Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-07-11
President Arthur's Escape.

President Arthur'S Escape.
1t wes through the window of Jones's
house in Washington that bullet intended
for the Chesterfeldan successor Of Garfield
sped vainly on its way. You never heard of
such thing? I don't wonder at that, because
the secret has never been disclosed before.
Arthur ded in ignorance of it. l received
permission the other night to iel! the tale,
as no reason now exists why it should be
buried in silence. One night, few days
ground and the Presidents life was still
hanging in the balance, the then city editor
of the Cincinnati Inquirer, who was in
Washington, became Impressed with the
Importance of having an interview with
Vice-President Arthur, who was at that time
domcled in the house Of John p. Jones.
He got into coupe and FASTENED TO the
bonanza kings residence, reaching there
about midnight. He was met by Senator
Jones, who told him that the Vice President
was in his bed and he would not like 10 dis
turb him at that hour, as Mr.. Arthur had
gained little rest since the assassina-
ton OF the President. He invited the news.
paper man, however, to mis- library and a
smoke, and the two sat down in q bay win
dow fronting upon the street and quietly
chatted about the singular events which
were at that time testing the endurance Of
republican institutions in this country The
air was warm and the easements were raised.
The waiting carriage was drawn Up in the
shadow of tree on the opposite side Of the
highway. The driver slept. Nothing dis
turbed the quiet of the scene except the oc-
casioual stamping of the restless horses. The
room was lighted only and intermittently
by the glow of the cigars behind which the
two men talked in subdued tones. Sudden
ly there was flash of light in front of the
window, sharp report, and bullet whis-
tied between the Senator and the scribe and
sank into the wall behind them. The wait
ing horse ratified his feet On the asphalt
pavement, his awakened driver uttered an
exclamation OF alarm, and footsteps were
heard hurrying away. The newspaper man
had sprung to his feet. Senator Jones
grasped his guests arm and whispered,
Don't move" "Some one fred in here"
said the journalist. II will pursue him y
do nothing of the kind" said Senator
Jones in an agtated whisper Make no
alarm. That villain could not be caught
now, and no one must hear of his attempt
lest others should he led to initiate it,"
"What do you mean ?" asked the ether in
surprise. 81 mean this That man thought
that he was shooting at the Vice President
of the United States, who, by reckless news
paper publications, ne has been led to be-
leve is indirectly responsible for Gartield's
fate. Mr.. Arthur must never hear OF this,
and, above all, the public must never hear
of it. | consider that Mr.. Arthur's life is in
your hands. II you publish this incident
other crsnks will repeat to.night's
attempt. I trust to your honor to keep
this event a secret" Women and
writer's for the press are generally
credited with an inability to preserve se.
cret, but that dramatic incident has never
until now been publicly told. I heard the
occurrence narrated by the journalistic par
ticipant in Senator Joness presence, and the
latter fully corroborated it, and added these
further historical facts sat that time Mr..
Arthur's friends had great difficulty in
keeping from him the threating letters
which poured in upon him. He was deeply
distressed by the unfortunate position in
which he found himself, and we dreaded
the result if he discovered that hundreds of
letters were addressed to him charging him
with Garfeld's assassination and threaten.
ing him with like fate. we'll remember
receiving at that time confidential letter
from Murat Halstead, editor Of the Cincin
natl Commercial in which he warned me
that he had credible information to the ef.
feet that seven men in Boulder county, Col,
had solemnly pledged one another to go to
Washington and take Arthur's life. told
Mr.. Arthur nothing of the matter, but 1
wrote to Mr.. Halstead that had no fear of
the Boulder county desperadoes or any 9TH
er men who took the trouble to register SOL
emn oaths and all that sort of thing, and
that the Vice Presidents only danger was
at the hands ofjust such cranks as Guiteau,
who would not indulge in predatory threats
and whose presence would only be amour
ced by knife thrust or pistol report. OF that
stripe was the man who fired into nv win
dow upon that night when he thought Ar
thur and I were together talking. g."-CorreS-
pondence Philadelphia Times.