Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-06
DIESIN NIGHT
WITH NO ONE
At BED SIDE
Though He Had Not Been
Well, His Death Comes
as Great Shock.

Oyster Bay, ". T., Jan. g.
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
died in his sleep early today at
his home on Sycamore hill.
The colonel suffered a severe
attack of rheumatism and
sciatica on New Years day, but
none believed that his illness
would likely prove fatal. The
former president sat up most
of Sunday, and retired at II
o'clock last night.
About q. m. Mrs. ROOse-
~ Velt, who was the only other
Nember of the family at Oyster
Bay, went to her husbands
room and found that ne had
died during the night.
Mrs. Roosevelt telepnoned to
Colonel Emlen Roosevelt. cousin of
the former president, and he came
to the Roosevelt home Immediately
kilograms were dispatched to the
colonels children, who were in
other parts of the country. Two of
the colonel's sons, MAJOR Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Jr., and Captain
Kermit Roosevelt, are in service
abroad Captain Archie Roosevelt
and his wife left New York last
night for Boston where the cap
tain's wffe's father is i'll. Mrs
Ethel Derby and two children are
in Aiken, S. c.
Date for the funeral has not been
arranged, but an announcement is
expected later today. kilograms os
coincidence and sympathy began to
coincidence and sympathy began to
try today as soon as tRas-Raws@0f
Colonel Roosevelt's death became
known
Flags were placed at half mast
in Oyster Bay today.
The immediate cause of Colonel
RoOsevelt's death was pIlmonarJ
embolism, or lodgment in the lung
of a clot from a broken vein, it
was stated by one of his physi-
clans.
News of the death of the former
pTezfdent was received here by
efiss Josephine Stricken, the col
onel's secretary, in a telephone
message from Mrs. Roosevelt.
Miss Stricken said that the col
oneI had suffered an attack of in
fiammatory rheumatism on New
Years day, and had since been
more or less confined to his room.
The attack of rheumatism settled
mainly in Colonel Roosevelt's
right hand and Mrs. Roosevelt sent
at once for nurse in the village
Of Oyster Bay. His condition did
not at first seem to be alarming
and the turn for the worse is be-
Heved not to have come until last
night.
In announcing Colonel Roose-
velt's death, Miss Stricken said:
Mrs. Roosevelt called me on the
telephone shortly before Z O'Clock,
saying that the colonel had died
early today. She did not give ME
any particulars and l am leaving
at once for Oyster Bay.
"The attack must have been verr
e&den. On New Years day in
f1anmatory rheumatism developed
in Colonel Roosevelt's right hand
which became very much swollen.
Mrs. Roosevelt sent for a nurse i =
the village and the colonel was
made as comfortable as possible. Il
did not occur to me at that time
that he was seriously ILL.,"
Miss Stricken went tc Oyster Bay
last Saturday to pay the colonel 4
visit She said:
''At that time the colonel was
sleeping in his room and 1 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-
Felt called me this morning and
told me of the colonel's death
could hardly believe it.
Mrs. Roosevelt gave me no par
dculars of his death
It is understood that only Mrs
Roosevelt and the nurse were with
him at the time of his death. The
pther members of the family are in
other parts of the country. o.
abroad.
A telephone message received
later this morning from Oyster Bay
said that Colonel Roosevelt haG
died at 4 o'clock
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt's
last illness may be said to date
from last February. On Feb. 5 it
was announced that he had been
removed from his home in Oyster
81 to the Roosevelt hospital in
This city following an operation oI
pne of his ears. Soon after his
arrival at the hospital, he under
went two more operations for the
removal Of diseased tissue in his
infected ear and it was admitted
n the time that he was seriously
III. He remained at the hospital |
until March 3.
During May and June, the col
pneI made a number of addresses, |
gpeaking at Springfield. Mass. AMI
pther Massachusetts cities He |
ater suffered a slight attack o. !
,rysipeIas in one of his legs but !
refused to give up his engage !