Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-03-21

Indianapolis, March l3.-Ex. Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison died at 4.45
O'Clock this afternoon without regain
ing consciousness. His death was quiet
and painless, there being a gradual
sinking until the end came, which was
marked by single gasp for breath as
life departed from the body of the great
statesman. The relatives, with few
exceptions, and several of his old and
tried friends were at the ex.President's
bedside when he passed away.
The generals condition was so bad
this morning, after restless night, that
the attending physicians understood
that the end could not be far off, and
all bulletins sent out from the sick
room were to this effect, 80 that the
family and friends were prepared when
the final blow came. The gradual fail
ing of tho remarkable strength shown
by the patient became more noticeable
in the afternoon, and a few moments
before the end there was an apparent
breakdown on the part of the sufferer,
as ne surrendered to the disease against
which he mad been SO bravely battling
for 80 many hours. The change was
noticed by the physicians, and the rela-
tiyes and friends who had retired from
the sickroom to the library below were
quickly summoned, and reached the
beside of the general before he passed
away.
None Of Gen. Harrison's children
was present at his death. Neither Col.
Russell Harrison nor Mrs. Mckee had
reached the city, although both were
hurrying on their way to the bedside
Of their dying parent as fast. as steam
could carry them. Iii
Elizabeth, Gen. Harrison's little
! daughter, had been taken from the
sickroom by her nurse before the end
came
The group at the bedsid included
| Samuel Miller, HE son: the Rev. DIR.
| byterian Church, which Gen. Harrison
had attended for so many years Secre-
| tary Tibbett, Drs. Jameson and Dorsey /;
Col. Daniel NJ. Ramsdell, Sergeant-at-
| Arms OF the United States Senate and
a close personal friend of the dead ex-
President; Clifford Arriok, and the
| two nurses who have been In constant
attendance. Gen. Harrison's two sisters
and an aunt were Also Present. Mrs.
| Harrison kneeled at the right hand side
of the bed, her husbands right hand
efasped in hers, while DIR. Jameson
held the left band Of the dying man.
counting the feeble pulse beats. In a
few moments after the friends had been
| summoned to the room the end came,
1 DIR. Jameson announcing the sad fact.
| The great silence that fell on the
sorrowing watchers by the bedside was
broken by the voice of DIR. Haines
raised in prayer, supplicating consola-
tiou for the bereaved wife and family.
Gen. Harrison had been unconscious
for hours before his death, the exact
time when he passed into a comatose
state being difficult to determine. He
spoke to no one today, failing to recog-
nize even his wife. The greater part Of
Tuesday he was in a semi-oomatose
condition, although he was at times
able to recognize those at his bedside.
| AT that time he recognized and spoke
to Mrs. Newcomer, his aunt, and also
to Mr.. Miller, the words, however,
being very indistinot. s'Doctorn and
my lungs" were the only words under
stood. Almost the last words he uttered
were addressed to his wife, of whom
| he inquired, shortly before be became
| unconscious, II the doctors were present.
One of the most pathetic incidents Of
tuo WHulo iliuoSS VI buo Rou5rdi uocuEIou
| Tuesday before he became unconscious.
| The generals little daughter, Elizabeth,
was brought into the sickroom Tor
few moments to see her father, and
offered him small apple pie which
she herself had made. Gen. Harrison
smiled his recognition of the child and
her gift, but the effort to speak was
too much, and he could do nothing
more to express his appreciation.
Today all efforts to arouse the slowly
dying man to consciousness failed, and
he died without word of recognition
to any Of those who surrounded his