Milford chronicle., 1903-07-24

death was no less wonderful than his
life. His splendid battle against dis
ease was watched the world over with
sympathetic admiration. ana ended only
after a series of tremendous Efforts 10
conquer the weakness of his aged
frame by the marvellous viii power OF
his mind. The epleuro-pnenmonio with
which his holiness had been suffering
was scarcely so responsible Tor his
death as that inevitable decay Oi tissue
(which ensued upon SO years of life.
The tested steel which had bent so
often before human ills was bound tc
break at last.
Pope Leo's final moments We're
marked by that same serenity and de-
= $yotion, and. when he was conscious.
that calm intelligence. which is asso-
ciated with his 25 years pon,ifcate
His was no easy death. An hour be-
fore he died. turning to Dr. Lapponi
and his devoted valet Pho Centra, ne
murmured "The pain suffer is most
terrible" Yet. his parting words were
not of physical anguish that he suf-
fered. but we're whispered benedictions
upon the cardinals, on his nephews,
who knelt at the bedside, and the last
look of his almest sishtless eyes was
towards the great ivory crucihX hang
ing In the death chamber. Practically
all the cardinals now in Rome, kneel-
ing at the bedside, watched the passage
of his soul. Earlier in the day Cardinal
Serafno Vannutelli had impressively
pronounced the absOlution in articulo
mortis.
The last conscious act of the pen
tiff was to turn his eyes toward the
great crucifx on the wall after which
he suffered from psroXysm OF chok-
ing. during which he passed away.
Then the silence Of the awe-strickel
assemblage was broken by the sono-
rous. solemn voice Of Cardinal Scra-
fno Vanutelli, the grand pen.tentiary,
intoning the requiem aeternam lrest
AG$ernaD.
This was the signal for an outburst
of tears and sound of weeping, which
could not longer be repressed, all the
kneeling prelates and others kissing
the dead hand-that hand which had
dispersed so many benefits. charities
and bened;ctions.
After the death the doctors waited
some minutes. Then they applied the
usual death teetA Finding that his
holiness had passed. away they nnd
fed Cardinal Oregila, the cardinal
camerlengo Of the Holy See.
Oreglia was conducted to the papal
aDsrtment by the hsad chamberlain
the apostolic notary and the physl
clans. On arriving at the bed cham
Der Cardinal Oreglia knocked three
times on tSe door. and. receiving nc
response. he entered and approached
the corpse. Taking a small silver nal
let he lightly struck the dead pope's
forehead thrice, and thrice called hin
by name.
There being no answer. the cardi
nal removed from the pope's finger
fhe "anulo piscatorio,' or fisherman
ring, the sign Of papal authority anl
then formally declared Pope Leo All
dead From the moment he removed
the ring Cardinal Oreglia became tA'
executive officer Of the Holy See an'
the depositary of its temporal power
This morning the diplomatic body
the high dignitaries and the Roman
aristocracy enered the hall to pa!
their tributes Of respect to all that re
mains of the pope, who won the re
spect and affection Of the world. I'M
afternoon the body was arrayed IN al
\, the glory the pontihcal robes tn
mitre repla ing the hood, and at sun
set It was taken into the chapel OF IN
Sacrament of st. Peters, where 10