The Holly chieftain., 1923-08-09
Apoplexy Strikes Harding Down
In Midst Of His Apparent
Recovery.
END is sH0CKlAGLY SUDDEN
Doctors Believed Him Well on Road
to Reeovery-Mrs. Harding Reading
to Him at Moment Of Seizure
He Dies In Twenty Minutes
Devoted wife Bears Up He
roieally Under Grief.

fOiCAty 0ubSt
Washington.-warren G. Harding is
dead. The body of the late president
was speeded across the continent by
special train for state burial in Wash
ington. The final interment will be at
Marion, Ohio.
The special train left San Francisco
at Z p. m. Friday, routed directly to
the capital by way of Reno, Ogden,
Cheyenne, Omaha and Chicago.
The train made no stops en-
route except those necessary for its
operation. The body Of the President
, was borne in the rear car. The car was
lighted at night, and at all times two
soldiers and two sailors. part Of
naval and military guard Of sixteen
enlisted men. stood at attention guard
ing the casket.
The train carried the presidential
party as composed during the trip
across the country to Alaska, and also
General Pershing, Attorney General
, Daugherty, and Mr.. and Mrs. e. F.
Remsberg and family, Mrs. Remsberg
being sister Of the President.
Untold thousands Of American citi-
xens stood with uncovered heads, day
and night, as the train passed.
Through Nevada in the hours Of
daylight and darkness there were
mourners at the stations. Utah con-
tributed its thousands the next day.
Wyoming's citizens mourned en- masse.
And 80 on, across the continent. At
the cities, especially, large crowds as
sembled at the stations.
President Harding died Of stroke
of apoplexy at 1880 o'clock Thursday
night t10:30 p. M. New York time).
His exact age was fifty-seven years
and nine months.
The. end came suddenly while Mrs.
Hnrding was reading to him from a
magazine and after what had been
called the best, day he had had since
the beginning Of his Illness exactly
one week before.
Suddenly It was noticed that the
President was shuddering and gasp
Ing. Mrs. Harding ran to him, but
he was unable to respond to her In
quiries. She then ran to the door of
the sick room and called to the secret
service men there to summon the
Presidents physicians.
When General Sawyer reached the
room the President was still alive. but
he died almost at once.
Collapse is Sudden.
In greater detail the facts Of the
death are related. With Mrs. Harding
In the sickroom were two nurses. Due
to the seeming Improvement in the
Presidents condition, members Of his
party. including the physicians who
had remained in constant call, were
confident they could leave the hotel
for few hours relaxation. Many OF
them were at dinner.
Mrs. Harding, however, refusing to
desert the post, was seated by the
bedside, reading to her husband, when
at Z 10 o'clock the President suddenly
collapsed. His breathing, which had
been quick ever since the Illness over.
took him. suddenly became spasmodic
Mrs. Harding, leaving the nurses tc
take whatever steps they could In the
emergency, ran to the door Of the
presidential suite.
"Get the DOCTORS" she called, as she
ran part way into the almost deserted
corridor. A secret service operative
was seated about twenty feet down
the hall. She hurriedly told the secret
service man that the President had
had sudden and seemingly severe re
lapse, and begged the detective to try
to locate Doctor Boone or any of the
other physicians.
The secret service man took up the
search for the physicians. while Mrs
Harding returned to the bedside They
located Doctor Sawyer at once.
Hoover Arrives Quickly.
Word Of the Presidents sudden turn
for the worse spread through the
hotel and efforts were launched at
once to try to locate the members OF
his ofilcial party.
Herbert Hoover, secretary of com.
merce and one Of the closest cabinet
members to the President, was the
first Of the cabinet members to reach
the bedside. He hurried into the cor
ridor, already aware that the Presi
dents life was ebbing fast, and the
door to the suite closed behind him.
short time after he came out. He was
completely broken up and could moi
speak to the newspaper men as they
gathered around him on his way dowr
to his own quarters. Tears were
running down his cheeks and he
seemed to be stunned by grief as he
made his way to the elevator.
Mayor James Rolph of San Fran
cisco was the next to arrive, and he
too, after visit to the death room
was inarticnlate.
Official Statement.
1t was about twenty minutes from
the time Mr.. Harding was stricker