The Portland daily press., 1881-07-06
The Assassination
THE STORY AS TOLD BY OUR WARH-
INGTON CORRESPONDENT.
Her Account OF the Scenes at the Capt.
tai When and After the Shot was
Fired.

cal tutor of the Presidents sons; the Secretary
OF the Treasury and Mrs. Window; the Secre
tary of the Navy and Mrs Hunt; the Postmas-
ter General and Mrs. James; the Secretary Of
War; Judge Advocate General Swain, and
Col. Jamison of the Post Office Department
AT New York they were to join Mrs Garfield
and go to lryington on the Hudson, to the
commencement of Williams College, to St. Al
bans, VT, to the White Mountains, to Port
land and Augusta, where Secretary Blaine was
to receive them and take them along the
Maine coast in a revenue cutter, and, finally.
by way of Boston, Concord N H., and Hart
ford back to Washington by the Goth of this
month.
Secretary Hunt and Mrs. Hunt, Secretary
Window and Mrs Window, Postmaster Cen
efal James and the rest Of taeparty lad taken
their seats in the car. Col. Jamison who was
to have charge Of the transportation of the
party, was standing at the gate leading to the
cars. Secretary Blaine was not going with the
President but came down to bid him good bye,
and the President and he were walking slowly
arm in arm toward the train.
Somewhere, but nobody seems to know
where, the assassin was waiting. The Presi-
dent stopped to ask official how much time
remained before train time consulting his
watch as he did SO. A flash, loud report.
and the Presidents arm fell by his side with
bullet in it. Instantly there was second re-
| port, and as the second ball struck him he fell
to the floor. This ball, nearly half an inch in
diameter, entered the right side just above the
third rib. The assassin, seeing his work done,
| tod wit In hoe
the carriage which he had engaged to wait for
him. He ran directly into the hands of an Of
| fetal and without the smallest attempt at re-
sistance declared that he did the shooting that
he was a stalwart of stalWarts, and that Gem
| eral Arthur would now be President. He was
taken to the police headquarters, where he
obligingly furnished the officers with his card: ::
and later, for safety, to the jail.
| A mattress was Immediately procured and
upon it the President was carried up stairs,
while the crowd outside grew as only a crowd
can grow. The room into which he was car
ried was wholly unfurnished SO that there was
not even chair to serve the needs of the doc
tors, and those in attendance held the surgical
| instruments and stimulants.
| AT the end Of an hour it was decided to take
| the sufferer home,an he was.placed in the DO
lice ambulance and driven rapidly to the
| White House, accompanied by Col. Corbin and
two physicians, escorted by squad of mount
| ed police and accompanied by the members of
the Cabinet as soon as they had sent hurried
dispatches in all directions. An excited crowd
followed the ambulance at run and all along
the avenue was the greatest commotion. The
| crowd rr1c IN ha aI, AZ
awaited the coming of the procession. First
came mounted policeman at gallop little
way in front of the ambulance Immediately
around the ambulance were eight other mount
ed policemen. The vehicle went at full gallon
up the south side of the avenue Several ply
sicians preceded the cayalcade in carriages and
the rear was covered by four mounted officers.
The gates at the east entrance to the White
douse grounds, south Of the Treasury, were
thrown open as the ambulance approached and
the mournful procession entered. The crowds
OF people following were left outside by the
closing OF the great gates, and policemen were
stationed at every entrance to prevent them
from invading the grounds. The ambulance
was driven to the south entrance of the build
ing and the President was carried to the south
WeSt CllanDer on Jne second floor.
-Four foot batteries and a mounted detach-
ment of light battery, about one hundred
and fifty men in all, were ordered on duty be-
fore the President was removed. Some we're
stationed at the depot and others at the Whit
House grounds, the latter still remaining on
duty and sleeping at night in the open air un-
der their blankets. Sentries were detailed to
patrol the grounds and the policemen at the
gates were strict in prohibiting the entrance of
visitors. There were hundreds of people in
front of the grounds all day. Men, women
and children, black and white about equally
divided, clung to the iron pickets of the fence
eagerly seeking reports Of the Presidents con-
dition
The news OF the attempted murder of the
President flew through the streets with mar
vellous quickness. AT first it was receiyed
with entire disbelief. Yet little groups were
formed along Pennsylvania Avenue discussing
the hundreds of rumors that were afloat. Hum
dreds of people rushed to the Baltimore and
Potomac depot to see if the truth was as bad
as the report. Mounted messengers from the
departments dashed up and down the avenue
shouting the news they had received to those
called into use and their drivers carried every
rumor that could be gathered. One mounted
messenger from the Treasury department rode
up and down Fifteenth street shouting to the
anxious crowds on the sidewalks that the
President had just died. The telegraph offices
were packed with people sending messages to
their friends. The brokers' offices were filled
with spectators awaiting the quotations of
stocks from New York.
Still, the state of excitement as seen in the
streets at any time is easily exaggerated
Everywhere were to be heard expressions of
sympathy with the President and his family,
of regret that such reproach should be brought
against the American name and institutions
through the action of a lunatic or fanatic, of
wrath against him and others of his ilk But
the talk of 'lynch law was rare and there
were but few minutes, probably, when vio-
lence was TO be feared. The papers tell of the
scene about the depot between the time of the
shooting and the time of the Presidents re-
moval as one Of wild confusion. This is not
true. The crowd was immense but it was
quiet and circulation through it was easy The
interference OF the police was not once really
necessary, except to issue directions. Even
when the President was brought out to the
ambulance there was 10 clamor. Those stand
| ing near raised their hats in token of respect
and with little clearing of the way the pro-
| cession hurried to the White House. 1t was a
| serious crowd, queted by horror. The anx-
| ious throng that stood all day before the White
| House was of the same kind. Every precau-
tion was taken by the authorities, as was
| proper, but do not believe there has been
| danger of mob since the first half hour after
| the news began to spread.
The departments of course suspended work
| as soon as the news was confirmed. Who
| could sit calmly to write after such shock?
| Almost Immediately after the event officials of
| every grade arrived on the ground as if by
| miracle, and those who returned to their
desks were thankful when o'clock set them
| at liberty.
| Mrs. MacVeagh being informed of the attemp-
| ted assassination as soon as it occurred went at
once to the White House and personally made
| all arrangements for the Presidents reception
before he was removed from the depot Mrs.
Blaine was also one of the first to reach the
White House. She had not gone to the depot
and was able to do much to make the sufferer
| comfortable. Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Window
| were also at the White House. All the men,
| bers OF the scabinet were there, seated in the
library awaiting reports Of the physicians who
| were with the President.
| Mrs. Garfield arrived by special train at
6.45 p. M, having been delayed at Borrie by
the breaking of sthe engine. special engine