Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-07-15
Venerable Figures in Crimson
and Uniformed Guards Sur
round the Bed.
After Reciting the Confession Of Faith
the Pontiff Hears Words Of Alb.
solution Spoken.
Vatican in State 1T Continual Ex-
element and Unrest as
End Nears.

4 opS Leu ALL. was SoasIhSANo -
deaths door all day Monday. The last
sacrament was administered Sunday
night, and the aged pontiff, after recit-
ing the confession, heard the words of
absolution spoken.
Gods will be done. Who would have
believed it, when only ten days ago l
was presiding over a public eonsistcryT
murmured feebly Pope Leo as he felt
himself sinking into sleep which lasted
about three hours until excruciating pain
brought the dying pontiff back TO con-
seriousness.
Though lowering on the brink Of
death, the life Of the pontiff was pro-
longed Monday by means Of strong stinu-
iants and concentrated nourishment. Late
Sunday evening after the excitement OF
the ceremony of the last sacrament was
over the Pope seemed less restless, partly
soothed by the religions service and part
ly by dose of choral. which was given
to him in considerable quantity.
The pontiff lay on small bed drawn
up to a window overlooking the piazza
of st. Peters. The only picture in the
room was an antique Madonna and the
sole ornament a great ivory crucifix.
The Pope's serious illness began Sat
urday afternoon with a severe chill, re-
ceived while driving in the Vatican gar
dens Although the temperature was 90
degrees Fahrenheit, the pontiif conf
planned of a sudden pain in his right side
and sharp shooting spasrus. He also
suddenly felt violently cold. and the
horses were driven homewards at full
sallop in the blazing sun, the sufferer
lying back on his cushions, unable to
secure any sensa t;on of warmth.
Within an hour the cold settled in his
head, producing difuse bronchial catarrh.
with sensation Of extreme lassitude. A
slight cough also was felt, with slight
fever and great thirst. His condition
grew worse rapidly and all the efforts
of DIR. Lapponi were directed TO prevent
ing bronchitis or inflammation of the
lungs. BY midnight the pulse was weak
and injecstions of caffeine were resorted
to. This treatment proved efficaeious
and by morning his condition was slight
ly improved
The amelioration in the Pope's condi-
ton during Monday morning was so UNI
natural, considering the gravity of his
Illness, that it was feared that possibly
it was only the last Pickering of the
vital flame. During this brighter inter-
val the Pope resumed his habits of com
mand and insisted on giving orders for
the preparation Of the brief appointing
Mgr. volponi, actually secretary of let
tiers TO princes, as secretary of the con-
-. al
ing to the promotion of Mgr. Noeella to
the cardinalate.
The only perso.s flowed in the Pope's
bedroom Monday morning besides the
doctors and attendants were Cardinal
Rampolla, Monsignore Bisleti. the mas
ter of the pontifical chambers, and Brig.
Gen. Count Camille Pecci OF the noble
guard. a nephew Of the Pope. The pom
tiff aonversed for long time with Count
Pccci. even rising and walking about the
room for a few minutes, leaning on his
arm. The pontiff on this occasion re-
marked:
Vow / am ready to depart, having
settled all my affairs. feel l have done
all in ms power for the good of he
church and of humanity"
Leo Kill was born as the bells of
Paris were Ginning with the choir Of
Notre Dame. in whose precincts his pred
eeesSor. Plus VII, was blessing the union
of Napoleon and Marie Louise. In the
ninety-three years that have passed since
then the world has changed as it has
never changed before within ten times
uinety-three years. The day in 1891
when Napoleon ordered that no successor
to Plus vi. was to BE- elected, and de-
creed that the papaey was to be abolish
cd. is further away from our world of
electricity and steam than it was remoy-
Oh fror, the days when the Borgias ruled
Rome. Yet the life of Joachim Pecci
has spanned that immense space in the
nrorress of mankind. and for more than
oue-auarter of that time he has exerted
mn influence greater, perhaps. than that
of any other man upos the civilized
world.
The diplomacy of Leo XIII. brought
about a MITIGATION Of the anti-Roman
"AIay laws in Germany, he acceptably
arbitrated the Germans Spanish dispute
over the Caroline Islands: he offered to
arbitrase the Cuban troubles with Spain:
he notified the Roman Catholic bishops
of ireland that boyeotting and what was
known as the plan of campaign" were
immoral. and his encyclieal of 1891 on
the relations between capital and labor
won deserved respect.
But it is none of these things that will
preserve the fame of Lee XIII. Rather
Il is his personal character that has es-
.ablished 1t by earning the reverence Of
ven those who would be the first TO
lfS7.--e his claims TO spiritual authority.
Snd tSus Leo XIII. passes gently from
he world in which he has played so large
and fine a part. beloved by millions Of
his fellow creatures and universally re-
vered.
POPE TAKES LAST SACRAMENT.