The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-29
h|kADO OF JAPAN
DIED TOMORROW
Passed Away Early Tuesday Mornina
and the News Speeds Along
Faster Than Tlme
Files. s
MADE A HARD SaHT
Had Been Critically III for Several
Days and End Was Expect
ed at Any Mo-
ment

1 United Press Leased Wire Service
TOXIC, July 80 (Tuesday) The
mikado died early today.
Though the news Of the mikado's
illness, first given to the public nine
days ago, came as complete surprise
TO the masses of the people. those who
were in close contact with him have
known for some time that he had not
long to live.
His majesty has suffered from kid
ney trouble for eight or nine years.
OF late 1t had been growing much
worse. An intestinal complaint also
developed July IA, fits of prolonged
ldrowsiness followed, and July Is the
patients brain became affected, and
he lapsed into unconsciousness. Fever
ensued.
A consultation Of the ablest physic-
ians In Toxic was held at which the
case was diagnosed as acute nephritis,
Tor inflammation of the kidneys. The
doctors pronounced 1t impossible for
ithe patient to recover, and 1t was de-
sctded that the time had come to no.
tify the people OF the imminence Of
their rulers death.
| The members OF the cabinet gather
ed at the palace, members of the i'm
tperial family were summoned from
their countries residences throughout
Japan and an urgent message was sent
| to Ex- Premier Prince Katsuri to re-
turn from an European tour on which
The recently left, as "a cabinet change
/ VIII prupatiy Iofiow gsns psesent mix.
ado's death, and it is likely that the
prince will again assume the premier
ship.
The mikado suffered from the heat
and his bed was carried from his
majesty's sleeping chamber to a large
sitting room adjoining. 1t was con-
stantly surrounded by physicians and
nurses, and the patients wife was
constantly at his side.
Soon other members of the imperial
| family began arriving in Toxic, driv-
Ii ing directly from the various railroad
stations to the palace, where however,
| it was deemed unwise to admit them
to the sick room.
| Crown Prince Yoshihito, who now
comes to the throne, was the only one
| of the mikado's near relatives who was
unable from the first to be near to
his father. He was just recovering
from severe attack CT chickenpox
| and his doctors told him 1t would be
unwise for him to leave his bed. He
received bulletins from the sick room
at brief intervals, however, both by
telephone and by messenger. Later he
was able to be at the palace in person
and was at the bedside when the mix
ado passed away.
| The streets of Toxic continued
thronged with people from the moment
that the first bulletin of the rulers
critical condition appeared. The
mikado is a semi-sacred parsonage in
Japan, and though the old belief that
he is something more than human is
gradually disappearing, the older jap
anese still adhere to it, and through
the influence of heredity and the in
fuence of the government, which
much prefers the people to remain
steadfast In the old faith, 1t has con-
ciderable hold even on the younger
and less orthodox generation.
The occasion had thus spiritual
solemnity such as would be impossible
in western countr- during the last
hours of a sovereign however much
beloved. Voices were hushed, street
sounds silenced, tears were shed and
a general atmosphere of sadness and
tragedy filled the ordinarily cheerful,
bustling city. When the bulletin was
fnallv posted informing them that
their monarch was no more, the
watchers turned eighing away, and,
on their queerly click-clacking clods,
clattered sadly to their homes.
Mikadc Mutsuhito was born Noyem-
4 her 3. 1852. He was son of Mikado
| Otahito and succeeded to the throne
on his fathers death, February 13,
1867. hut was not crowned until Octob-
er 12, 1868. He was married forty
three years ago to Princess Fusako,
daughter Of a noble Japanese family.
When he came to the throne Japan
was hermit nation in the fullest
4 sense. Under Mutsuhito, however, the
people awoke.
In a generation they made up lost
ground which western lands were
centuries in covering.
|