People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-06-17

United States. 1t was upon corner of
the old Armory square where DR.. Bliss
had ministered to thousands of soldiers.
President Garfield had been a union
soldier. Behind the door of the depot
stood half-crazed, unsuccessful Office
seeker, named Guiteau. He held in his
hand revolver and with it shot twice
at the president. One shot took effect
and the great and good man fell upon
the floor. Secretary Blaine called for
assistance; a lady in charge of the
ladies' room Of the depot rushed to his
side and raised the head of the stricken
man into her lap, while she stroked his
forehead with her trembling hands
The assassin was captured. The ap.
parently dying president was taken to
the white house, and DR.. Bliss, the
former surgeon in charge of old Armory
Square general hospital, was summoned
as attending surgeon.
Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa. hao
been secretary of the interior. His
daughter Mary had married Robert T.
Lincoln, the son of President Lincoln.
DR.. Bliss had for many years been the
family physician of the Harlan family.
Robert L. Lincoln, son of the lamented
martyred president, was secretary of
war in the Garfield administration. He.
OF course, knew DIR. Bliss. It was bv
his order that DR.. Bliss was summoned
to take charge of the case, and. al
though never published before, that
is the exact truth of the story of
how DR.. Bliss came to be called in
as surgeon in charge of the fatally
wounded President Garfield. | knew
Dr. Bliss intimately, and from his Inns
| learned the story of his connection
witt mat case. also know Robert I.
Lincoln, who is now our minister to
Great Britain, and he confirmed the
statement of DR.. Bliss.
But the fact that the president was
wounded upon the site of the old
Armory Square hospital and that he
was attended by the celebrated sur
geon in charge of that hospital was
never revealed or published until to-
day. James f. Linden, an old and ex-
perienced clerk in the pension division
Of the war department, who knows all
OF the history of the hospitals of the
war, IN conversation the other evening
gave me the materials for the greater
part of this letter. We were talking of
the historic buildings of the national
capital, when ! mentioned the fact that
! had written for this paper an account
OF the fish commission. lie immediate
ly said: Ibid you know TIT that build
ing in which the fish commission is To-
Gated was the greatest hospital in
Washington during the ware" He then
proceeded to tell about it. He said:
"All OF the worst and most dangerous
y wounded cases were taken to Armorv
square; first, because it was nearest
the river, so that the sufferers had less
distance to travel over the rough roads
from the steamboat landing. and.
second, because DR.. Bliss was the best
surgeon in the city. The records of the
war department show some of the most
remarkable cases in traumatic history,
some of the miracles of surgical skill.
under the treatment of DR.. Bliss. This
is one of the unwritten chapters of war
history, with which everybody should
be conversant. All Of your old soldier
readers would be interested in it, and
thousands of the sons and daughters of
veterans and their hosts of friends
would be glad to know these things. ("
Mr.. Linden is right, and upon his sug-
gestion | have written you this letter.
SMITH D. Fry.