The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-17
BRYAN HEARS SAD NEWS.

Almost Dumb With sorrow-WiII
Say Something in Future.
Chicago, Sept. 1917 the sorrow
full tid1ngs from the presidents bed
side. Colonel w. J. Bryan says tonight
to a reporter of the Associated Press:
81 cannot believe the presidents
life is to end this way. 1t seems i'm
possible. simply will not believe that
he can die from an %assassin's bullet
until I hear hat heRhas breathed his
last. While there is life there is
hope"
Colonel Bryan arrived here from
Lincoln. Neb., at $3.50 p. m. over the
Burlington road and was driven at
once to the Sherman house.
He was to have addressed a demo-
cratic meeting tomorrow, but when
he heard the news from Buffalo. he
said he would in all probability leave
for Lincoln tomorrow morning. While
Colonel Bryan was talking his head
was bowed and he appeared to be
greatly detected. Over and over
again he repeated the words:
II cannot believe his life is to end
this way. l have spoken of the sor-
row with which I regard the assas-
sins crime. l have already spoken
of the high personal esteem in which
l hold Mr.. Mckinley. In this NOM
ent of sorrow l can add nothing to
either"
Mr.. Bryan asked the Associated
Press reporter for the latest news
from the presidents bedside and add
ed, "In the event Of his death I shall
have something more to say
Later, when a committe of Carter
H. Harrison league, at whose picnic
Mr.. Bryan was to have spoken tomor-
row, announced that the demonstra-
ton has been abandoned, Colonel
Bryan, in a voice that shook with
emotion, read the following:
81 most cordially commend your
action in abandoning the contemplate
ed demonstration. We are all OPP
pressed by the grief which has fallen
upon the nation. We have no spirit
for a partisan meeting at this time,
for partisanship is swallowed up in
universal sorrow Political contro-
versies, and the prizes and disappoint-
ments which attend them, dwindle
into insignificance when we stand in
the presence of the tragedy which
becomes likely to rob the nation of it's
chief executive. We all feel the hui
initiation that u country has suffer
ed, mt our hearts are heavy with
the lovely from whom a foul
! and brutal assassination has taken
one of the most faithful and tender of
husbands. Whether the struggle
ends fatally, as we fear, or in his
will, you have acted wisely"
When Colonel Bryan ceased read
ing his face was exceedingly grave.
He was shown the latest Associated
Press bulletin which he read care
fully and with downcast head and
when he looked up tears stood in his
eyes. In a voice that broke he in
Dictated the bulletin wherein the dy-
ing president was said to be muir
muring, Nearer My God to Thee"
and said:
isn't that pitiful, isn't it too pitt
full" Gods will not ours, be done,'
he read in another bulletin givingithe
presidents last words to Mrs. Nc
Kinley and again Mr.. Bryan was
deeply moved. He made 10 comment,
but tears again sprang to his eyes.
He stood like n looking in the bier
of a loved one and the room was
hushed as in funeral silence. 1t was
with visible effort that the demo
cratic leader threw off the evidences
of grief and shook hands with the
committee, the members of which had
been sympathetic spectators.
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