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The Commoner..
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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
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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-
