Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-23
Cardinal Casparri Assumes
Charge in Vatican Until
New Pope Is Selected.
Continued From First Pagc,)

| saiu 10 the ASSOCIATED Press CORES
pendent. who was the only Amer
lean newspaper representative I'd
mitted TO the antechamher: when
the end was near. l was called from
my chambers and hurried quickly to
the Pontiff's bedroom. That was n
few minutes before . o'clock. saw
the Holy Father breathe his last.
As the other prelates knelt beside
the silent and lifelesr form. asked
that might tell th> 49,. 10 10
press. l thcreupon hurried 10 a..
| antechambcr, where several news
paper men were awaiting events, and
informed them that the Pope had
just died"
The cardinal was asked at what
hour death occurred. and he replied:
! Exactly at this minute"
AT this Identical moment tho hollis
! OF ST. Peters struck the first stroke
OF o'clock.
400 Churches Toll BelIs.
rope Benedict breathed his last at
O'Clock this morning. The news
was hurriedly communicated from
the phpai bed chamber TO the prin
cipal antcchambcr, and was an
hounced hH Monsisnor Pizzardo. dep
! uty phpal secretary OF state, just rs
the ponderous bells Of ST. Peters.
overlooking the Vatican courtyard,
began tolling the hour of 6. Then
one by one the bells in Romc's 400
churches joined in the horoIogIc
| symphony that marked the uassinp
OF the head Of the Roman Catholic
Church.
The end came after long night Of
my agony and suffering. the Pom
tiii now and then lapsing into de-
lirium throughout the long, auxiouS
night. shortly before midnight he
look little nourishmcnt. which
seemed momcntarily to revive his
spirits. but within an hour after
wards he began to sink rapidly. At
l:lo o'clock DR.. Battistini, emerging
| from the puntifcal chamber into tho
ahteroom. told the Associated Press
correspondent the end was approach
ing. that already his hands and nose
felt cold.
He will live only three or four
hours at the maximum" said the
physician.
From that period on the Pope
neared the end Of his life. Breath
lhs became IA tragic. aEonizing task.
rs the supreme Puntifi who had re
sisted the severe lung and throa.
congestion. was now finally too weak
10 overcome the overwhelming at
tack any longer.
Lnpsed Into UnconscIousncs..
Ills eyes were half closed as he
lnpscd into unconsciousncss while the
terrible mastery which pneumonia
had won over the Holy Fathers
dogEcd resistance. n resistance which
| starScred the members of the pom
..ncai h"usehoid and made them
marvel at the Pope's nerve stamina.
now began Its rapid. inexorablc ex-
tinction of his slender hold on life.
His heart rapidly weakened. and ut
o'clock In the morning, IL was Ger.
tain that the end was n matter of
moments. AccordinSiy. Cardinals
! Gasparri, Sampcr and Pizznrdo. ana
all the pontiiicai 'household w 're
notified that the end was rapi,lv
approaching. Cardinal Gasparri en-
tered the bed chamber at $3.50 O'Clock,
passing through the antcchnmbrr
wearing deep burrows on the brow
or his bowed head. and walking with
snort rapid steps to the bedside of
inc dying Pontiff. He had been there
only nine minutes before the pone
bTcathcd his last
cardinal Giorgi grand pcnI,cntiarv.
attended the Pope throughout ,bc
whole night. saying first mas for Ills
Holiness shortly after midnight. lilo
was assisted by Monsignor Respirhc,
VI ceremonies. and by Mon
siGnori Testoni. Piermotto and Mac.
nnmenti.
only half an hour before nc died
MS Holiness tried To lift himself nm
ana wished TO dress himself. but no
WAS so weak he sank back onto his
piiIow. Ills hands and fec; ALREADY
were numb. and il was plainly seen
'hat neath's cold grip had begun its
INCREASING grasp upon tho Holy
T. 10
was decided to call all the nom
tlicai family to hiss bedside 1ho
Soya! Guards were sent ont in duo
soieinhiiy TO notify the papal secro-
tary or state OF the pope's hopeless
condition '''''As
Ambassador Called for News.
me correspondent was pcrmI,tos
TO remain during the entire sicLn,.
oil the Pore in one of the adjoining
ahtcchamhcrs. through which an rho
sdruihatS passing TO and from IIis
holiness bedside. could DO seen
Looking down the narrow passage.
way, reading from tho antcchamber
-. '., '"p" bed chamber. the ROYAL
'""f"S. standing ut rigid attcntIor
were observed NJ the entrance ia ,ho
SICK room, while the cardinals n,ssi,,,-
l" ana FRO We're awaiting Tho i,nn.r1
inE announcements
csterday evening virtually NIL
~ '"rulhaiS resident in Rome y.,ra
III attendance ut the vatican mot
nrri'ai at the pontiiical apartmcnis
peIhE occasioned by solemn rcvcrnrcn
on inc part OF those present. The nm.
nhssahors from Spain. Argentina on1
PORTUGAL called at the apartment ,n'
WARDS midnight for news, hut noth
ing except imminent death coui1 b.,
iofrsccn at that time.
Hitcr midnight the crowd Whit,
waited IN
me COURTYARD. diminished 10 ONLY n
~" inohsiEnori and attaches IN mo
pohtihchi court. Tho Vatican nov
vas cnveloped in deep silence nnI
Iorcboding darkness. with tho nnn
u"'ous done OF st. Peters domjp,t;,,,,
me pervading gloom No one yns
aiI""ed To enter the Vatican. and mo
spacious halls became almost Jescrt-
Ell. With only an occasional ruord
/ cases. ga" STAIR
7 swiss Guards were stationed AZ ,bo
uut'r door To the pontiflcal mart
htht on the top floor. and on ,he ;n
side oi the same door there were two
huee papal gcndarmes Then n, ,hc
! entrance OF tho large an,cchamhcr
| ~ Inc other end OF a short corrilor
! was stationed corporal Of ,hc
] IL 81