIaced upon the operating table The