The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-07-09
POPE LEO IS
PASSING AWAY
HEAD OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH IN HIS DEATH
AGONY.
LAST SACRAMENT ADMINISTERED
PoNTIFF, KNOWING THAT He IS
ABOUT TO DIE, CALMLY
AWAITS THE END.
Asst SACRAMENT ADMINISTERED
KEPT ALIVE BY STIMUlANTS
SPECULATION AS TO WHO WILL
SUCCEED TO CHAIR OF
ST. PETER.

Rome, July 7, a. m.-The death
and he has been at the point Of death
since 7 o'clock last evening. His de-
mise may be expected at any moment.
The last sacraments have been ad.
ministered. and the pontiff knowing
that he is about TO die, calmly awaits
the end. He is kept alive by the use
of oxygen and caffeine, and while this
may prolong life a few days it Is
thought his death is a question of only
a few hours.
6roaned With Pain.
3 a. m.-"God's will be done. Who
would have believed it, when only ten
DAYS ago was presiding over a public
consistory?" muImured fcebly Pope
Leo as he felt himself late last evening
sinking into a sleep which lasted
about three hours, until circulating
pain brought the dying pontiff back
to consciousness. He gTOaned and
complained Of pains on both sides Of
the throax. Tenderly DR.. Lapponi as
sisted by Pope Leo's valet, PiOcentra,
and the physicians second assistant,
De Castro. lifted the frail form, and,
changing the position, succeeded in
giving the patient some relief.
The pope had been complaining for
several days of insomnia. and his con-
dition became so serious that his
physician held a consultation with DR..
MuzzOni. They diagnosed the case as
senile pulmonary repatriation.
Last Communion Administered.
During the afternoon the strength Of
idly and his condition became so crit
ical that it appeared that only few
hours of his life remained 70 him. Il
was. therefore, deemed wise to advise
him of his grave condition and this
was done with tender precautiOn.
Pope Leo was thus prepared for his
last communion, which was admins
tered with the participation of all the
cardinals now in Rome and the whole
of the pOntifcal court.
Though lowering on the brink Of
death the life Of the pontiff is still pIc-
lOnged by mems Of strong stimulants
and concentrated nourishment, and
while he is still alive his wonderful VI
tally may again resist and conquer
the attack of Illness. Late last even
ing after the
Excitement Of the Ceremony
of the last sacraments was over, the
pope seemed less restless, partly
eno+haJ bvr +l,a rn1goio,,s oary-ica op1
partly by dose of choral, which was
given TO him in considerable quantity,
The interior of the Vatican during
the early hours of this morning testi-
fies TO the conviction that the passing
of Pope Leo is very near. The court
yard Of ST. Damaso is filed with the
carriages of the cardinals. Servants
and messengers hurry across the
court with bundles of huge wax tapers
and with the robes of the ecclesias-
teal dignitaries who are waiting with
in the palace. kilograms of inquiry
have been received from several of the
monarchs Of Europe All kinds OF
speculation are already in circulation
as to the
Probable Successor
TO the throne of st. Peter. The first
question the cardinals viii have to
solve will be whether the conclave
shall be held in Rome or outside Of
Italy. 1t is believed that the support
ers OF the idea of abandoning Rome
will be even fewer than in the con-
/ clave held after the death of Plus IN,
when thirty-two out of thirty-seven
cardinals voted in favor of Rome.
The candidates chiefly spoken of are
Cardinal RampOlla and Cardinal Sera-
finO Vannutelli They are both repre-
sentatives of the conservative policy,
but are bitter antagonists of each 9th
er. The most probable liberal candi-
| dates are Cardinal Bishop Agliardi and
/ Cardinal Priest SatolH, whose breadth
| of views and love of modern ideas
have been strengthened by his stay
in America. The most probable relig-
ious candidates are Cardinal Priest
! Gotti, who would carefully avoid
| Mixing Up in Politics,
| and Cardinal Priest Angelo di Pietro,
! who also has the desirable prerequi-
| site o fold age, being eighty-flye
| years old. All these candidates live
| in Rome, but strong party which
might include a good many foreign
cardinals advocates the election of a
/ cardinal who is not member of the
curia, such as Cardinal Sato, patriarch
! of Venice; Cardinal Ferrari, arch
j bishop of Milan, both intransigeant,
! or Cardinal Cspecelatro, archbishop OF
/ Capua, who is perhaps the most
learned member OF the sacred college
and has conciliatory ideas, If an OPP
portunity arises for foreign cardinal
10 be chosen the most authoritative
members of the college think that The
only one who could obtain the pre-