The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-08-12
MRS. WILSON dies
PRESIDENTS Wife PASSES away
At THE HHITE House
Her end IS PATHETIC

| Daughters Are Present at Death
| Bed-President Seems Almost
Frustrated With Grief, But Brave
| ly Bears Shock of His Loss.
| Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, wife Of the
president of the United States, died
at the White House at 5 o'clock
Thursday afternoon. Death came
after struggle of months against
Bright's disease with complications.
The president was completely un-
tnerved by the shock and his grief was
heartrending. He bore up well un-
der the strain, however, and devoted
himself to his daughters.
The end came while Mrs. Wilson
was unconscious. Her illness took a
turn for the worse shortly before l
to'clock in the afternoon and from
then on she gradually grew weaker.
Kneeling at the bedside at the end
were the president and their three
daughters. DR.. Cary T. Grayson, U.
S. ~, and a nurse were in the room
and just outside a door were Secre-
|tary McAdoo and Francis B. Sayre,
Mr.. Wilson's sons-in-law, and Mr..
Tumulty, his secretary. Both houses
Of congress adjourned when Mrs.
| Wilson's death was announced and
for a brief time the, wheels of the
government virtually stopped.
The beginning of the end came at
ITO o'clock Thursday morning, when
DR.. E. P. Davis of Philadelphia, who
had been called in for consultation,
realized the time for hope had pass
ed. He took the president into the
Red room and there in broken voice
told him the truth. Mr.. Wilson's
face blanched, but he bore the shock
well. He was informed the end was
question of hours.
Mr.. Wilson then took his daugh-
ters, Mrs. w. G. McAdoo, Mrs. Sayre
and Miss Margaret Wilson, aside and
told them Until then they had
thought there was a chance for her
recovery.
From that time on the president
and his daughters remained constant
ly at the bedside. The president held
his wife's hand and the three daugh-
ters were grouped nearby. Until she
became unconscious Mrs. Wilson fre-
quently nodded to one or the other
and smiled cheerfully.
During the day Mrs. Wilson spoke
to DR.. Grayson about the president,
of whose health she thought more
than her own.
Promise me-" she whispered
family, that if I so you will take
care of my husband"
1t was the same touch Of devotion
which she so many times has re-
peated, her constant anxiety having
been that the president might not
worry about her or be disturbed in
official tasks.
The president returned to the sick
room from the last conference With
the doctor, his three daughters lean
ing on his arm. Francis Bowes Sayre
and Secretary McAdoo and Secretary
Tumulty stayed outside the door. =.
Mrs. Wilson lapsed into uncon-
sciousness but rallied. BY o'clock
she began to sink rapidly. She still
could recognize those about her and
looked cheerfully toward them and
smiled.
At 2 o'clock Mrs. Wilson still was
conscious, but her strength almost
had departed and few minutes later
she sank into the sleep of uncon-
sciousness from which she never
awoke. For three hours the presi-
dent and his three daughters gazed
longingly into her eyes in the hope
that she might speak again, but she
could not.
The sun was casting its long shad-
ows from the Potomac to the south
grounds, coloring the fountains, gar
dens and eims. There was hushed
stiffness in the upper apartments. All
eyes were turned towards the south
west corner Of the house.
Just at the hour of five death
came. The president and his daugh-
ters were in tears. Secretary Tumul-
ty walked slowly to the executive Of
fees, his head bowed. Quietly he
announced to the correspondents that
the end had come.
A pail of gloom settled over the
/ executive mansion and the Offices.
Presently DR.. Grayson, his face hag-
gard and worn from day and night
vigil, came to the Office. There was
an impressive silence everywhere.
Secretaries, attaches, clerks and SER
wants seemed overcome.
| Vice-President Marshall and mem
bers of the cabinet and the leaders
in congress were notified. Both
houses promptly adjourned. The flag
on the White House dropped, gates
were closed and the silence of death
spread over the White House for the
first time since 1892, when Mrs. Ben
jamin Harrison passed away.
Mrs. Wilson had told the president