Imperial Valley press., 1930-02-27
ABANDON
ALL HOPE
FOR TAFT
Death of Former Presi-
dent Awaited MOmen-
tariIy at Washington
FAMILY IS CALLED
Notable Figure in Politj~
cal Field is Fighting ,
Losing Battle

WASHINGTON, Fob. 27.-Up)
Death is expected soon at the home
OF William Howard Taft.
The career which spanucd =
wears of active life ard carried Nj
Taft 20 the presidency and, latct
the chief iasticeship nf the lniied
States, is drawing slowly To q
close, attending physicians have in.
diratcd. aud death II only matte
of time.
Al midnight. when the last Off
eial bulletin was issued, Drs. Thom
as Claytor and Francis liagner sa,
lie was growing weaker and tba
hope for his recovery was aban
doEed.
MIR. Taft is growing stcadiF
weaker the bulletin said. "lt J
now only n question of time.
Tor more than three weeks IL
former head of the executive az
Judiciary departments of the GOV
erament. has been waging losing
battle with death. At times during
that period his condition was sue
as to encourage the hope lac migE'
rec0Ver.
"A the days passed, however,
bcc:fnc increasingly evident that h
was losing ground gradually ly,.a.
hope faded.
Yesterday, at noon. the serious
ness of his condition was made
kn-wn in bulletin issued t'rroug
the white house. As the day pas
he continued to grow weaker, an
hope definitely was abandoned II
the evening.
There was quiet around the
Wyoming avenue home, where the
former President and Chief Justice
WAS fighting afs last battle.
No callers, save two doctor and
enc small messenger hoy. approached
the large red brick house today. In
SIDE the residence, where nurses
watched vigilantly each change IL
tie patient : condition. was Mrs
Tpft, who has gone through all OF
tho honors and vicci,itudcs Of Tart
stirring public life. and their daugh
.cr. Mrs. Helen Taft Manning, head
Of Eryn Nav. college, Pennsylvania
Doctors began losing hope for Taft
Yesterday. He had succeeded through
his great vitality. in staving off the
demands of illness and bereavement
Il bereavement brought on by the
death of his brother Charles 4
Taft of Cincinnati-for many days
This illness, this over work "a hh
great constitution and an old hlld
der ailmcnt. had forced him to re
tire form the supreme court bench
He came back from AShcNillc, \. &.
y very sick man, but rallied and f."
the past few days had seemingly
improved.
Slowly Sinking
Yesterday doctors ISSUED hul
lctin saving his condition was worst
than at any time since his Hines
st1rted nearly Il month ago. During
the day the bulletins became NOR
pcssimstic.
Last night the doctors said it wa
"only Il question of time' unit
America was deprived of the figur
Of the only man who has heade
the executive and judicial branche
cf the government, At that tlm'
his temperature was 100 and hi
respiration "a as compared with
normal respiration of 20.
Today's bulletin was the mos
oossmistic of all and doctors woul
not venture guess rs to how Jon
iife might be prolonged.
Or. Clayton remained only fe'
minutes, but DT lIagner dld not II
appear until 1850 p. m.
When he came from the hous
Hagncr said Mr.. Taft's conditio
was unchanged since morning. ii
said the former President did ne
seem in pain and that he manage
to smile when the doctors cnterc
the sick room.
The doctors plan no further Wis
until 6 p. m.