Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-09-27
Heartfelt Mourning Is
Shown by the People
During the Sad
Journey.
The Obsequies at Canton Were Attend
ed by Vast Concourse of People
s Story Of the Ceremonies at
H the Church, the Procession
to the Cemetery and
the Final Rites.

William Mckinley best received his
martyred body into their arms yes
terday. They had forgotten the il
lustrious career of the statesman in
the loss of personal friend who had
grown dearer to them with the pass
ing of the years. They hardly no
ticed the president of the United
States, or his cabinet, or the generals
and admirals in their resplendent
Gniforms. The beautiful fiag-draped
casket which contained the body of
their friend and fellow townsman
held all their thoughts. He had left
them two weeks ago in the full
strength of glorious manhood and
they had brought him back dead.
Anguish was in the heart of every
man, woman and child.
The entire population of the little
city and thousands from all over
Ohio, the full strength of the ma
tional guard of the state, eight regi-
ments, three batteries of artillery,
one battalion of engineers, 5000 men
in all; the governor, lieutenant gov
ernor and a justice of the supreme
court, representing the three
branches of the state government,
were at the station to receive the
remains.
The whole town was in deep black.
The only house in all this sorrow
stricken city, strange as it may seem,
without touch of mourning
drapery was the Mckinley cottage
on North Market street, to which so
many distinguished men in the coun-
TRY have made pilgrimages in the
days that are gone. The blinds
We're drawn, but there was no out
ward token of the blow that had
robbed it of its most precious friend.
Not even n bow of crepe was on the
door when the stricken widow was
carried by Abner Mckinley and DIR.
Rixey through it into the darkened
home through which the light, for
her, had flown forever.
Sad as was the procession which
bore the body to the court house
where 1t lay in state during the af-
ternoon it could not compare with
the infinite sadness of that endless
double line of broken hearted people
who streamed through the dimly
lighted corridors of the building
from the time the coffin was opened
until it was taken home to the sor-
rowing widow at nightfall
Canton, o., Sept. 2o.-With majes-
tic solemnity, surrounded by his
countrymen and his townspeople. in
the presence of the president of the
United States, the cabinet, justices
of the United States supreme court,
senator's and representatives in con-
gress, the heads of the military and
naval establishments, the governors
of states and great concourse of
people who had known and loved
him, all that is mortal of the third
president to fall by an assassin's bull
let was on Thursday committed to
the grave. 1t was a spectacle of
mournful grandeur. Canton ceased
to be town and swelled to the pro-
portions of great city. From every
city and hamlet IN Ohio, from the re-
mote corners of the south, and from
the east and west, the human tide
flowed into the town until 100000
people were within its gates, here to
pay their last tribute to the fallen
chief.
The final scenes at the First Meth
odist church where the funeral serv.
ice was held, and at West Lawn Gem,
etery, where the body was consigned
to vault, were simple and impres.
sive.
The service at the church consisted
of brief oration, prayers by the
ministers of three denominations and
singing by a quartette. The body
was then taken to West Lawn Gem.
etery and placed in receiving vault
pending the time when it will be
finally laid to rest beside the children
who We're buried years ago. The
funeral procession was very impos
ing, and included not only the repre-
sentatives of the army and navy o1
the United States, but the entire mil
itary strength of the state of Ohio
and hundreds of civic, fraternal and
other organizations. 1t was two
miles long.
One of the most pathetic features
of the day was the absence of Mrs
Mckinley from che funeral service:
at the church and from the cemetery
when the body of her husband was
laid to rest. Since tho first shocl
OF the shooting, and then the death
and through the ordeal of state cere
monies she had borne up bravely
But there was a limit to human en-
durance and when the death came il
found her too weak to pass through
the trials of the final ceremonies
Through the open door of her room
she heard the prayer of the minister
as the body was borne cut of the
house. After that Dr. Rixey re
mained close by her side, and al
though the full force of the caiamit,
had como upon her it was believed
by those about her that there was
providential mercy in her tears. a,
they gave some relief 20 the anguisl
OF the heart within.
The face of the dead president wa
seen for the last time when it la,
in state on Wednesday in the cour
house. The casKet was not opened
after it was removed to the McKin
ley residence and the members o
the family had no opportunity t.