Newspaper Page Text
the morning news.
J. H. ESTILL, President.
rmabUshed 1850. - - Incorporated 1888.
AN ASSASSIN’S BULLET
Sought the Lift of the Nation's Chief
Magistrate.
AT' THE POINT OP DEATH
President McKinley Lies Wounded and Suf
fering at Buffalo.
Mint Report* From HU Bedside Say He I* Resting Quietly and Strong
Hope* of lit* Recovery Are Entertained—The Murderous Shot* Fired
While the President W* Receiving at the Pan-American Expe
dition—Cowardly Assassin Advanced to Shake the President's
Hand and Then, With a Revolver Concealed in a Hand
kerchief, Fired Two Shots—lt Was the Second of
These That May Prove Fatal A Tender Wife
Watches at His Bedside, While a Nation, Re
ceiving the Sympathy of the World, Mourns.
Buffalo, Sept. 7.—At 3 a. m. the
following bulletin was issued:
"The President continues to rest
well. Temperature 101.6; pulse 110;
respiration 24.
“P. M. Rixey, M. D.
“George B. Cortelyou,
"Secretary of the President.”
Buffalo, Sept. 6.—President McKinley
was shot and seriously wounded by a
would-be assassin while holding a re
ception in the Temple of Music at the
Pan-American Exposition a few min
utes after 4 o’clock this afternoon. One
shot took effect in the right breast, the
other in the abdomen. The first is not
of a serious nature and the bullet has
been extracted. The latter pierced the
abdominal"wall and has not been locat
ed. At 10:45 p. m. the following bulle
tin by the attending physicians was
the oftly indication of the condition of
the President’s wounds:
’The President is rallying and is
resting comfortably. At 10:15 p. m.,
temperature 100.4 degrees, pulse 124,
respiration 24.
(Signed.) P. M. Rixey, M. B. Mann,
R. E. Parke, H. Eugene Wan
bin.
(Countersigned.)
“George B. Cortelyou,
“Secretary to the President.”
Just a brief twenty-four hours ago
the newspapers of the city blazoned
forth in all the pomp of headline type:
“The Proudest Day in Buffalo’s His
tory.” f '
To-night in sombre type, surrounded
by srewsome borders of black, the
same newspapers are telling in funereal
tones, to a horrified populace, the de
plorable details of “The Blackest Day
in the History of Buffalo.”
The President Lie* Prostrate.
President McKinley, the/ idol of the
American people, the nation's chief
executive, and the city’s honored
guest, lies prostrate, suffering
the pangs inflicted by the bullets of a
cowardly assassin, while his life hangs
In the balance.
Out on Delaware avenue, at the home
of John G. Milburn, president of the
Pan-American Exposition, with tearful
face, and heart torn by conflicting
hopes and fears, sits the faithful wife,
whose devotion Is known to all the
nation.
It was a few moments after 4 p. m.,
while President McKinley was holding
a public reception in the great Temple
of Music on the Pan-American grounds,
that the cowardly attack w’as made,
with what success time alone can tell.
Standing in the midst of crowds
numbering thousands, surrounded by
every evidence’of good will, pressed by
a motley throng of people, showered
with expressions of love and loyalty,
besieged by multitudes all eager to
clasp his hand, amid the surroundings
and with the ever-recurring plaudits of
an admiring army of sightseers ring
ing in his ears, the blow of the assassin
and in an instant pleasure gave
way to pain, admiration to agony, folly
turned to fury, and pandemonium fol
lowed.
A Surging, Swaying Throng.
To-night a surging, swaying, eager
multitude throngs the city’s main thor
oughfares, choking the streets in front
of the principal newspapers, scanning
the bulletins with anxious eyes and
Broaning or cheering In turn each suc
' ‘■•ding announcement as the nature of
the message sinks or buoys their
hopes.
Down at police headquarters, sur
,m nded by stern faced Inquisitors of
jiatrannal) fHotfrane Ifeto#.
the law, sits a medium sized man of
commonplace appearance, with his fix
ed gaze directed on the floor, who
presses his lips firmly together and lis
tens with an air of assumed indiffer
ence to the persistent stream of ques
tions, arguments, objurgations and ad
montions with which his captors seek
to induce or compel him to tell his
story.
The dally organ’recital In the splen
did Temple of Music witnessed the
dastardly attempt. Planned with the
diabolical Ingenuity and finesse of
which anarchy or Nihilism is capable,
the would-be assassin carried out the
work -without a hitch, and should his
designs fail and the President survive,
only to divine Providence can be attrib
uted that beneficent result.
He Was an Easy Victim.
The President, though well guarded
by United States secret service detec
tives, was fully exposed to such an
attack as occurred. He stood at the
edge of the raised dais upon which
stands the great pipe organ at the east
side of the magnificent structure.
Throngs of people crowded in to gaze
upon their executive, pressing
on to clasp his hand and
then fight their way out
In the good-natured mob that every
minute swelled and multiplied at the
points of ingress and egress to the
building.
The President was in a cheerful
mood and was enjoying to the full the
hearty evidences of goodwill which
everywhere met his gaze. Upon his
right stood John G. Milburn of Buffalo,
president of the Pan-American Expo
sition, chatting with the President, and
introducing especially persons of note
who approached. Upon the President's
left stood Mr. Cortelyou.
It was shortly after 4 p. m., when one
of the throng which surrounded the
presidential party, a medium-sized man
of ordinary appearance and plainly
dressed in black, approached as If to
greet the President. Both Secretary
Cortelyou and President Milburn no
ticed that the man’s hand was swathed
in a bandage or handkerchief. Reports
of bystanders differ as to his hand. He
worked his way amid the stream of
people up to the edge of the dais un
til he was within two feet of the Presi
dent.
The Shots Are Fired.
Mr. McKinley smiled, bowed and ex
tended his hand, In that spirit of gen
iality the American people so well
know, when suddenly the sharp crack
of a revolver rang out loud and clear
above the hum of voices, the shuffling
of myriad feet and vibrating waves of
applause that ever and anon swept
over the assemblage.
There was an instant of almost com
plete silence. The President stood stock
still, a look of hesitancy, almost of be
wilderment on his face. Then he re
treated a step while a pallor began to
steal over his features. The multitude,
only partially aware that something
serious had happened, paused In sur
prise, while necks were craned and all
eyes turned as one toward the rostrum
where a great tragedy was being en
acted.
Then cam® a commotion. With the
leap of a tiger three men threw them
selves forward as with one Impulse
and sprang toward the would-be as
sassin. Two of them were United
States secret service men. who were on
the lookout, and whose duty It wss
to guard against Just such a calamity
as nod here bfallen ths PrgaldSht en 4
SAVANNAH. GA.. SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 7, 1901.
the nation. The third was a bystand
er, a negro, who had only an instant
previously grasped in his dusky palm
the hand of the President. As one
man the trio hurled themselves upon
the President’s assailant. In a twink
ling he was borne to the ground, his
weapon was wrested from his grasp
and strong arms pinioned him down.
Then the multitude which thronged
the edifice began to come to a realiz
ing sense of the awfulness of the scene
of which they had been unwilling wit
nesses.
The Roar of the Mob.
A murmur arose, spread and swelled
to a hum of confusion, then grew to a
babel of sounds and later to a pande
monium of noises.
The crowds that a moment before
had stood mute and motionless, as in
be.vildered Ignorance of the enormity
of the thing, now with a single im
pulse surged forward toward the stage
of the horrible drama, while a hoarse
cry v/elled up from a thousand throats
and a thousand men charged forward
to lay hands up the perpetrator of the
dastardly crime.
For a moment the confusion was ter
rible. The' crowd surged forward re
gardless of consequences. Men shouted
and fought, women screamed and chil
dren cried. Some of those nearest the
doors fled from the edifice in fear of
a stampede, while hundreds of others
from the outside struggled blindly for
ward in the effort to penetrate the
crowded building and solve the mys
tery of excitement and panto which
every moment grew and swelled within
the congested interior of the edifice.
Inside, on the slightly raised dais,
was enacted within those few feverish
moments a tragedy, so dramatic in
character, so thrilling in its intensity,
that few who looked on will ever be
able to give a succinct account of
what really did transpjre. Even the
actors Vho were playing the principal
roles came out of It with blanched
faces, trembling limbs and beating
hearts, while their brains throbbed
with a tumult of conflicting emotions
■which could not be clarified into a
lucid narrative of the events as they
really transpired.
One Hand Was Steady.
But of the multitude which witnessed
or bore a part In the scene of turmoil
and turbulence there was but one mind
which seemed to retain its equilibrium,
one hand which remained steady, one
eye which gased with unflinching calm
ness, and one voice which retained Us
even tenor and faltered not at the
most critical Juncture. They were the
WILLIAM M’KtNLEY.
PRESIDENT OF THE TATTED STATES.
mind and the hand and the eye and
the voice of President McKinley.
After the first shock of the assassin's
shots, he retreated a step, then as the
detectives leaped upon his assailant,
he turned, walked steadily to a chair
and seated himself, at the same time
removing his hat and bowing his head
in his hands.
In an instant Secretary Cortelyou
and President Milburn were at his side.
His waistcoat was hurriedly opened,
the President meanwhile admonishing
those about him to remain calm and
telling them not to be alarmed.
“But you are wounded,” cried 1:1s
secretary. “Let me examine.”
“No, I think not,” answered the
President. “I am not badly hurt, I as
sure you.”
Nevertheless his outer garments were
hastily loosened, and when a trickling
stream of crimson was seen to wind Its
way down his breast, spreading its
tell-tale stain over the white surface
of the linen, their worst fears were
confirmed.
Cared for at the Ground*.
Immediately the President was cared
for at the Exposition grounds, Director
General W. I. Buchanan started for
the Milburn residence to forestall any
information that might reach there by
telephone or otherwise. Very luckily
he was first to arrive with the Infor
mation. The Niagara Falls trip had
tired Mrs. McKinley and on returning
to the Milburn residence she took leave
of her nieces, the Misses Barber, and
the President’s niece, Miss Duncan, as
well as their hostess, Mrs. Milburn and
went to her room to rest.
Mr. Buchanan broke the news as
gently as possible to the nieces and
consulted with them and Mrs. Milburn
as to the best t course to pursue In
breaking the news to Mrs. McKinley.
It was finally decided that on her
awakening, or shortly thereafter. Mr.
Buchanan should break the news to
her, if, in the meantime her physician,
Dr. Rixey, had not arrived.
Mrs. McKinley awoke from her sleep
at about 5:30 o’clock. She was' feeling
splendidly, she said, and at once took
up her crocheting, which, as Is well
known, Is one of her favorite diver
sions.
Immediately on Mr. Buchanan’s ar
rival at the Milburn home he had tel
ephone communications therewith cut
off, for already there had been several
calls, and he decided on this as the
wisest course to pursue, lest Mrs. Mc-
Kinley, hearing the continued ringing
of the telephone bell, might Inquire
what It meant.
While the light of day remained, Mrs.
McKinley continued with her crochet
ing, keeping to her room. When It
became dusk and the President had
not arrived she began to feel anxious
concerning him.
An Anxious Wife Walts for Him.
“I wonder why he does not come,"
she asked one of her nieces.
There was no clock in Mrs. McKin
ley’s room, and when it was 7 o’clock
she had no idea it was so late, and
this is when she began to feel anxious
concerning her husband, for he was
due to return to Mr. Milburn’s house
about 6 o’clock.
At 7 o’clock Dr. Rixey arrived at
the Milburn residence. He had been
driven hurriedly down Delaware ave
nue in an open carriage. As he came
up Mr. Buchanan was out on the lawn
conversing with a reporter.
At 7:20 o'clock Dr. Rixey came out
of the house accompanied by Col.
Webb Hayes, a son of ex-President
Hayes, who is a friend of President
McKinley. They entered a carriage
and returned to the Exposition Hospi
tal.
After Dr. Rixey had gone Director
General Buchanan said that the doc
tor had broken the news in a most
gentle manner to Mrs. McKinley. He
said she stood It bravely, though con
siderably affected.
If it was possible to bring him to her
she wanted it done.
Dr. Rixfty assured her that the Pres
ident could be brought with safety
from the Exposition grounds, and when
he left Mr. Milburn’s it was to com
plete all arrangements for the removal
of the President.
A big force of regular patrolmen were
assigned to the Milburn residence.
At 7:30 o’clock Secretary of Agricul
ture Wilson and Miss Wilson called
and were admitted to the Milburn res
idence.
The Bulletin of Cortelyou.
Secretary Cortelyou to-night gave
out the following statement:
"The following bulletin was issued
by the physicians at 7 p. m.:
“ ‘The President was shot about 4
o'clock. One bullet struck him on the
upper portion of the breast bone,
glancing and not penetrating; the sec
ond bullet penetrated the abdomen five
Inches below the left nipple and one
and a half Inches to the left of the
median line. The abdomen was opened
through the line of the bullet wound.
It was found that the bullet had pene
trated the stomach.
(Continued on Sixth rage.)
GRIEF REIGNS SUPREME.
The Capital City Mourns tor the
Stricken President.
WHOLE CITY IN TEARS.
Every House in Washington Is the Home
of Sorrow.
otnclal and Unofficial Business Suspended When the News That the
President Was Dangerously and Perhaps Fatally Wounded Reach
ed the City—Few Were at the Executive Mansion When the
News Was Carried There—Every Department Prepared
to Carry on the Extra Bardens of the Government.
The Succession to the Presidency, in the Event
of Mr. McKinley’s Death—Synllpathy of the
Army in Cuba Received at Washing
ton by Acting Secretary of War.
Washington, Sept. 6.—The news of
the shooting of President McKinley,
which reached Washington first
through the medium of the Associated
Press late this afternoon, caused a
tremendous sensation.
So frequent have been rumors of this
sort, often put afloat In recent years
for stock-jobbing purposes, that the
general disposition at first was to
withhold full acceptance of the story
of the news, but when It was confirm
ed a feeling of deep gloom and pro
found Sorrow spread over the city, for
Mr. McKinley’s delightful personality
had endeared him to the citizens of
Washington, apart from the official
class, in a degree that rarely has been
equalled.
It was some time before the full force
of the blow was appreciated; the peo
ple were stunned and they could not
respond at once and fully comprehend
the extent of the great disaster that
had fallen upon the country and them
selves. Then the newspaper extras be
gan to appear; the carriers rushed
madly through the streets and crowd*
of people began to gather from all
quarters of the city around the news
paper bulletin boards.
Flr. Sew* at the White Hon.e.
A reporter for the Associated Press
carried to the White House the first
bulletin announcing the shooting of the
President. The executive mansion was
reached about 4:25 o’clock, and at that
time all Its few Inmates were in total
ignorance of the tragedy in which their
chief had Just played so serious a part.
A policeman paced up and down under
the portico as usual, but his serene
countenance intimated that he was to
tally Ignorant of the affair.
Inside there were few to receive the
news, the most prominent personage
there being a telegraph operator, As
sistant Secretary Pruden, who has been
in charge of the White House, having
left his office for the day as had his
subordinates. The telegraph operator,
two watchmen at the doors, the police
man on guard outside, and the faith
ful negro servant, “Uncle Jerry,” were
the only persons about the mansion.
MaJ. Prudeil, assistant secretary to
the President, and Col. Crooks, dis
bursing officer, both veterans of the
White House force, arrived together
shortly after 5 o’clock and assumed
charge of the executive mansion. MaJ.
Pruden had passed through a similar
experience when President Garfield was
shot, and Col. Crooks’ service extends
beyond the Lincoln assassin. He was
in tears when he said:
“Yes; it is the third affair of the kind
since I came into the White House.”
Such public men as were In the city
called during the evening. There were
also representatives of several foreign
legations.
No official confirmation of the shoot
ing came to the White House for three
hours after Its occurrence, when Col.
Montgomery, the chief operator at the
White House, was informed, at 7:20
o’clock, by Secretary Cortelyou at Buf
falo that surgical operation upon the
President was in progress, and that
“so far everything favorable.”
Departments Art nt Once.
The work of the official day was
done when the news of the great ca
lamity arrived here, and the great ex
ecutive departments had generally
emptied themselves of their human
workmen and very few of the officials
were to be found at their desks.
Mr. Adee, the acting secretary of
state, was caught at the station as he
was leaving for bis country, home,
DAILY, A YEAR.
5 CENTS A COPY.
WEEKLY 2-TIME3-A-WEEK. 11 A YEAR
near Laurel, Md., and returned at onca
to the State Department.
He waited for official confirmation
of the news, and it was not until he
received a copy of the bulletin Issued
by the physicians through Secretary
Cortelyou that he undertook to ac
quaint officially the governments of all
the nations of the world with the facts
of the shooting.
He then drew up a message which
will be sent to every United States
embassy, legation and consulate
throughout the civilized world, direct
ing them to acquaint the governments
to which they were accredited with the
facts. These he embodied in a con
densation of the physicians' bulletin
with Mr. Cartelyou's statement.
In the Navy Department. Mr.
Hackett, the acting secretary, who had
also quitted the huilding, was recall
ed by Capt. Cowes, the acting head of
the Navigation Bureau, and he imme
diately put himself In readiness to take
any official action that might be neces
sary to meet the emergency.
At Buffalo, in the exposition grounds,
the navy had a splendid representation
in the shape of the marine battalion
under Capt. Leonard, and this force
will be made immediately available, if
It is decided by the persons about the
President that a guard is necessary
near his person.
At the War Department, Gen. Gil
lespie, chief of engineers of the army,
who was acting secretary, immediately
sent messages to the Secretary of War
and to Gen. Brooke, commanding the
Department of the East, giving such
unofficial information as was avail
able. He also telegraphed to Maj.
Simonds, the engineer officer stationed
at Buffalo, asking him to report the
facts at the earliest possible moment.
Conferences were held between Acting
Secretary Hackett and Gen. Gillespie
in reference to any Joint steps which
the army and navy might be called
upon to take.
The Army Well Represented.
In addition to the marines represent
ing the navy, the United States army
is well represented at Buffalo and at
the nearby Fort Niagara, and with the
troops thus at his disposal Gen. Gilles
pie says he is fully prepared to meet
any call that may be made upon him.
Gen. Gillespie finally got into commun
ication with Secretary Root and Assist
ant Secretary Sanger, and as a result
of the telephonic talk he proceeded to
use some of the forces at his disposal.
He telegraphed an order to Fort Fos
ter, N. Y., to have an officer, a physi
cian and a squad of men proceed im
mediately to the hospital where the
President Is lying to act as a guard.
Steps were next taken to provide for
the future of the executive branch of
the government. It was realized that
even under the most favorable condi
tions the President's Injuries are of
such u character as to make it almost
certain that he cannot undertake for a
leng time to discharge the duties of
chief executive, even in the most infor
mal way. Every member of the cabinet
able to travel is expected to speed at
once to Buffalo and there a* cabinet
council will be held to decide upon the
course to be followed by the executive
branch.
Succession to the Presidency.
Vice President Roosevelt, of course,
will hold himself in readiness to do
whatever is necessary, and to meet
the obligations imposed upon the Vice
President by the constitution of the
United States. These are contained in
paragraph C, section 1, article 2, In the
following words:
“In case of the removal of the Presi
dent from office, or of his death, resig
nation, or inability to discharge the
powers and duties of the said office,
the same shall devolve on the Vice
President,” etc.
Under the terms of this article, as
soon as Mr. Roosevelt is assured by
proper authority, probably in this case
by the senior member of the cabinet.
Secretary Hay, who will doubtless be
In Buffalo by to-morrow evening, he
will undertake at once. In a provlslon
(Contlnusd on Fifth Peg*,)