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The Man Who Now Becomes the Chief
Executive of the Nation Striking Peiv
sonalides Which Have Made Him
a Unique Character In
National Politics He
T t T 1
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
KMrtTrirr - t n e v i
JJ LX V O 111 lV
Strenuous Lfe
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MRS THEODORE ROOSEVELT
THE WHITE HOUSE
PHI
in
Chief Executive Passes Away
in Peaceful Slumber
END CAME AT 215 IN MOHNING
All Elforls o Sustain Life Trove to
IJo
Unavailing
YIELDS TO ASSASSIN3 BULLET
Stricken Wife Sat Alone and Fondled
the Face of Her Dead Husband
Buffalo Public Given Chance to Take
Last Look Upon Revered President
Milburn House Buffalo Sept 14
President McKinley died at 215 this
morning He had been unconscious
since 750 p m His last conscious
moment on earth was spent with the
wife to whom he devoted a lifetime of
care He was unattended by a minis
ter of the gospel but his last words
were an humble submission to the
will of the God in whom he believed
He was reconciled to the cruel fate
to which an assassins bullet had con
demned him and faced death in the
same spirit of calmness and poise
which has marked his long and hon
orable career
The president in his last period of
consciousness which ended about
740 chanted the words of the hymn
Nearer My God to Thee and his
last audible conscious words as taken
down by Dr Mann at the bedside
were Good bye all good bye It Is
Gods way His will be done
Then his mind began to wander and
soon he completely lost consciousness
His life was prolonged for hours by
the administration of oxygen and the
president finally expressed a desire
to be allowed to die About 830 the
administration of oxygen ceased and
the pulse grew fainter and fainter
He was sinking gradually like a child
Into the eternal slumber By 10
oclock the pulse could no longer bo
felt in his extremities and they grew
cold Below stairs the grief stricken
gathering waited sadly for the end
Last Sad Farewells Taken
Before G oclock it was clear to
those at the presidents bedside that
he was dying and preparations were
made for the last sad offices of fare
well from those who were nearest and
dearest to him Oxygen had been
administered steadily but with little
effect in keeping back the approach
of death The president came out of
one period of unconsciousness only
to relapse into another But in this
period when his mind was partially
clear occurred a series of events of j
profoundly touching character Down
stairs with strained and tear stained
faces members of the cabinet were
grouped in anxious waiting They
knew the end was near and that the
time had come when they must see
him for the last time on earth This
was about 6 oclock One by one they
ascended the stairway Secretary
Root Secretary Hitchcock and Attor
ney General Knox Secretary Wilson
was also there but he held back not
wishing to see the president in his
lastagony There was only a mo
mentary stay of the cabinet officers
at the threshold of the death cham
ber Then they withdrew the tears
streaming down their faces and the
words of intense grief choking in
their throats After they left the sick
room the physicians rallied him to
consciousness and the president asked
almost immediately that his wife be
brought to him The doctors fell
back into the shadow of the room as
Mrs McKinley came through the
doorway The strong face of the dy
ing man lighted up with a faint smile
as their hands were clasped She sat
beside him and held his hand De
spite her physical weakness she bore
up bravely under the ordeal
All the evening those who had hast
ened here as fast as steel and steam
could carry them continued to arrive
They drove up in carriages at a gallop
or were whisked up on automobiles
One of the last to arrive was Attorney
General Knox who reached the house
at 930 He was permitted to go up
stairs to look for the last time upon
the face of his chief
Vitality Was Wonderful
At 937 Secretary Cortelyou who
had been much of the time with his
dying chief sent out formal notifica
tion that the president was dying
But the president lingered on his
pulse growing fainter and fainter
There was no need for official bul
letins after this Those who came
from the house at intervals told the
same story that the president was
dying and that the end might come
at any time His tremendous vitality
was the only remaining factor in the
result and this gave hope only of
brief postponement of the end
Shortly after midnight the presi
dents breathing was barely percepti
ble His pulse had practically ceased
and the extremities Avere cold It was
recognized that nothing remained but
the last struggle and some of the
friends of the family who had re
mained through the day began to leave
the house not caring to be present
at the final scene
Such an intense state of anxiety
existed among the watchers that ru
mors gained frequent circulation that
death had already occurred
Final Scenes in Death Chamber
From authoritative officials the fol
lowing details of the final scenes in
and about the death chamber were se
cured
The president had continued in an
unconscious state since S30 p m Dr
Rixey remained with him at all times
and until death came The other doc
tors were In the room at times anil
then repaired to the front room where
tjeir consultations had been held
About 2 oclock Dr Rixey noted the
unmistakable signs of dissolution and
the immediate members of the family
were summoned to the bedside Mrs
McKinley was asleep and It was
deemed desirable not to awaken lic r
for the last moments of anguish
Silently and sadly the members of
the family stole into the room They
stood about the foot and sides of the
bed where the great mans life was
ebbing away Those in the circle
were Abner McKinley the presidents
brother Mrs Abner McKinley Miss
Helen the presidents sister Mrs
Sarah Duncan another sister Miss
Mary Barber a niece Miss Sarah
Duncan Lieutenant J J McKinley a
nephew William M Duncan a
nephew Hon Charles G Dawes
comptroller of the currency F M
Osborn a cousin Webb C Hayes
John Barber a cousin Secretary
George B Cortelyou Colonel W C
Brown the business partner of Abner
McKinley Dr P M Rixey the fam
ily physician and six nurses and at
tendants
In adjoining rooms were the physi
cians including Drs McBurney Was
din Park Stockton and Mynter
It was now 205 oclock and the
minutes were slipping away Only the
sobs of those in the circle about the
presidents bedside broke the awe
like silence Five minutes passed
then six seven eight
Now Dr Rixey bent forward and
then one of his hands was raised as
in warning The iluttering heart was
just going to rest A moment more
and Dr Rixey straightened up and
with choking voice said
The president is dead
Secretary Cortelyou was the first to
turn from the stricken circle He i
stepped from the chamber to the outer
hall and then down the stairway to
the large room where the members of
the cabinet senators and distin
guished officials were assembled As
his tense white face appeared at tho
doorway a hush fell upon the assem
blage
Gentlemen the president has
passed away he said
For a moment not a word came in
reply Even though the end had been
expected the actual announcement
that William McKinley was dead fair
ly stunned these men who had been
his friends and counselors Then a
groan went up They cried outright
like children All the pent up emo
tions of the last few days were let
loose They came from the house
with streaming eyes
FIRST SAD RITES AT BUFFALO
Private Services at the Milburn
Hous 2 Rife With Pathos
Buffalo Sept 16 Buffalo yesterday
was a city of mourners The gay
and flaming decorations of the Pan
American exposition gave way to the
symbol of sorrow The black drap
ery of the citys streets muffled the
tolling of bells of the churches Bits
of crepe appeared on every sleeve The
sorrow was everywhere apparent In
the morning a simple service took
place at the residence on Delaware
avenue where the martyred president
died
A hymn was sung and prayers were
offered over the dead body That
was all Only the immediate family
and the friends and political asso
ciates of the late president were
present The scene was pathetic In
the extreme
The day was gray and cheerless
Long before the time set for the fu
neral services the vicinity of the Mil
burn house was astir with prepara
tions At 9 oclock long platoons of
police officers mounted and on foot
arrived at the grounds and were
posted in details along the streets ap
proaching the house For a block
in each direction the streets were
roped off to keep back the gathering
crowds The time was now approach
ing for the service The tramp of
the assembling military could be
heard and the walks leading up to
the Milburn house began to be lined
with those who were to be assembled
about the bier The naval contingent
from the gunboat Michigan had ar
rived only yesterday in order that all
branches of the military naval and
marine service might be fittingly rep
resented
President Enters House
It was just eight minutes before the
opening of the service when a covered
barouche drove up to the house bring
ing President Roosevelt As the
president passed within tie house and
the services were about to begin the
long line of soldiers and sailors
swung in columns of fours into Dela
ware avenue and formed in battalion
front along the beautiful thoroughfare
opposite the house and immediately
facing it On the extreme left were
the regulars on the right the sailors
and marines in the center the national
guardsmen They stood at parade
rest with colors lowered each flag
wound about its staff and bound with
crepe
Services had hardly begun when
there was a clatter of hoofs down the
avenue and four high stepping black
horses came into view drawing the
hearse which was to bear the casket
of the dead president It was a
heavy vehicle without plumes or any
trappings to relieve the dead black
The hearse halted at the corner to
await the conclusion of the services
In the House of Death
Within the house of death was woe
unspeakable In the drawing room
to the right of the hall as President
Roosevelt entered the dead chieftain
was stretched upon his bier On his
face was written the story of the for
bearance with which he had met his
martyrdom Only the thinness of his
face bore mute testimony to the pa
tient suffering he had endured He
was dressed as he always was In life
Tho black frock coat was buttoned
across tne ureasi wnere me urst uui
let of the assassin had struck The
black string tie below the standing
collar showed the little triangle cf
white shirt The right hand lay by
his side the left was across his body
Stricken Wife Takes Leave
Tho family had taken leave of their
loved one before the others arrived
Mrs McKinley the poor grief crushed
widow had been led into the chamber
by her physician Dr Rixey and had
sat awhile alone with him who had
supported and comforted her througu
all their years of wedded life But
though her support was gone she had
not broken down Dry eyed she gazed
upon him and fondled his lace She
did not seem to realize that he was
dead Then she was led away by
Dr Rixey and took up her position at
the head of the stairs where she
could hear the services The friends
and public associates of the dead pres
ident all had opportunity to view the
remains before the service began The
members of the cabinet had taken
their leave before the others irrived
When President Roosevelt reached
the head of the line of cabinet officers
he kept his head away from the cas
ket The president appeared to be
steeling himself for a look into the
face of him whose death 1 made
him the first ruler of the world The
tension in the room was great The
minister of the gospel stood with the
holy book in his hand ready to begin
Perhaps it might have been GO sec
onds It seemed longer Then the
president advanced one step He
bowed his head and looked down
upon the man whose burden and re
sponsibility he had taken up Long
he gazed standing immovable save
for a twitching of the muscles of the
chin as he labored with heavy breath
to repress his emotion At last h
stepped back Colonel Bingham the
aide to the president glanced in the
direction of Rev Charles Edward
Locke of the Delaware Avenue Meth
odist Episcopal church who was to
conduct the service The pastor was
at the door leading into the hall a
station whence his words could bo
heard at the head of the stairs The
signal was given and there swelled
out from the hall the beautiful words
of Lead Kindly Light sung by a
quartette It was President McKin
leys favorite hymn
When the singing ended the clergy
man read from the words of the loth
chapter of the First Corinthians All
had risen as he began and remained
standing throughout the remainder of
the service
The funeral director was about to
step forward to place the cover on
the casket when suddenly there was a
movement behind Governor Odell
Senator Hanna who had risen saw
that the last opportunity to look into
the countenance of his dead friend
had come Pressing forward in an
instant he was at the side of the cas
ket and bending over looked down
into it Almost two minutes passed
and then he turned away and the cof
fin was closed
Eighty Thousand Take Last Look
Then the body was borne out to
the waiting cortege on the brawny
shoulders of eight sailors and soldiers
of the republic The cortege passed
through walls of living humanity grief
stricken to the city hall
A remarkable demonstration oc
curred which proved how close the
president was to the hearts of the
people Arrangements had been
made to allow the public to view the
body from the time it arrived at
about 130 oclock until about 5
oclock But the people were wedged
into the streets for two blocks Two
lines formed They extended literal
ly for miles When 5 oclock came
40000 people had already passed and
the crowds waiting below in the
streets seemed undiminished It was
decided to extend the time until mid
night Then for hours longer the
streets were dense with people and a
constant stream flowed up the steps
of the broad entrance into the hall
and passed the bier When the doors
were closed at midnight it was es
timated that 80000 people had viewed
the remains but thousands of disap
pointed ones were still in the streets
The body lay in the city hall until
morning At 830 the funeral train
started for Washington over the Penn
sylvania railroad Mrs McKinley
the president the cabinet and rela
tives and friends of the dead presi
dent accompanied the remains Mrs
McKinley bore up bravely during the
service at the Milburn house and Dr
Rixey her physician thinks she will
be able to support her trying part In
the state funeral at Washington
A Rut ritory
One day not long ago said a brick
manufacturer one cf my workmen
paw three rats carrying a straw across
the brickyard It reemed such an un
usual sort of proceeding that he stop
ped his work to watch them Two of
the rats held the straw at opposite
ends while the third supported the
center They were making straight for
the river which flowed by one side of
the yard When they arrived at the
bank they laid down the straw and
took a long drink Then they proceed
ed to take up the straw again in the
same manner as before and returned
by the same way they had come
This so interested the workman
that he determined to watch if they
would come asain And sure enough
at about the same time the next day
they appeared carrying the straw ex
actly as before Having provided him
self with a gun he shot all three to
see if possibly ho might thereby solve
the mystery Ho discovered that the
rat in the center was blind and there
fore concluded that this was the ani
mals kind method of leading their
afllicted comrade to the water to
drink Philadelphia Inquirer
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First Step Taken in Prosecu
tion of Presidents Assassin
REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS-
Anarchist Is Stubbornly Silent When
Arraigned in Ccurt and Judge
Emery Appoints His Counsel Mur
der in First Degree Pronounced
Buffalo Sept 17 Leon CzulgoKZ
nlias Fred Nieman was Indicted by
the grand jury for murder in the
first depreo for the shooting of Presi
dent William McKinley at the Temples
of Music in the Pan American expo
sition grounds at 41G p in Sent
S When arraigned before Judge
Smery the prisoner stubbornly re
fused to answer questions repeatedly
asked of him by District Attorney
Penney as to whether he had couusel
or wanted counsel The district at
torney then suggested that inasmuch
as the detendant refused to answer
counsel should be assigned
Judge Emery assigned Hon Lorain
L Lewis and Hon Robert C Titus
former supreme court justices of this
city whose names had been suggested
by the Erie County Bar association
Czolgosz probably will be arraigned
today to plad against the indictment
After the indictment was returned
the prisoner was driven to tho jail
across the street from the hall Czol
golz was then taken under strong
guard through the tunnel under tho
street to the basement of the city
hall and up the stairs to the court
room on the second floor The pris
oner was shackled to a detective and
another detective held his other arm
Assistant Superintendent Cusack
marching in front and a number of
patrolmen behind When the prisoner
was taken before the bench the
crowd in the room surged about hirii
on all sides They were compelled to
resume their seats Czolgosz is of me
dium height of fairly good build and
has light crly hair but a ten days
growth of beard on his face gave hiin
an unkempt appearance Apparently Iir
feigned insanity not stupidity and
his glance roamed about but his eyes
were always downcast Not once did
he look the county prosecutor or thr
judge in the face
Judge Emery directed the officers
to notify the attorneys and remoi
the prisoner
Czolgosz was handcuffed to tho de
tectives who started out of tho court
room with him The crowds surged
after them but found the exit barred
by policemen Outside the court room
door the prisoner was surroundeu by
policemen and hurried dowrr stairt
into the basement whence he was
taken through the tunnel to tho jail
across Delaware avenue Whether he
was left there for the night or taken
elsewhere the police refused to say
District Attorney Penney said Jus
tices Lewis and Titus would bo noti
fied and given an opportunity to talk
with the prisoner
WOULD KILL NEW PRESIDENT-
Cleveland Man Says Secret Society
Will Give 50000 for His Murder
Cleveland Sept 17 Frank Idinp
22 years old a blacksmith was ar
raigned before Judge Kennedy at the
Central Police court yesterday on sus
picion of being implicated in a plot to
kill the president In a saloon on St
Clair street Idings is said to have
said I belong to a society that will
give 50000 to any man who will kill
President Roosevelt
Idings at his hearing did not deny
that he made the statement Ho was
remanded to jail and will be given a
hearing Wednesday In the meantime
the police will try to learn all about
the prisoner
First Yacht Race Sept 26
New York Sept 17 After a per
fectly harmonious meeting yesterday
at the New York Yacht clnb lasting
nearly two hours between the Amer
icas cup challenge committee and the
representatives of the Royal Ulster
Yacht club it was decided that as a
mark of respect to the memory of the
late president the date of the first race
for the Americas cup should be
changed to Sept 2G The succeeding
races are to tollow according to the
original plan so that they will be
sailed Saturday Sept 28 Tuesday
Oct 1 Thursday Oct 3 and Satur
day Oc 5
Will Release Chicago Anarchists
Chicago Sept 17 Efforts to con
nect the Chicago anarchists with a
plot to assassinate President McKin
ley will be abandoned and the pris
oners probably will be released today
Chief ONeill regards it as likely that
they will want for the present to be
allowed to stay in the city but
I it is feared their release just before
I the obsequies of the president wih
I be taken advantage of by violent per
sons
Throws Woman Out of Office
Jefferson la Sept 17 While in
the office of V H Lovejoy editor of a
local paper and a city councilman
Mrs Chamberlain made a slightir c
reference to President McKinley An
altercation followed Lovejoy tearfnjc
J off part of the womans waist choking
j her and finally browing hr out of
j the ofSce The age and sex ef th
j offender alone saved her from violence
1 from citizens
Unknown Falls Under Wheels
McPaul la Sept 17 A mart vs
found dead on the main line trc
near the depot yesterday The bo y
was badly mangled the head U zs
and one arm being separated from tt
bodv The dead man is unknown
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