The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-15

stick ing point, and the President returned to
the white house as safe as he was unconscious
of the danger he had escaped,-The next op.
when the President first went to Long Branch
leaving his wife there and returning to Wash.
ingtOn. II was we believe, the second Satur-
day before the fatal Saturday on which the ia.
tai shot was fired:
! About twenty-five minutes after nine the
President and his carriage aud servants and
friends came up. He got out of his carriage.
! | stood In the ladies room about the middle
of the room, watching him. Mrs. Garfield got
out, and they walked through the ladies room,
and the presence of Mrs. Garfield deferred me
from firing on HIM WAS all ready; my mind
was all made up; had all my papers with
me; had all the arrangements made to shoot
him and to jump into a carriage and drive
over to the jail. Mrs. Garfield looked so thin
and she chung so tenderiy to the Presidents
arm that | did not have the heart to fire on
him. He passed right through the ladies re.
cepuon room, through the main entrance, and
took the cars.
Then he decided he would do the shooting
when the President returned and he met him
on Monday q: the depot for that purpose; but
again his courge failed. Then he logged him
all week until Saturday, July I'd, when he
knew the Presdint would again start for Long
Branch, and when, at last, he felt his nerves
equal to the effort and
HIS MIND FULLY MADE VI.
went to the depot, and | got there about
ten minutes after nine. There were three or
four hackmen there who were very anxious to
serve me, when finally noticed colored man
and | said to him. "What will you take me out
to the Congressional Cemetery for?" He says,
"Well, | will take you out there for So" "All
right" sand |, ''lf | want to use you | will lei
you know"
then went into the depot and took my pri.
vate papers which intended for the press Gin.
ciuding a revised edition OF my book, The
Truth, a Companion to the Bible'), and step
ped up to the news stand and asked the young
man in charge if could leave those papers
with nm few moments, and he SAID, Ger
,ainly;' and he placed them up against the
wall on top of some other papers. THIS was
about twenty minutes after nine, and | went
into the ladies reception room, and looked
around, saw there were a good many people IN
the depot, and carriages outside, but | did
not see the Presidents carriage. examined
my revolver to see that il was all right, and
took off the paper had wrapped around it to
keep the moisture off. l waited five or SIX
minutes longer sat down on seat In the la
dies room, and very soon the President drove
up. Ie was IN company with gentleman
who | understand was Mr.. Blaine, and | am
satisfied that he was Mr.. Blaine, although |
did not recognize HIM. The President seemed
to be IN very earnest and private conversation
with Mr. Blaine.
The President got out on the pavement side
and Mr. Blame on the other side. They en-
tered the ladies' room; | stood there watch
ing the President, and they passed by me. Be
fore they reached the depot had been prom
enadng up and down the ladies' room between
the ticket Office door and the news stand door,
and walked up and down there | should say
some two or three times, working myself up
as knew the hour was at hand. The Presi
dent and Mr.. Blaine came into the ladies' room
ard walked right by me; they did not notice
me, as there were quite anumber of ladies and
children in the room.
HOW THE PRESIDENT FELL.
There was quite large crowd Of ticket pur-
chasers at the gentlemen's ticket office in the
adjoining room; the depot seemed to be quite
full of people. There was quite a crowd and
commotion around, and the President was in
the act of passing from the ladies room to the
main entrance through the door. should say
he was four or five feet from the door nearest
the ticket office, in the act Of passing through
the depot to get on the cars. He was about
three or four feet from the door. | stood five
or SIX feet behind him, right in the middle of
the ROOM and as he was IN the act of walking
away from me I pulled out the revolver and
fired. He Strengthened up and threw his head
back, and seemed to be perfectly bewildered.
He did not seem to know what stuck him, |
looked at HIM; he did not drop: thereupon
pulled again He dropped his head, seemed to
reel, and fell over. do not know where the
first shot hit him; | aimed at the hollow of
his back; | did not aim for any particular
place, but knew If | got those two bullets in
his back he would certainly go. | was in a
diagonal line from the President, to the north
west, and supposed both shots struck.