Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-07-24
With His Dying Breath He whis-
pers Benedictions on Rela-
tives and Cardinals.
Funeral Ceremonies to Continue
Throughout Mae Days--Re-
mains to Lie in State.
Cardinal 0realia Becomes Temporary
Head Of Church Pending Elec-
tion Of Pope.

1resideAt Roosevelt, ON Hearing Of
the PoDs's Death, Sends . Feeling
Message OF Sympathy.
Rome, July 21.-Pope Leo XIII. is
dead. The last flicker Of life expired at
four minutes past four O'Clock Monday
afternoon. and the pontiff now lies at
rest. The period Of over two weeks
that Pope Leo passed in the shadow of
death was NO less wonderful than his
life. His splendid battle against dis
ease was watched the world over with
sympathetic admiration, and ended
only after series of tremendous ef-
forts to conquer the weakness Of his
aged frame by the marvellous will
power of his mind. The pleuro-pneu-
monia with which his holiness had
been suffering was scarcely so respon-
sible for his death as that inevitable
decay OF tissue which ensues upon SO
years Of life.
The emaciated and lifeless frame
which held 80 brave . spirit lies on the
bed In the vatican beside which almost
all the world has prayed. The red
damask coverlet rests lightly over the
body, the cardinals scarlet cape is
about the shoulders, while on his head
has been placed the papal hood of vel
vet. bordered with ermine. A white
silk handkerchief IL bound about his
chin, and In the hands which have
blessed so many Thousands has been
placed crucifix. So Pope Leo will re-
main. watched by uniformed officers of
the bonle guard and rough-clad Fran
ctscan penitentiaries, who will keep a
ceaseless vigil until the burial cere-
monies.
VIII Lie in State.
To-day the sacred college of car
dinals will assemble for the impressive
ceremony of oncially pronouncing
Pope Leo dead. After this sad function
has been performed the body will be
taken to the small throne room adj
Joining the death chamber, where it
will be embalmed. The funeral cere-
monies will extend over nine days, the
remains being removed to the cathe-
dral OF st. Peters, where they will lie
In state. The ultimate resting place of
the dead pontin will be In the magni-
Acent basilica of st. John the Lateran.
His Last Hours.
Pope Leo's hnal moments were
marked by that same serenity and de-
votion, and when he was conscious.
that calm intelligence which is assoc
ciated with his Is years. pontifcate.
His was no easy death. An hour>be-
fore he died. turning to DR.. Lapponi
and his devoted valet, Pho Contra, he
nurmured, THE pain suffer is most
terrible" Yet his parting words were
not Of the physical anguish that he suf-
1ered, but were whispered benedtctions
upon the cardinals and his nephews.
who knelt at the bedside. and the last
look Of his almost sightless eyes was
towards the great ivory crucifix hang
1ng 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 Car
dinal Serafino Yannutelli had impress
sively pronounced the absolution In
articulo mortis. The condition of his
holiness varied from agony to coma.
Wishing to relieve him, DR.. Mazzoni
suggested that morphine should be adj
ministered. but DR.. Lapponi did not
agree. fearing that the end might be
quickened.
Statement by DR.. Lapponi.
OF this supreme moment DR.. Lapponi
eives an impressive description. He
said: Death occurred through e1-
haustion, 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.
6till he made marvellous display OF
bis energy. and even his death was
really grand. It was resigned, calm
and serene. Very few examples can
be given OF man Of such advanced
age after so exhaustive an illness
showing such supreme courage in dy-
3ng. The pontiff's last breath was
taken exactly at four minutes past
four. / approached lighted candle
to his mouth three times. according
to the traditional ceremonial. and aft
erward declared the pope to be no
more. I then went to inform Cardi-
nal Oreglia. the dean Of the sacred
college, who Immediately assumed full
power and gave orders that the vati-.
can be cleared Of all curious persons
having no right to be therein. Contem-
poraneously the cardinal instructed
Mgr. Righi. master Of ceremonies, to
send the Swiss guards from the Glenn
entine hall to close all the entrances
70 the vatican and dismiss all persons
from the death chamber, the body be.
ang intrusted to the Franciscan peni-
tsntiaries."
The Temporary Pope.
Meantime. events Of momentous i'm
portancs to Catholic Christsndom were
occurring. The death OF Pope Leo
meant the passing Of the supreme pow
y into the hands Of the sacred college
q cardinals ~ It's temporary custodian
during the interresnum. The perfect
Administrative machinery Of the church
provided against the slightest inter
suption Of the governing authority. As
the sAnior mswber a the sacred col.
lssa Cardinal ursk1is. 10 wtum the