McKinley Assassination Ink: A Documentary History of William McKinley's Assassination

Publication information

Source: Paterson Weekly Press
Source type: newspaper
Document type: poem
Document title: “In Memoriam”
Author(s): Elmer, Agnes Robinson
City of publication: Paterson, New Jersey
Date of publication: 3 October 1901
Volume number: 37
Issue number: 40
Pagination: 1

Citation

Elmer, Agnes Robinson. “In Memoriam.” Paterson Weekly Press 3 Oct. 1901 v37n40: p. 1.

Transcription

full text

Keywords

William McKinley (mourning: poetry); McKinley assassination (poetry); William McKinley (death: poetry).

Named persons

William McKinley.

Notes

The condition of the newspaper (an online scanned document) is poor in places, rendering half of the letters in the author’s name illegible. Most likely the name is Mrs. Peter Elmer. Since the newspaper does not identify her place of residence, the presumption herein is that she resides in Paterson, which therefore makes her Agnes Robinson Elmer.

Punctuation is sometimes not fully legible in the original document. A best guess is given below as to what the punctuation is intended to be.

Document

In Memoriam

[For THE PRESS.]

A nation mourns a godly man
     As well as her exalted chief,
Slain in his prime by a coward’s hand
     Because of anarchist’s belief.

McKinley’s dead, yet still he lives,
     Forever in the hearts of men;
Gone to his Maker, He that gives
     And then takes to Himself again.

“Lead, Kindly Light,” his favorite hymn;
     The light he followed thro’ the years;
The light he saw when eyes were dim
     And closing on this vale of tears.

Gone to his rest, our noble dead,
     The rest at last he longed to find;
God’s blessing rest upon the head
     Of her he loved and left behind.

To those who watched, he faintly said:
     “God’s will, not ours, be done;”
Then san[?] to sleep, that blessed sleep
     That [God?] gives to his own.

Then wrap the flag, the dear old flag
     Around his honored bier,
And who shall scoff if on that flag
     The nation drops a tear.

Sept. 19, 1901.

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