Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-06
Wife Only Member
of Family With
Ex- President
At Death
FELT "BULLY"
ON CHRISTMAS
Suffered For Long
Time With Attack
of Rheumatism
BY Associated Press

BY associated Press
New York, Jan. o.-Colo-
mel Theodore Roosevelt,
former president, American
statesman and soldier, died
early to-day at his home at
Oyster Bay. Colonel Roosevelt
had been confined to his room
since New Years Day with all
attack OF inflammatory rheuma-
tism. The attack settled main
ly in Colonel Roosevelt's right
hand, and Mrs. Roosevelt sent
at once for a nurse i'll the vii
lage OF Oyster Bay. His condi-
ton did not at first seem alarm
ing, and the turn for the worse is
believed not to have come until last
night -..
Dies ut 4 a. NJ.
\ telephone message received later
this morning from oyster Bay said
that Colonel Roosevelt had died at
4 o'c'ock this mornin.
The imm ediate cause of Colonel
Roosevelt's death was pulmonary
embolism. or Judgement in the lung
of blood cot from broken vein,5
one OF his physicians stated.
Sudden Attack
News of the death of the former
president was received here by Miss
Josephine Stricken, the coloners
secretary, in a telephone message
from Mrs. Roosevelt. Miss Stricken
said the colonel had suffered an at
tack of inwlammatory rheumatism
on New Years Day and had since
room.
In announcing Colonel Roosevelt's
death. Miss Stricken said:
Mrs. Roosevelt called me on the
telephone shortly before o'clock,
saying that the colonel had died
early to-day. She did not give me
any particulars and l am leaving at
once for Oyster Bay.
Not Worried Before
THE attack must have been very
sudden. On New Years Day inflam-
matory rheumatism developed in
Colonels Roosevelt's right hand,
which became very much swollen.
Mrs. Roosevelt sent for a nurse in
the village and the colonel was made
as comfortable as possible. 1t did
not occur to me at that time he was
seriously ill.,"
Only Wife at Homo
Miss Stricken went to oyster Bay
last Saturday to pay the colonel
visit She said:
AT that time the colonel was
sleeping in his room and [ did not
see him, and there was nothing in
the circumstances of his illness at
that time to indicate to me that
death was near. When Mrs. Roose-
welt called me this morning and told
me OF the colonel's death, / could
hardly believe 1t.
Mrs. Roosevelt gave me no par
ticulars of his death"
1t is understood that only Mrs.
Roosevelt and the nurse were with
him at the time of his death. The
other members of the family are in
other parts of the country or abroad.
Undcrgocs Operation i'm Hospital
Colonel Roosevelt's last illness
may be said to date from last Feb
ruary. on February 1t was an
nounced he had been removed from
his home in Oyster Bay to the
Roosevelt Hospital in this city, fol-
lowing an operation on one of his
ears. Soon after his arrival at the.
| hospital he underwent two more
operations for the removal of diseas-
ed tissue in his infected ear and it
was admitted at the time that he
was seriously i'll. He remained at
the hospital until March 8.
Feels Bully" Christmas Day
During May and June the colonel
made number of addresses, speak
ing at Springfield, Mass, and in New
York. In June he made tour of the
West during which he suffered a
slight attack of erysipelas in one of
his legs, but refused\ to give up his
engagements. Early in November
the colonel was taken to Roosevelt
Hospital in this city for treatment
of rheumatism and sciatica. While
he was in the hospital reports be-
came current taht the colonel was
more seriously i'll than his physi-
clans would admit. Colonel Roose-
welt returned to his home in Oyster
Bay on Christmas Day, remarking as
he stepped to the porch that he was
feeling bully" @
Rooscvclt's Death Painless
Death came to Colonel Roosevelt
painleas as he slept. Three physicians
had been in attendance upon the Col
onel since he was taken to Roosevelt
Hospital seven weeks ago to be treat
ed for what was beIievd to be sci
atica. The patients trouble was later
diagnosed as infiammatory rheuma-
tlsm which. according to one of the
doctors, had affected virtually every
joint in his body. The Colonel's ply
sicians were DR.. j. A. Failer, of Oys-
ter Bay, and DR.. ]. III. Richards and
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