The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-09-20

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lighted up with faint smile as their
hands were elapsed. She sat beside
him and held his hand. Despite her
physical weakness. she bore up brave
~ under the ordeal.
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. IL is Code
way. His will be done"
Then his mind began to wander.
and soon he completely lost conscious
ness. His life was prolonged for aours
by the administration of oxygen. and
the president finally expressed de-
sire TO be allowed To die.
About $3.50 the administration OF
oxygen ceased and the pulse grew
fainter and fainter. He was sinking
gradually. like child, into the eter-
nal slumber. BY ten o'clock the pulse
could no longer be felt in his ex-
tremities, and they grew cold.
Below stairs the grief-strickcn
gathering waited sadly for the end.
All the evening those who had
fastened here as fast as steel and
steam could carry them. continued 10
arrive. They drove up in carriages
al a gallop or were whisked up in au-
t,st att I'M
here before death came.
One Of the last to arrive was At
torney General Knox, who reached
the house at $3.50. lie was permitted
to 70 up stairs to look for the last
time upon the face of his chief. Those
in the house at this time were Sccrc-
taries Hitchcock. Wilson and Root;
Senator's Fairbanks. Hanna and Bur-
rows, Judge Day. Col. llerrick. Abner
Mckinley. the presidents brother. and
his wife; Or. and Mrs. Baer, the pres
idcnt's niece and her husband: Mrs.
Barber ard Mrs. Duncan. the presi-
dents sisters: Mrs. Mary Barber;
Mrs. McWilliams. Mrs. Mckinley's
cousin; the physicians. including Or.
McBurney. Who arrived after eight
o'clock; John g. Aliiburn. John y.
Scatcherd, Harry lIamlin, all of this
city. Secretary Cortelyou and num-
Der of others.
Rev. c. -. Wilson, Methodist min
ster of Tcnawanda, \. ". who was
the presidents pastor for three years
at Canton. called at the residence TO
inquire whether his services were
needed, but did not enter the house.
Another Methodist minister. who has
a church near by. remained nj the
Milburn residence for two hours in
the belief that his service might be
desired
AT 9:37 Secretary Cortelyou. who
had been much of the time with his
dying chief. sent out formal notiflca-
ton that the president was dying.
But the patient fingered on, his
pulse growing fainter and fainter.
There was no need for official bull
letins after this. Those who came
from the house az intervals told the
same story-that the president was
dying and that the end might come
at any time. His tremendous vitality
was the only remaining factor in the
result, and this gave hope only Of
brief postponement of the end. DR..
Mynter thought he might last until
two a. m. DIR. Mann said at eleven
o'clock that the president was still
alive, and probably would live an
hour. Thus minutes heightened to
hours, and midnight came with the
president still battling against death.
Secretary Root and Secretary Will
son came from the house about mid
night, and paced up and down the
sidewalk. All that Secretary Root
said was:
The night has not come yet"
Despite the fact that vitality con-
tinued TO obb as midnight approached,
no efforts were spared TO keep the
spark Of life glowing. DIR. Janeway,
of New York city. arrived at the de-
pot at 1l:40 o'clock. George Urban
was waiting for him, and they drove
at break-neck pace to the Milburn
uOu.s. Ilc WIS SiloWn 10 the DreSl-
dents room at once. and began an
examination of the almost inanimate
form.
Secretary Of the Navy Long arrived
at the Milburn house at 1906 o'clock.
This was his first visit to the city, and
he had the extreme satisfaction of
seeing the president alive. even
though he was not conscious of his
visitors presence. Secretary Long
was visibly affected
Vice-Presidcnt Roosevelt had been
notified early in the day of the critical
state of affairs. There was no long
er doubt that in the approaching
death Of the president a complete
change in the executive administra-
ton of the government would ensue.
President Arthur took the oath at 2
a. m. after the death of Garfield, and
in that case Justice Brady. Of New
York, administered the oath
Without unseemly haste the men,