The Wahpeton times., 1919-01-09
Fact Of His Death Discovered
by Mrs. Roosevelt About
4 O'Clock Monday Am.
END WAS UNEXPECTED
Death Occurred at Home in Oyster
eay-Measer Early Details Men.
tlon No illness But Rheuma.
tlsm Of the Right Hand.

Oyster Bay, n. Y, Jan. 6.-Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt died in his sleep
early today ut his home on Sycamore
Hill.
The colonel suffered severe attack
OF rheumatism and sciatica on New
Years day. but none believed his, ill-
hess would likely prove fatal. The
former president sat up most of Sum
day and retired at II O'Clock last
night. About a. m. Mrs. Roosevelt,
who was the only other member of the
family at Oyster Bay. went to her
husbands room and found that he had
died during the night.
New York, Jan. 6-COlonel Theo-
dore Roosevelt died at his home in
Oyster Bay early today. News of the
death of the former president was
received here by Miss Josephine
Striker, the colonel's secretary, in a
telephone message from Mrs. Roose-
velt.
Miss Striker said that the colonel
had suffered an attack of inflammatory
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 a nurse in the village of Oyster
Bay. His condition did not at first
seem to be alarming and the turn for
the worse is believed not to have come
until last night.
In announcing Colonel Roosevelt's
death Miss Striker said:
"Mrs. Roosevelt called me on. the
telephone shortly before o'clock,
Saying that the colonel had died early
today. She did not give me any par.
ticulars and I am leaving ut once for
Oyster Bay.
"The attack must have been very
sudden. On New Years day inflam.
matOry rheumatism developed in. Col.
onel Roosevelt's right hand, which be.
came much swollen. Mrs. Roosevelt
sent for nurse in the village and the
colonel was made as comfortable as
possible 1t did not occur to me al
that time that he was seriously ILL.,"
Was Unexpected.
Miss Striker went to Oyster Bay
last Saturday to pay the colonel q
visit. She said:
eat that time the colonel was sleep.
ing in his room and did not see him.
and there was nothing in the circum.
stances of his illness at that time to
indicate to me that death was near
When Mrs. Roosevelt called me this
morning and told me of the colonel's
death, could hardly believe it..
"Mrs. Roosevelt gave me no par.
ttculaTs of his DEATH"
It is understood that only Mrs
Roosevelt and the Nurse We're with
him at the time of his death. The
other members of the family are in
other parts of the country or abroad
Colonel Roosevelt's last illness may
be said to date from last February
On February it was announced that
he had been removed from his home
in Oyster Bay to the Roosevelt hos.
pital in this city, following an opera
iian m one Of his ears. Soon after
at tAiC llc ullucEs
went two more operations for the re-
moval of the diseased 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.
During May and June the colonel
made u number of addresses, speak
ing at Springfield. Mass, and in New
York. In June he made tour Of the
west during which he suffered slight
attack Of erysipelas in one of his legs,
but refused to give up his engage
ments. Early irNovember the colonel
was taken to Roosevelt hospital in
this city for treatment of rheumatism
and sciatica. While in the hospital
reports became current that the col.
0nel was more seriously i'll than his
physicians would admit. Colonel
Roosevelt returned to his home at
Oyster Bay on Christmas day, remark
ing as he stepped to the porch that
he was feeling bully"
"
President Receives Rare Gift.
Rome, Jan. 6.-Pope Benedict Sat-