The daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami Co., Minn.) 1903-1904, 1903-07-21
HAND OF DEATH
ON LEO'S BROW.
2
:. s13.s- z
suPREMEzLAsTz NJ NET TN MEM ".
oRAsLE LIFE HOURLY Ex-
PEcTED.
PONTIFf LIES IN STATE OF COMA
OCCASIONALLY CRIES OUT IN
EEhp li,kocJ
OCCASIONALLY CRIES OUT IN
FEAR AS If HE FELT HIMSELF
ABANDONED.
Is KfPT ALIVE BY sTIMUlANTs
DEPRESSION SEXES THE POPE
DURING NIGHT AND HE SINKS
STEADILY.


Rome, July 81, 1885 a. m = Now
that the supreme last moment in the
memorable life and reign of Pope Leo
is expected almost hourly, the con-
trast between the quiet within and the
eXcitemen without the Vatican is
most striking. In the vast palace
there is hushed calm of expectation,
the only apparent wakeful souls being.
the Swiss guards. The doctors and
attendants of the dying poLtiff speak
in whispers and move noiselessly
about, so that from the sick room no
sound comes except the heavy breath
ing of the unconscious pope or his oc-
casional cries for Pho Centra and DR..
Lapponi. His tone is one OF fear, as
though he felt himself abandoned. In
reality sleep is very
Far From All Eyes.
No matter at what hour death comes,
the whole palace will spring into sud
den life as though touched by
magician's wand. In the piazza of St.
Peters, on the contrary, all is move
ment, there being a regular encamp-
ment Of journalists before the famous
bronze doors, which are now closed in
their faces and behind which the reg
ular tramp of the Swiss guards can be
heard. Many eyes are glued to the
window in the pope's chamber over
looking The piazza, while the nearby
cafes, especially those with telephones,
are crowded.
The pope lies in a state Of coma ard
there are grave doubts in the minds
Of his doctors whether he will ever
completely emerge.
His Immediate Dissolution
seems to be only saverted by the relia-
bility of the action of his heart His
pulse, though weak, continues steady
Shortly before midnight DR.. Lapponi
said to the correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press:
"The pope at the present moment is
in state of coma which may be called
condition preceding the last agony,
the duration of which it is impossible
to forecast, although everything leads
to the belief that this condition cam
not last. To be more exact, he is still
in state of stupOr, from which, how
ever. he rouseS occasionally when he
hears sharp sounds as, for instance the
insistent voice of one of his familiars
calling loudly to. him. Left alone he
relapses Immediately into condition
of torpor At intervals he murmurs in
his sleep, continuing to have forebod-
ings that he is being abandoned by his
valet, Centra and myself These are
the symptoms of incipient cerebral
anemia and
General Exhaustion.
He can no longer turn in his bed with
out assistance and is being kept alive
by artificial stimulants. During the
last twenty-three hours he has had two
injections of comphorated OIL three of
caffeine and two hypodermics Of salt
water besides drinking stimulants.'
Each hour of the day added to the
gravity of the reports from the sick
room Of the pontiff until all Rome has
waited, almost breathlessly, in momen-
tary expectation of the announcement
of his death. Since the state Of de-
preston which seized upon the pope
during the latter part of the night his
condition has
Gone Steadily Downward,
and throughout the day the most In
{1oJ