The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-08-13
DEATH OF MRS. WILSON
WIFE OF PRESIDENT OF UNITED
STATES BRAVE TO THE END.
Presidents Grief Heartrending
First Death in White House in
twenty-five Years.

Washington, Aug. 6.-Mrs. Wood
row Wilson, wife Of the President Of
the United States, died at the white
house at 5 o'clock this afternoon.
Death came after brave struggle of
months against Bright's disease with
complications.
The, president was completely un-
nerved by the shock and his grief
was heartrending. He bore up
under the strain, however, and de-
voted himself to his daughters.
The end came while Mrs. Wilson
was unconscious. Her illness. took a
turn for the worse shortly before
/ o'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. N, and a nurse were in the room,
and just outside 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 an
nounced, and for q brief time the
wheels of the. government virtually
stopped.
Beginning of End.
The beginning of the end came at
10 o'clock this morning, when DR..
E. P. Davis, of Philadelphia, who had
been called in for consultation, real
lied the time for hope had passed.
He took the president into the red
room and there, in a broken voice,
told him the truth. Mr.. Wilson s
face blanched, but he bore the shock
we'll. He was informed the end was
a question Of hours.
Mr.. Wilson then took his daughters
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 head, and the three
daughters grouped nearby. Until she
became unconscious Mrs. Wilson fire.
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 she did of her own.
Supreme Devotion.
Promise me- she whispered,
family, that if I go you will take
care of my husband" 1t was the
same touch of devotion which she so
many times had repeated-her con-
slant anxiety having been that the
president might not worry about her
or be disturbed in officials 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 unconscious
ness, but rallied. BY L 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 shadows from the Potomac to
the south grounds, coloring the
fountains, gardens and elms.
There was hushed stiffness in the
upper apartments. All eyes were
turned toward the southwest corner
of the house.
Just at the hour of death came.
The president and his daughters were
in tears. Secretary Tumulty walked
slowly to the executive office, his
head bowed. Quietly he announced
to the correspondents that the end
had come.