The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-25

friends and attendants.
 They awaited the end which doc- tors expected momentarily. The sister, Miss Pershing, sometimes paced the floor weeping inconsolably and the doctors gave her a seda- tive to quiet her.
 Rallies Slightly
 At 2 a. m., pr. Roland Davison said that the general had rallied slightly and that he appears to be responding to the Stimulant they are giving him"
 He said he was semi-conscious at the moment. He did not say what the Stimulant was.
 Miss Pershing walked to the bed side as Dr. Davison left the room and held the generals hand. Then she put cold packs on his forehead.
 An attendant, explaining the slight rally, said that a nurse had approached the bed and called; General! General!" Pershing open ed his eyes, glanced upward and smiled faintly. He nodded his head in recognition but did not try to speak.
 Has No Pain The generals ailing heart was beating faintly and irregularly. He was without pain. pr. Dawson said he believed it inevitable that the general was on his deathbed.
 His breathing was barely discern jble; his face was a blend Of ashen bronze. His th4nned, Silvery halr and inevitably well-groomed mus tache had become disheveled during yesterdays weary, half-spirited struggle to live.
 Late last night the generals chauffeur and personal aide, Master Sergeant S. c. ShaetIer, left the desert sanitorium cottage briefly to send telegram. He was red-eyed.
 well. boys," he said to newspaper men, I'm going to leave you now for the last tune. It's the last roundup. I'm going to lose my boss and my best friend"
 Shaeffer had been with Pershing 10 years.
 Turn Unexpected
 The generals condition turned for the worse unexpectedly yeSter- day. His affliction was an acute damage to heart muscles, caused by too strenuous activities in his de- clining years: He was TT. He became | i'll last week with cold and 8 slight rheumatic condition affecting the left leg. He had planned to be up again this week and had hoped to resume the few public appear ances and speaking engagements that he had accepted during his winters stay here with his sister. Three days ago he suffered a re- lapse and was hurried from his hotel room to the hospital cottage in an ambulance. Still his condition was considered hopeful, and doctors thought that his heart strain could be improved by a prolonged rest in bed.
 When the second relapse came, General Pershing fought 1t doggedly. Several times he rallied from the coma into semi consciousness, but after the force of his will weakened, each time he seemed to sink deeper into unconsciousness.
 Three Doctors There
 Three doctors were In attendance. In addition to Dr. Dawson, the gen. erals personal physician, Lieut.. Col. Shelly U. Marietta, army heart spe- cialist from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and Dr. Verne Mason, pro- lessor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California, had speeded here by airplanes to provide what aid they might.
 The sister with whom General Pershing travelled and lived this winter, and for whom he had a warm affection, refused to leave the bedside throughout the night and morning. The sedatives given to produce sleep made her drowsy, but she fought oil their effects and re- mained either in the room or at the door, weeping quietly.
 Nearby was Francis Warren Pershing. the son and only survivor of Pershings family after Mrs. Pershing and three daughters were burned to death at San Francisco in 1916. The nephew, Frank Pershing of Los Angeles. was the other rela- tive present.
 The few friends who called at the cottage were mostly those who had known the general since he was young of1icer stationed at FoRt Huachuca, near here, early in his military career.
 l The three doctors issued bulletin