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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1901)
4 The Commoner.. & i y Attempted Assassination of President McKinley Tho Associated Press sent out the following report of the attempted assassination of President McKinley: . Buffalo, N. Y., Sept. 6. Just a brief twenty-four hours ago tho newspapers of the city blazoned forth in all tho pomp of headline typo, "tho proud est day in Buffalo's history." Tonight, in sack cloth and ashes, in somber type, surrounded by gruesome borders of black, tho same newspapers are tolling in funereal tones to a horrified populace tho deplorable details of "the blackest day in tho history of Buffalo." President McKinley, tho idol of tho American people, tho nation's chief executive, and tho city's honored guest, lies prostrated, suffering tho pangs inflicted by tho bullet of a cowardly assassin, whilo his life hangs in tho balance. Out on Delaware avenue, at the homo of John G. Milburn, president of tho pan-American ex position; with tearful face and heart torn by con flicting hopes and fears, sits tho faithful wife, whoso devotion is known to all the nation. .It was a few moments after 4 p. m.f while President McKinley was holding a public recep tion in the great temple of music, on tho pan American grounds, that the cowardly attack was made, with what success time alone can teli. Standing in tho midst of crowds numbering thousands, surrounded by every evidence of good will, pressed by a motley throng of people, show ered with expressions of love and loyalty, besieged by multitudes, all eager to clasp his hands, amid these surroundings and with tho ever-recurring plaudits of an army of sight-seers ringing in his ears, the blow of the assassin fell and in an in stant ploasuro gave way to pain; admiration to agony, folly turned to fury and pandemonium fol lowed. Tonight a surging, swaying, eager multitude throngs tho city's main thoroughfares, choking tho streets in front of the principal newspapers, scanning the bulletins' with anxious eyes and groaning or cheering In turn each succeeding an nouncement as the nature of the message sinks or buoys their hopes. Down at police h&adqwartfert, Stfrrtmtiaed by stern-faced inquisitors of the law, is a medium sized man of commonplace appearance, with his fixed gaze directed on the floor, who presses his lips firmly together and listens with an air of as sumed indifference to the persistent stream of questions, arguments, objurgations and admoni tions with which his captors seek to induce or compel him to talk. It was just after the daily organ recital in tho splendid temple of ,music that the dastardly attempt was made. Planned with all the diabolical ingenuity and finnesse of which anarchy or nihil ism is capable, tho would-be assassin carried out tho work without a hitch, and should his design fail and tho president survive, only to Divine' Providence can bo attributed that beneficent result. Tho president, though well guarded by United States secret service detectives, was fully exposed, to such an attack as occurred. He stood at tho edge of the raised dais upon which stands tho great pipe organ at the east side of tho magnificent structure. Throngs of people crowded in at tho various entrances, to gaze upon their executive perchance to clasp his hand and then fight their, way out in the good-natured mob that every min ute 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 good will which everywhere met his gaze. Upon his right stood John G. Milburn of Buffalo, -president of the pan-American exposition, chatting with tho president, and introducing to him especially per-" sons of note who approached. Upon the presi dent's left stood Mr. Cortelyou. It was shortly after 4 p. m. when out of tho throng which surrounded the presidential party, a medium-sized mail of ordinary appearance and plainly dressed in black, approached as if to greet tho president. Both Secretary Cortelyou and Pres ident Milburn not'eed that the man's hand was swathed in a bandage or handkerchief. Reports of bystanders differ as to which hand. He worked his way amid tho stream of people up to the edge of the dais until he was within two feet of tho president. President McKinley smiled, bowed and ex tended his hand in that spirit of genialty tho American people so well know, when suddenly the sharp crack of a revolver rang out loud and clear abovo the hum of voices tho shuffling of myriad feet and vibrating waves of applauso that ever and anon swept here and there over the assem blage. There was an instant of almost complete si lence. The president stood stock still, a look of hesitancy, almost of bewilderment, on his face. Then he retreated a step while a pallor began to steal over his features. The multitude, only par tially aware that something serious had happened, paused in surprise while necks were craned and all eyes turned as one to tho rostrum where a great tragedy was being enacted. Then came a commotion; With the leap of a tiger three men threw themselves 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 whoso duty it was to guard against just such a calamity as had here befallen the president and the nation. Tho third was a bystander, a negro, who had only an instant previously grasped in his dusky palm tho hand of the president. As one man the trio hurled themselves upon the president's assailant. In a twinkling he was borne to the ground; his weapon wrested from his 'grasp and strong arms pinioned him down. Then the multitude which thronged the edi fice began to come to a realizing sense of the aw fulness of the scene of which they had been un willing witnesses. A murmur rose, spread and swelled to a hum of confirmation, then grew to a babel of sounds and later to a pandemonium of noises. The crowds that a moment before had stood mute and motionless, as in bewildered ignorance of the enormity of the thing, now with a single im pulse surged forward toward the stage of the. horrid drama while a hoarse cry welled up from a thousand throats and a thousand men charged forward to lay hands upon the perpetrator of the dastardly crime. For a moment the confusion was terrible. Tho crowd surged forward regardless of consequence. Men shouted and fought, women screamed and children cried. Some of those nearest the door fled from the edifice in fear of a stampede, while hundreds of others from the outside struggled blindly forward in the effort to penetrate the crowded building and solve the mystery of excite ment and panic which every moment grew and swelled within the congested interior of tho edi fice. 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 transpire. Even the actors who 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 Yhich could not bo clarified into a lucid narrativo of events as they really transpired. In the multitude which witnessed or bore a part in the scene of turmoil and turbulence there was one mind which seemed to retain its equilibrium, one hand which remained steady, ono eye which gazed with unflinching calmness, and one voice which retained its even tenor and falt ered not at the most critical juncture. . They were the mind and the hand arid the eyo and the vojco of President McKinley. After the first shock of the assassin's shot 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 re moving his hat and bowing his head in his hands.' In an instant Secretary Cortelyou and Presi dent Milburn were at his side. His waistcoat was hurriedly opened, the president meanwhile admon ishing those about him to remain calm and tell ing them not to be alarmed. "But you are wounded," cried the secretary. "Let mo examine." "No,. I think 'not," answered the president. "I am not badly hurt, I assure you." Nevertheless, his outer garments were hast ily 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 con firmed. 'i 4 A force of exposition guards were on tho scene by this time, and an effort was made to clear the building. By this time tho crush was terrific. Spectators crowded down the stairways from tho galleries, tho crowd on the floor surged forward toward tho rostrum, while, despite the strenuous efforts of police and guards, the throng without struggled madly to obtain admission. The president's assailant in the meantime had been hustled to the rear of the building 'by expo sition guards, where he was held while the buifd ing was cleared and later he was turned over to Superintendent Bull of the Buffalo police depart ment, who took tho prisoner to No. 13 police sta tion, and afterwards to police headquarters. As soon as the crowd in the temple of music had been dispersed sufficiently the president was removed in the. automobile ambulance and taken to the ex- position hospital where an examination was made. The best medical skill was summoned and within a brief period several of Buffalo's best known practitioners were at the patient's side. The president retained the full exercise of his faculties until placed on the operating table and subjected to an anaesthetic. Upon the first ex amination it was ascertained that one bullet had taken effect in the right breast just below the nip ple, causing a comparatively harmless wound. Tho other took effect in the abdomen about four inches below the left nipple, four inches to the left of tho navel and about on a level with it. Upon the arrival at the exposition hospital tho second bullet wound was probed. The walls of tho abdomen were opened, but the ball was not lo cated. The incision was hastily closed and after a hasty consultation it was decided to remove tho patient to tho home of President Milburn. This was done, the automobile ambulance being used for the purpose. Arrived at the Milburn residence all persons outside the medical attendants, "nurses and the officials immediately concerned, were excluded; and the task of probing for the bullet which had. lodged in tho abdomen was begun by Dr. Roswell Parke. When the news of the crime was tele phoned to the home of President Milburn, whero Mrs. McKinley was resting, immediate steps were taken to spare her the shock of a premature stato-i ment of the occurrence before the true condition of tho president should be ascertained. Guards were stationed andvno one was permitted to ap proach tho house. When it was decided to remove the president from tho exposition hospital to tho Milburn resi-