The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-08-13
MRS.WILSON DIES
IN WHITE HOUSE
Strain OF Social Duties and
Welfare Work fastened End
PRESIDENT AT HER BEDSIDE
Presidents Family at Bedside When
End Comes-in Conformity With
Mrs. Wilson's Desire Congress
Hastily Passes Anti-Slum Bill.

Wnshington-Mrs Woodrow Wilson,
the wife Of the President, died at
o'clock in the evening in the White
House. Her death resulted from
Ecight's disease, from which she had
been a sufferer since she came to
the White House. She was in her
5Gth year
Recently this had been aggravated
by a general nervous breakdown
which began when she was injured
by a fall on the marble floor of the
White House in February and was
accelerated by the strenuous social
season and over-activity in social
betterment work and other hunmanl-
tartan eudeavOrs.
Mrs. Wilson had known that her
death was near. With her at the end
were the President and their three
daughters, Mrs. Sayre, Mrs. McAdoo
and Miss Margaret Wilson. Several
times in the course of the day Mrs.
Wilson was conscious and an hour
before her death, aroused sufficiently
to bestow a peaceful smile Of recog-
milton and farewell upon the Presi-
dent and each of her children.
Soon after II o'clock in the morn
ing Mrs Wilson was cheered by the
knowledge that the Senate Of the
United States had passed the Johnson
bill abolishing slums from the capital,
for which she had worked Zealously
last fall.
Earlier in the morning she had told
the President that she believed she
could go more cheerfully if she knew
the bill was passed. The President,
through Secretary Tumulty, commun1-
Gated Mrs Wilson's wish to Congress
and the task of making the bill law
was undertaken with extraordinary
haste AS soon as the President
learned of the passage of the bill by
the Senate he fastened to carry the
| news to the sick room.
About noon, when the President
| was absent from the sick room fol
few minutes, Mrs. Wilson sent fol
| DR.. Cary T. Grayson and said to him
Doctor, if I go away promise me
you will take good care of my hus
| band"
MES Wilson died in the big bedroom
at the southwest corner of the White
House which overlooks the Potomac
River The President sat beside the
bed holding her hand and on the othel
side her daughters were kneeling. She
had been unconscious for nearly al
/ hour.
DR.. Grayson was the only other per
son in the room. In an adjoining
room were the Presidents sons-in-laW
Mr.. Sayre and Mr.. McAdoo. Mrs. Viii
sons brother, Prof. Stockton Arson o
Princeton, who was informed of he
critical condition al once, was I'm
able to reach here from Portland, Ore
For the last two days Mrs. Wilson
had been kept alive largely by tn
stimulation of oxygen. Realizing tina
the end was near the President can
celed all engagements. He left tn
bedroom only once before the en'
came, and then only for short au
tomobile ride in the early morning.
Mrs. Wilson was born Ellen Louis
AXsen at Savannah, Ca, of Samue
Edward and Margaret Axsen. Sh
was educated at home and at Won
ans College, Rome, Ga. She had
talent for art and spent some tim
studying in the Art Students Leagu
in New York
Her devotion to painting afforde
her much happiness and inspira ttOI
The wedding of Woodrow Wilso,
and Miss Axsen took place at Savanna
on June "a, 1885, Miss Axsen had me
Mr.. Wilson when he was practicin
law at Atlanta, Georgia, in 1882 The
married just after Mr.. Wilson finishe
his postgraduate work in Johns HOY
kins University and with the degre
of Phi. D. accepted the position q
associate professor of history and p<
litical economy in Bryn Mawr College
Mrs. Wilson and her husband wer
the closest of companions and tn
home life that she created for her hu,
band and the three daughters Dor
to them was always regarded as idea
CRUISER TENNESSEE SAILS