Evening star., 1951-03-25

United States, seven have entered
the White House as result of
the death of the occupant of that
exalted Office. These have been
Tyler, Fillmore. Johnson, Arthur,
Theodore Roosevelt, Coolidge and
Truman.
The first Vice President to be-
come President through the death
of that executive was John Tyler,
who followed William Henry Har-
rison in Office after Gen. Harri-
sons death on April 4, 1841, just
one month to the day after his
predecessors Inauguration. Tyler
had been chosen in 1910. on the
Wing ticket with Gen. Harrison,
who was SO years old when he
was inaugurated, and soon there
after contracted cold, while 60
ing to market in a truly demo-
cratic fashion. Like many other
people, he overeStimated his con-
stitution and physical powers and
even declined to accept friendly
advice.
He was seriously Iii only nine
days and died in the White House.
His death was a great shock to
the country and when the people
realized that Mr.. Tyler would sue
ceed to the presidency the cry
went up from all quarters, "Who
is this man Tyler?" Practically
all they had known Of him be-
fore his election as Vice Presi-
dent was as Tyler, too."
Tyler Came by Boat
Several days before the death
of Gen. Harrison his serious con-
dition was fully realized, and
when the end came a Govern
ment steamer was sent down the
Potomac to where Tyler was living
on the peninsula, to bring him
here. He is said to have taken
the oath of Office quietly and pri-
vately here in Washington, at
the Indian Queen Cor Browns
Hotel. 1t was the opinion of Gen.
Harrison cabinet that Mr.. Tyler
should not take the title of Pres
Iident, but rather that Of Vice
President, Acting President. How
ever, the advice of Chief Justice
fancy was relied upon and Mr..
Tyler at once assumed the title
of President. The Harrison cab
Iinet was retained. with Daniel
Webster as Secretary Of State,
Thomas Ewing as Secretary Of
the Treasury, John Bell as Secre-
tary of War, John J. Crittenden
as Attorney General, George E.
Badger as Secretary of the Navy
and Francis Granger as Post
master General.
Tyler. the successor to Gen.
Harrison, was born in Charles
City County, Va, on March 20,
1870.
| 1t was during President Tyler's
administration that young Mid
shipman Spencer, son of John C..
Spencer. Secretary of War, and
two sailors were court-martialed
and hanged for alleged treason
while on a cruise on the U. S. S.
Somers, by direction of Capt.
Mackenzie of that vessel. The
execution seems to have been en-
tirely unjustifiable. though the
verdict was founded upon unsup-
ported evidence.
Within three months after Pres
Iident Tyler was sworn in he
vetoed two fiscal measures Of his
party In Congress looking to
destruction of the Van Buren SUBJ
treasury system and to the re-
establishment of a national bank
IMillard Fillmore
The next Vice President to sue
ceed to the presidency was Mil
lard Fillmore, who became Presi-
dent on the death of Gen. Zach
ary Taylor. or as he was dubbed.
"old rough and ready" Fillmore
was born at Summer Hill, N. Y.
January 7, 1900. and served as a
Representative in Congress from
1887 to 1843. On the 10th day
of July, 1850. the day following
the death of President Taylor,
Mr.. Fillmore took the oath of
Office at a joint session Of Con-
gress. He was then SO years of
age. He died in Buffalo, N. 2,
March 8, 1874.
The body Of Zachary Taylor
lay in state for several days in
the east room of the White House
and the funeral car was drawn by
eight white horses. His last words
were: Il have tried to do my
duty"
| Andrew johnson was the next
Vice President to become Presi-
dent, following the death of Abra-
ham Lincoln who was shot in
-