Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1923-08-09
PRESIDENT HARDING DIES SUDDENLY
Stroke of Apopexy IL Fatal When His Recovery Was
Deemed Certan-Mrs. Harding With Him at
! the End-Whole World IL Shocked

Washington.--De claimed War.
rem @. Harding with shocking sudden
ness at 1880 D. IN. Thursday Mt San
Francisco. In the midst Of apparent
recovery he was stricken with apoplexy
while Mrs. Harding was reading to
him. The end came quickly.
The special train left San Francisco
at .. 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 ut night. and at all times two
soldiers and two sailors, q part of a
naval and military guard Of sixteen
enlisted men. stood at attention guard
Ing the casket.
The train carried the presidential
party an composed during the trip
across the country to Alaska, and also
General Pershlng. Attorney General
Daugherty, and Mr.. and Mrs. r.. r..
Remsberg and family. Mrs. Remsberg
being a sister OF the President.
Untold thousands of American citi-
zens stood with uncovered heads, day
and night. ms the train passed.
Through Nevada In the hours Of
daylight and darkness there were
mourners ut the stations. Utah con.
tributed It's 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 (i0:D D. m. New York time)
His exact age was fifty-seven years
and nine months
The end came suddenly while Mrs
Harding was reading TO him from q
magazine and after what had beer
called the best day he had had since
the beginning OF his illness exactly
one week before.
suddenly II was noticed that the
President was shudderlng and gasp
ing. Mrs. Harding run 10 him, but
he was unable 20 respond to her In
qulries, She then ran to the door OF
the sick room and called TO the secret
service man there to summon the
Presidents physicians.
When General Sawyer reached the
room the President was still alive. but
he died almost at once.
Collapse 10 sudden.
In greater detail the facts OF the
death are related. With Mrs. Harding
In the sickroom were two nurses. Due
90 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 Ia
desert the post, was seated by the
bedside. reading TO her husband. when
at 7;i0 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 nurse to
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 a sudden and seemingly severe re-
lapse, and begged the detective TO try
10 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 on.
cial party.
Herbert Hoover, secretary OF com.
merce and one Of the closest cabinet
members to the President, was the
nrst Of the cabinet members to reach
the bedside. He hurried into the cor.
ridor, already aware that the Presi.
dents life was ebblng fast, and the
door 10 the suite closed behind him. A
short time after he came out. He was
completely broken up and could not
speak to the newspaper men as they
gathered around him on his way down
TO his own quarters Tears were run.
ming down his cheeks and he seemed
20 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 a visit TO the death room.
was inarticulate
offiolai Statement.
II was about twenty minutes from
the time Mr. Harding was stricken
Gao D, MI until he died q :s0). The
circumstance Is told briefly In the fol-
lowing formal announcement:
Old stun.