found and also closed in the same way. The further course of the bullet could not be discovered, although careful search was made. The abdominal wound was closed without drainage. No injury to the intestines or other abdominal organ was discovered. The patient stood the operation well, pulse of good quality, rate of 130. Condition at the conclusion of operation was gratifying. The result cannot be foretold. His condition at present justifies hope of recovery. GEORGE B. CORTELYOU, Secretary to the President. NEWS AT THE WHITE HOUSE. The official announcement of the President's death was received at the White House at 2:35 o'clock, September 14, 1901, as follows: Col. B. F. Montgomery, Executive Mansion, Washington: Buffalo, September 14. GEORGE B. CORTELYOU. Immediately upon receipt of the official dispatch the following was sent to Secretary Cortelyou: Members of the executive staff in Washington are deeply affected, and beg to tender their profound sympathy to Mrs. McKinley. O. F. PRUDEN, Assistant Secretary. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH BY THE PHYSICIANS. MILBURN HOUSE, Buffalo, N. Y., Sept. 14. The following report of the autopsy upon the remains of President McKinley was issued at 5 o'clock: The bullet which struck over the breastbone did not pass through the skin, and did little harm. The other bullet passed through both walls of the stomach near its lower border. Both holes were found to be perfectly closed by the stitches, but the tissue around each hole had become gangrenous. After passing through the stomach the bullet passed into the back walls of the abdomen, hitting and tearing the upper end of the kidney. This portion of the bullet track was also gangrenous, the gangrene involving the pancreas. The bullet has not yet been found. There was no sign of peritonitis or disease of other organs. The heart walls were very thin. There was no evidence of any attempt at repair on the part of nature, and death resulted from the gangrene, which affected the stomach around the bullet wounds as well as the tissues around the further course of the bullet. Death was unavoidable by any surgical or medical treatment, and was the direct result of the bullet wound. At the residence of Mr. Ansley Wilcox, 641 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, N. Y., Mr. Root stepped forward and said, with deep emotion: "Mr. Vice-President, I have been requested on behalf of the Cabinet of the late President—at least those who are present in Buffalo, all except two-to request that for reasons of weight affecting the affairs of Government you should proceed to take the constitutional oath of President of the United States." THE VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPLY. "I shall take the oath at once in accordance with your request, and in this hour of deep and terrible national bereavement I wish to state that it shall be my aim to continue absolutely unbroken the policy of President McKinley for the peace and prosperity and honor of our beloved country.” ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ASSASSINATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES ABROAD. (From the Washington Post, Sept. 15, 1901.) DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Sir: It is my painful duty to announce to you the death of William McKinley, President of the United States, in the city of Buffalo, at fifteen minutes past 2 in the morning of to-day, September 14. Laid low by the act of an assassin, the week-long struggle to save his life has been watched with keen solicitude, not alone by the people of this country, who raised him from their own ranks to the high office he filled, but by the people of all friendly nations, whose messages of sympathy and hope, while hope was possible, have been most consolatory in this time of sore trial. Now that the end has come, I request you to be the medium of communicating the sad tidings to the Government of the honored nation you so worthily represent, and to announce that in obedience to the prescriptions of the Constitution, the office of President has devolved upon Theodore Roosevelt, Vice-President of the United States. Accept, sir, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration. JOHN HAY. ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE ARMY. [GENERAL ORDER NO. 13.] HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C. Sept. 16, 1901. With great sorrow, the commanding general announces the death of William McKinley, President of the United States and, by statute, Commander-in-Chief of the District of Columbia Militia, which occurred at Buffalo, N. Y., at 2:15 o'clock A. M. on September 14, 1901. Throughout his tragically terminated administration President McKinley was actively interested in the welfare of this organization and frequently gave it evidence of his sincere friendship. His distinguished services as soldier and civilian must incite to emulation and will result in purer patriotism and better citizenship wherever his career is studied. The national flag will be displayed at half-staff on all armories from sunrise to sunset of each day until sunset of Thursday, the 19th instant, on which day the remains of the late Commander-in-Chief will be interred at Canton, Ohio. The officers of the National Guard will wear the usual badge of mourning upon their swords, and the regimental and battalion colors will be draped in mourning for a period of thirty days. By command of BRIG.-GEN. HARRIES. CHARLES H. OURAND, Major and Inspector General, Acting Adjutant-General. BY DIRECTION of the Acting Secretary of War, the National Guard of the District of Columbia will assemble for escort and parade duty on Tuesday, September 17, 1901, to participate in the funeral of William McKinley, late President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the District of Columbia Militia. The brigade will assemble at 8:30 o'clock A. M., in column of companies, on Pennsylvania avenue facing east, its right resting on Nineteenth street northwest. The order of formation, from right to left, will be as follows. General staff and general non-commissioned staff. Brigade Band. Engineer Corps. Second Regiment of Infantry. Corps of field music. Signal Corps. Naval Battalion. Undress uniform, forage caps, leggings, white standing coilars, and white gloves will be worn; the Naval Battalion to be in its prescribed uniform. All members of the general staff and general non-commissioned staff, and the field officers and adjutants of regiments will be mounted, and will wear the prescribed undress mounted uniform. All commanding officers will assemble at the adjutant-general's office at 9:30 o'clock on the evening of September 16, to receive any special orders that may be issued. Commanding officers of companies will furnish their battalion adjutants with "morning reports" immediately after the parade is dismissed, noting thereon the names of all officers and men absent from the parade without leave. Commanding officers of regiments, separate battalions, and separate companies will furnish these headquarters with consolidated morning reports before 10 o'clock A. M. of the 19th instant; will see that all enlisted men absent without leave are properly dealt with, and will report to these headquarters the names of all commissioned officers so absent. By command of BRIG.-GEN. HARRIES. CHARLES H. OURAND, Major and Inspector General, Acting Adjutant-General. OFFICIAL ORDERS SENT OUT. SALUTES TO BE FIRED AND FLAGS LOWERED AFLOAT AND ASHORE. Secretary of State Hay and Secretary of the Treasury Gage, the only Cabinet officers in town, held a consultation on the morning of the 13th as a result of which the following order was issued: To the Secretary of the Navy: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Out of respect to the memory of the President, the executive departments will be closed to-day and on the day of the funeral. JOHN HAY. M P-VOL X-26 A similar order was communicated to all the heads and acting heads of the executive departments in Washington by government telegraph. They in turn issued the necessary orders for the closing of their respective departments, not only in Washington, but throughout the country. In a short time the large buildings were deserted, except by a few clerks detailed to aid their chiefs in the promulgation of necessary orders. In addition to issuing the order closing the Navy Department, Acting Secretary Hackett dispatched the following order to every commanderin-chief, to every navy yard, and to every United States ship, stating simply: It is with profound sorrow that the department announces to you the death of President McKinley at 2:15, September 14. The Acting Secretary also issued the following order to the naval branch of the United States: [SPECIAL ORDer No. 12.] NAVY DEPARTMENT, The President of the United States died this morning at 2:15, in the city of Buffalo, N. Y. Officers and men of the navy and Marine Corps need not to be reminded of the public and private virtues of their late Commander-in-Chief. The whole people loved William McKinley, for he loved and trusted them. As soldier, statesman, husband, and as a pure-minded, great-hearted American, his fame now belongs to his country. Under the Constitution, Theodore Roosevelt, previously Vice-President, has become President and Commander-in-Chief of the navy and Marine Corps of the United States. F. W. HACKETT, Acting Secretary. The ceremonies to be observed are provided for in the naval regulations as follows: Upon the receipt of official intelligence of the death of the President of the United States, the senior officer shall direct that on the following day the ensign and union jack be displayed at half-mast from sunrise to sunset, and guns fired every half hour from all ships present. Similar orders shall be given at naval stations. A naval regulation provides that salutes shall not be fired on Sunday except in cases wherein international courtesy would suffer from the breach. Therefore the firing of the guns will take place on Monday at those points where the department's announcement was received yesterday. ORDER TO THE ARMY. A dispatch was received at the War Department on the afternoon of the 13th from Secretary Root approving the draft of the order to the army, announcing the death of President McKinley. It was sent to all officers in command. The order follows: |