The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-07-23


head has been placed the papal hood Of
velvet. bordered with ermine. A white
silk handkerchief is bound about his
chin, and in the hands which have
blessed so many thousands has been
placed q crucifx. So Pope Leo re-
manned until today. watched by uni
formed officers of the noble guard and
rough-clad Franciscan penitentiaries.
who will keep a ceaseless vigil until
the burial occurs.
Today the sacred college Of cardinals
assem- led for the impressive ceremony
OF officially pronouncing Pope Leo
dead. After this sad function was per-
formed, the body was take TO the small
throne room adjoining the death cham
Der, where II was embalmed. The fu-
neral ceremonies will extend over nine
days, the remains being removed to
the cathedral Of 81. Peters. where they
will lie In state. The ultimate resting
place Of the dead pontiff will be in the
magnificent basilica OF ST. John the
Lateran.
Pope Leo's final moments were
marked by that same serenity and de-
votion, and. when he was conscious,
that calm intelligence. which is asso-
ciated with his rs years pontificate.
His was no easy death. An hour be-
fore he died. turning TO DR.. Lapponi
and his devoted valet, Pho Contra, he
murmured. The pain suffer Is most
terrible" Yet. his parting words were
not OF physical anguish that he SUI
fered. but were whispered benedictions
upon the cardinals, or his nephews.
who knelt at the bedside. and the last
look OF his almost sightless eyes was
towards the great ivory crucifx hang
ing In the death chamber. Practically
all the cardinals now In Rome. kneel-
ing at the bedside. watched the Dassaga
of his soul. Earlier In the day Cardinal
Serafno vannutelli had impressively
pronounced the dissolution In articulo
mortis.
The last conscious act OF the pom
tiff was to turn his eyes toward the
great crucifx on the wall. after which
he suffered from a paroxysm OF chok'
ing. during which he passed away
Then the silence OF the awe-stricken
assemblage was broken by the sono-
rous. solemn voice OF Cardinal Sera-
Ano Vanutelli, the grand penitentiary
informing the requiem aeternam (rest
eternaD.
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 90 many benefits, charities
and benedictions.
After the death the doctors waited
some minutes. Then they applied the
usual death tests. Finding that his
holiness had passed away they noti'
fed Cardinal Oreglia, the cardinal
camerlengo of the Holy See.
Oreglia was conducted to the papal
apartment by the head chamberlain,
the apostolic notary and the physi'
clans. On arriving at the bed cham
Der Cardinal Oreglia knocked three
times ON the door, and, receiving no
response. he entered and approached
the corpse. Taking small silver NAL
let. he lightly struck the dead popes
forehead thrice, and thrice called him
by name.
There being no answer. the cardi'
mai removed from the pope's finger
the "anulo piscatorio," or hshermans
ring, the sign of papal authority, and
then formally declared Pope Leo XIII
dead. From the moment he removed
the ring Cardinal Oreglia became the
executive officer of the Holy See and
the depository of It's temporal power,
The condition of his holiness varied
from agony to coma. Wishing TO re-
lieve him, DR.. Mazzoni suggested that
morphine should be administered, but
DR.. Lapponi did not agree. fearing that
the end might be quickened.
The Supreme Moment.
OF this supreme moment DR.. Lapponi
gives an impressive description. He
said:
Death occurred through exhaustion
although in the last two hours Pope
Leo made supreme effort to gather
together all his energies. He succeeded
in recognizing those about him by
the sound OF their voices, as his sight |
was almost entirely lost. Still, he
made a marvellous display of his en-
ergy, and even his death was really |
grand. It was resigned, calm and Sc
rene. Very few examples can be given
of a man Of such advanced age after
50 exhaustive an illness showing such |
supreme courage in dying. The pom
tiff's last breath was taken exactly at
four minutes past 4. I approached a
lighted candle to his mouth three
times, according to the traditional GER
emoAjal, and afterward declared the
nope n Is no more. ! thea wsnt 70 IN {