The Woodruff County News.
O. W. KHAMKK, Editor.
McCRORY, - • ARKANSAS
President McKinley was right in ex
claiming after tne shots, “May God
forgive him.” There are few human
beings who will forgive the would-be
assassin. None can or will forget.
The World’s fair at St. Louis in 1903
is going to be such an unusual event
that many American cities are taking
up the idea of making a special dis
play independent of their respective
states.
Twenty years ago the late Senator
Ingalls introduced a bill in congress
to prevent undesirable immigration
to the United States. The people
were not ready for such an extreme
measure then, but it would be consid
ered mild now.
It is clear that an organization of
anarchists is established in the large
cities of the United States. Stamp it
out. The methods of assassins are
entirely foreign to the American
character, and are fostered only by
an undesirable foreign element.
Anarchists henceforth will be
marked men in every civilized nation.
The wanton murders they have com
mitted, and in which they glory, leave
no room for doubt. They are organ
ized assassins, and to shed the blood
of the innocent is their delight.
The New York Tribune says that
printing presses, elevators,sewing ma
chines and many other classes of ma
chinery are now constructed abroad
by American firms, while boots and
shoes, clothing and other products
are distributed abroad by branch fac
tories of large establishments in the
United States. This form of Ameri
can enterprise is a new interesting
development.
One section of the constitution of
the United tSates provides that in
case of the president’s removal,death,
resignation “or inability to discharge
the powers and duties of said office,
the same shall devolve on the vice
president,” but there has never yet
been any official or legal definition of
the exact scope of this word. It
would be as well to have the term au
thoritatively defined.
Emma Goldman, the high priestess
of anarchy, believes that “if there
were a God it would be necessary to
abolish him.” His hand, she says,
is against every man, and every man's
hand ought to be against him. In
justice to a law-respecting and God
fearing body of American citizens,
the distinction, sweeping and funda
mental as it is, between socialism and
anarchy, which are frequently con
founded, should be kept constantly in
mind.
If anything could crystallize the
sentiment of the country against the
hand-shaking custom, that every one
tolerates from exaggerated good na
tur, the shooting of the president
while in the act of grasping a villain’s
hnad should speedily do so. The
presence of detectives could not pro
tect him from an assassin. The per
sonal contact of the first citizen with
the lowest type of criminal was made
possible by a custom that American
politics has done much to foster.
The comments on the St. Louis
World’s fair by the press of the coun
try-all of them, of course, favora
ble-show that the interest in the
coming exposition is widespread. Eu
rope, too, as proven by the prompt
acceptances of the president’s invita
tion to the world to participate in the
affair, is taking great interest in
it. The time for preparation is short
er in St. Louis’ case than it was in
any of the previous world’s fair, but
“Nothing Impossible” is St. Louis’
motto.
The probability is that the presi
dent will have another day at the
Pan-American exposition. Just as
soon as he recovers—and the proba
bility is that will not be long de
layed—there will be a strong desire
on the part of most of his country
men that he be given a reception at
the expositon, under proper safe
guards. This demonstration would
attract many more persons than the
other one had; indeed, it would form
the nucleus of a celebration as long
and broad as the nation.
President McKinley, who has been
prostrated by the hand of an assassin,
has ever been a growing man in the
love and admiration of his fellow
countrymen. He has never spoken a
bitter word of anyone. lie has de
voted his life to^advancing the wel
fare of the nation, to bettering the
lot of all, and to binding- together
Americans of every section in amity,
mutual respect and opportunity. The
affection felt for him is not limited to
party lines, and yet a foreign bigot
must needs want to kill him.
A NATION MOURNS
DEATH OF PRESIDENT
“Cod's Will, Not Ours, Be Done,” Last Words of
Dying Statesman Uttered to His
Devoted Wife.
Milburn House, Buffalo, New York, September 14—Presi
dent McKinley died at 2:15 a. m. He had been unconscious since
7:50 p. m.
His last conscious hour on earth
was spent with his wife, to whom he
jdevoted a lifetime of care. He died
unattended by a minister of gospel,
but his last words were a humble sub
mission to the will of tae God in
whom he believed. He was reconciled
to the cruel fate to which an assas
sin’s bullet had condemned him and
faced death in the same spirit of calm
ness and poise which had marked his
long and honorable career. His last
conscious words, reduced to writing
by Dr. Mann, who stood at his bed
side when they were uttered, were as
follows: “Good bye, all; good bye.”
"It is God’s way. His will be done.”
His relatives and the members of
his official family were at the Mil
burn House except Secretary Wilson,
who did not avail himself of the op
portunity. Some others of his person
al and political friends also took
leave of him. This painful ceremony
was simple. His friends came to the
door of the sick room, took a longing
glance at him and turned tearfully
away. He was practically uncon
scious during this time. But the
powerful heart stimulants, including
oxygen, were employed to restore him
to consciousness for his final parting
with his wife. He asked for her and
she sat at his side and held his hand.
He consoled her and bade her good
bye. She went through the heart-try
ing scene with the same bravery and
fortitude with which she has borne
the grief of the tragedy which ended
his life.
The immediate cause of the presi
dent’s death is undetermined. His
physicians disagree and possibly will
require an autopsy to fix the exact
cause. The president’s remains will
be taken to Washington and there will
be a state funeral.
Vice President Roosevelt, who now
succeeds to the presidency, may take
the oath of office wherever he hap
pens to hear the news. The cabinet
will, of course, resign in a body and
President Roosevelt will have an op
portunity of forming a new cabinet
If he so desires.
The president revived before he
finally lost consciousness, and bade
his wife a tender farewell. He was
then heard to murmur words of the
hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee,”
Before 6 o’clock it was clear to those
Before 6 o’clock It was clear to those
at the president's 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 ad
ministered steadily, but with little ef
feet in keeping back the approach of
death. The president came out of
one period of unconsciousness only to
relapse into another. But in this pe
riod, when his mind was partially
clear, occurred a series of events of
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 o’clock. One by
one they ascended the stairway—Sec
retary Root. Secretary Hitchcock and
Attorney General Knox. Secretary
Wilson was also there, but he held
back, not wishing to see the president
in his last agony. There was only a
momentary 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 conscious
ness and the president asked almost
immediately that his wife be brought
to him. The doctors fell back into
the shadows of the room as Mrs. Mc
Kinley entered the death chamber.
The strong face of the dying man
lighted up with a faint smile as their
hands were clasped. She sat beside
him and held his hand. Despite her
physical weakness she bore up bravely
under the ordeal.
The president in his last period of
consciousness, which ended about
7:40, 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 God’s
way. His will be done.”
Then his mind began to wander and
soon he completely lost conscious
ness. His life was prolonged for
hours by the administration of oxy
gen and the president finally express
ed a desire to be allowed to die.
About 8:30 the administration of oxy
gen ceased and the pulse grew fainter
and fainter. He was sinking grad
ually like a child into the eternal
slumber. By 10 o'clock the pulse
could no longer be felt in his extrem
ities and they grew cold. Below
stairs the grief-stricken gathering
waited sadly for the end.
At 9:37 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 bulletins af
ter 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 on brief post
ponement of the end. Dr. Mynter
thought he might live until 2 a. m.
Dr. Mann said at 11 o'clock that the
president was still alive, and proba
bly would live an hour. Thus min
utes lengthened to hours, and mid
night came with the president bat
tling against death.
Secretary Root and Secretary Wil
son came from the house about mid
night and paced up and down the
sidewalk. All that Secretary Root
said was:
“The night has not come yet.”
Despite the fact that vitality con
tinued to ebb as midnight approached,
no efforts were spared to keep the
spark of life glowing. Dr. Janeway,
of New York City, arrived at the de
pot at 11:40 o'clock and drove at a
breakneck pace to the Milburn house.
He was shown to the president’s room
at once, and began an investigation of
the almost inanimate form.
Secretary Long arrived at the Mil
burn house at 12:06 o'clock. He had
the extreme satisfaction of seeing the
president alive, even though he was
not conscious of his visitor’s presence.
Vice President Roosevelt had been
notified early in the day of the crit
ical state of affairs. There was no
longer a doubt that in the approach
ing death of the president a complete
change in the executive administra
tion of the government would ensue.
Shortly after midnight the presi
dent’s breathing was barely percepti
ble. His pulse had practically ceased
and the extremities were cold. It
was recognized that nothing remained
but the last struggle and some of the
friends of the family who had remain
ed through the day began to leave
the house, not caring to be present at
the final scene.
The New* at WaHhirg on,
Washington, Sept. 13.—The news of
the expected death of President Mc
Kinley came as a crushing blow to
the nation's capital. Nowhere, per
haps, had the citizens been so full of
confidence in the ultimate recovery of
their beloved president, and the buoy
ant bulletins of the past week from
the sick bed had lulled them into a
false sense of security, which made
the shock terrible when the news that
the Buffalo tragedy would have a fa
tal ending came to them. All day
long the bulletin boards were sur
rounded with crowds, waiting in
suppressed excitement for the latest
word from the Milburn home, and nu
merous newspaper extras were eager
ly snapped up. Little word was done
in the great executive department, as
at the slightest excuse the clerks
dropped their pens and turned to talk
in small, awe-stricken groups of the
chances that their chief magistrate
had against death.
The three cabinet officers in the cap
ital were pictures of distress. Two
days ago Secretary Hay had left his
chief apparently on the road to re
covery. Secretary Hay prepared for
his sorrowful duty of conveying to
the nations of the world in official
form the news of the death of the
third American president through the
agency of an assassin’s bullet, within
the short space of one human life.
As the senior member in rank of the
cabinet, upon Mr. Hay’s shoulders,
also, will rest the burden of govern
ment of the great republic in the
short and important interval that
must elapse before the vice president,
under the terms of the const
assumes the cares and responsibilities
of the great presidential office.
Biographical.
William McKinley was born at
Niles, Trumbull county, O., on Jan
uary 29, 1813. He was educated at
the public schools in this village un
til nine years of age, when his fam
ily removed to Poland, Alahoning
county, 0., where he entered the Po
land academy, later going to Union
seminary, where he remained until
he was 17 years of age.
His course at Allegheny college,
Meadville, Pa., was interrupted by
ill-health, which compelled him to
leave school within a few months.
After a brief rest he became a teacher
in the public schools of the Kerr dis
trict, near Poland. He resided at
Poland and here joined the Methodist
Episcopal church.
With the breaking out of the civil
war he was a clerk at the post office
at Poland. He gave up his position
at the call for volunteers and on
June 11, 18G1, enlisted as a private
in Co. E of the Twenty-third Ohio vol
unteers. Among the officers of this
famous regiment were Gen. W. S.
Rosecrans, Rutherford B. Hayes, who
became president in 1877, and Col.
Stanley Matthews.
His military career was marked by
bravery and ability. He took part in
every engagement in which his regi
ment participated and seft-ved on the
staff of Generals R. B. Hayes, George
Crook and Winfield S. Hancock. °
Returning home, he studied law
frith Judge Charles E. Glidden at
Canton and at the Albany law school.
In March, 1867, he was admitted to
practice, and he at once attracted at
tention as a lawyer of distinct abil
itjr
nis record in congress is a long and
enviable one. He proposed anti-trust
and anti-option laws. He fought for
the adoption of an eight-hour law,
and his personal popularity, marked
by his deep faith in the people, be
came unbounded.
At two national conventions Will
iam McKinley had refused to become
a candidate before the great party
gathering in St. Louis in 1896, when
he was made the party’s standard
bearer on the first ballot. In 1888 he
forbade the use of his name, standing
firmly by Sherman as his choice for
the nomination, when his unspoken
acquiescence might have given him
the post at the head of the ticket. In
the convention of 1S92, though he was
a staunch supporter of Benjamin
Harrison and refused to allow the use
of his name, his name was presented
and he received 182 votes. As per
manent chairman of the convention,
he at once left the chair on the an
nouncement of this result of the first
ballot and presented the motion in
person that the nomination of Mr.
Harrison be made unanimous.
The St. Louis convention of 1898
was like a great ratification meeting
in that William McKinley was nomi
nated with a sweep on the first bal
lot. After serving three years he was
nominated at Philadelphia in the sum
mer of 1900 and re-elected that fall.
He was inaugurated for his second
term on March 4. 1901
PEOPLE YOU READ ABOUT,
Senator Clark’s Parisian house is
one of the handsomest in that city
and generally regarded as only sec
ond to that of ex-Queen Isabella of
Spain.
Nero was near-sighted. lie had a
transparent gem which enabled him
to watch the sport of the gladiators.
It was believed to have a magic prop
erty, but is now supposed to have
been an accidental lens.
Commissioner Kerr, head of the
city of London court, is retiring after
a long legal career. He is a native
of Glasgow and, at the age of 80, he
is entering upon the enjoyment of a
pension of $15,000 a year.
Alfred Vanderbilt, who is now the
head of his family, is one of the best
amateur tennis players in New York.
He is a good racquet player, too, and
during the winter is an enthusiastic
devotee of the latter game.
Andrew Carnegie has given $500
each to Slieddon, Law, Jones and
Dick, four miners who displayed con
spicuous bravery in the rescue of
their comrades at the time of the
recent Donibristle (Scotland) colliery
disaster.
Miss Helen Morton, daughter of
former Vice President Morton and
the fiancee of the second son of Due
de Talleyrand et Sagan, a great
grandson of Napoleon’s famous min
ister, was educated in Paris and is
an accomplished musician. She is of
a literary turn, too, and an expert
at many outdoor sports.
A traveler from Mexico has discov
ered in Buffalo Prof. Nuno, who gave
to the Mexican republic its grand na
tional air, “La Golondrina.” Prof.
Nuno is teaching music in the expo
sition city. He received but $300 for
his national air from the govern
ment, which selected it from among
many competitors.
Richmond Fearson Hobson, the
Merrimac hero, has become a partner
in a big cotton-buying firm, with
headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., and
agencies in 40 southern cities. The
firm is composed of \V. H. Beatty, a
first cousin of Hobson, and Joseph
M. Hobson, his brother. Hobson will
not retire from the navy, his new
connection being in the nature of an
investment.
WHAT THE LAW DECIDES.
A change in the color of a mortgaged
horse after the mortgage is given is
held, in Turpin vs. Cunningham (N. C.),
51 L. R. A. S00, not to defeat the right
of the mortgagee as against a subse
quent purchaser of the horse without
notice of the mortgage.
The right of a street railway com
pany to remove shade trees which.are
an obstruction to the road which it is
authorized to build is upheld in Miller
vs. Detroit, Y. & A. R. Co. (Mich.), 51
L. R. A. 955, without requiring com
pensation to the abutting owner,
though notice to him is required, as
well as an opportunity to remove the
trees if he sees fit.
.The liability of a land owner for a
nuisance created by another person
is held in Rockport vs. Rockport Gran
ite < o. (Mass.). 51 L. R. A. 779, to exist
in the ease of a derriek with a guy rope
stretched across a highway so low as
to be dangerous to travelers, where
the land owner permitted it to remain
after he had knowledge of it, though it
was erected by a licensee.
In the year 1735 the town of BostoQ
was divided into 12 wards.