Passing of M’Kinley

Scenes at the Deathbed When the Spirit Winged Its Flight.

     Buffalo, Sept. 16.—William McKinley, 25th president of the United States, died at 2:15 o’clock Saturday morning from the effect of an assassin’s bullet.
     The death of President McKinley came in the small hours of the morning under circumstances of peculiar weirdness. For hours he had lain unconsciously with all hope of his survival abandoned. As early as 6 o’clock Friday night the physicians pronounced him a dying man, and soon thereafter the rigors of approaching death began to creep upon him. The administration of powerful stimulants was maintained until 7 o’clock, but with no effect. It was seen that the end was near at hand and those nearest and dearest to the stricken president were summoned for the offices of the last farewell. He came out of a stupor about 7 o’clock, and while his mind was partially clear there occurred the last endearments, the last submission of the sufferer to the will of the almighty, the last murmured expressions from his dying lips and the last goodbyes. In this interval of consciousness Mrs. McKinley was brought into the death chamber. The president had asked to see her. She came and sat beside him, held his hand, and heard from him his last words of encouragement and comfort. Then she was led away and not again during his living hours did she see him. The president himself fully realized that his hour had come. He whispered feebly, “Nearer My God to Thee,” the words of the hymn always dear to his heart. Then in faint accents he murmured, “Good bye, all. It is God’s way. His will be done, not ours.” With this sublime display of Christian fortitude the president soon after lapsed into unconsciousness.