Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-03
GUITEAU'S BULLET
President Garfield Was Shot Thir-
teen Years Ago Yesterday.
DR.. REYBURN'S HISTORY OF The CASE
The Exciting Scenes at the Depot
Graphically Rehearsed.
MOVED TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Thirteen years ago yesterday President
| Jas. A. Garfield was shot and MORALLY
wounded at the Baltimore and Potomac
depot by Charles GuiteGu.
| The history of that sad event and the
weary days of anguish that followed are
still fresh in the minds Of everyone No
one perhaps was more closely identified with
the tragedy than DIR. Robert Reyburn, one
| of the physicians in constant attendance
So 1t was eminently proper that DIR. Rey-
burn should write the history of the case
which has just come from the printers
The story of Dr. Reyburn is Interesting
and is published now for the first time.
He says:
His Urgent Summons.
ION the morning Of July ., 1881. at about
9:45 am. whilst in my office. l was sud
denly summoned by q messenger from DR..
d. w. Bliss who informed me that Presi-
dent Garfield had been shot by an assassin
at the Baltimore and Potomac depot, and
requesting my immediate assistance At
hrst l refused to go. being incredulous, but
after few minutes consideration, i deem
ed 1t advisable to go and see for myself II
there was any truth in the story. and drove
rapidly In the direction OF the depot. / was
soon certain that something terrible had
just happened. From all directions / could
see people Fastening toward the depot as
to common center. Fastening upstairs.
on my arrival. l saw President Garfield ly-
Ing on mattress. which had hastily been
procured for him, and which had been
placed on the floor of a room in the second
story Of the depot. He was lying in the
northeast corner of the room when l first
saw him. i asked him. Mr.. President, are
You badly hurt" He answered. Il am
afraid l am The President was deathly
pale almost pulseless and apparently dy-
ing from internal hemorrhage.
| Or Bliss was present surrounded by a
number of physicians. and was evidently
recognized by all who were there as in full
or the condition of the President when
first seen by Dr. Bliss, is verbatim copy
of his statement made to me at the time
and Immediately recorded by me in the note
book Of the case: i recognized q very
I feeble pulse OF about forty beats per minute
and marked pallor Of the face; skin cold
and covered with a clammy perspiration
There was signing respiration. which was
slow, being about twelve TO fourteen per
minute The lines of expression of the face
We're changed, and evidences of his having
recently vomited were apparent. l then
learned from DIR. Smith Townshend, who
had preceded me, that he had administered
one ounce of brandy and one drachm OF
aromat tic spirits of ammonia TO the Presi-
dent. then proceeded to examine the
wound. and carefully introducing my little
finger detected fractured portion Of the
/ eleventh rib. and determined that the ball
had passed downward into the abdominal
cavity. l found a clean cut wound four
inches to the right Of spinous process of
! twelfth dorsal vertebra, between the eleventh
and twelfth ribs After withdrawing my
finger i introduced a Nelaton probe with
great caution TO the extent of three inches,
where its progress was arrested by the
soft tissues. Deerning 1t hazardous to make
any forcible exploration dessted, and then
IL formed the medical gentlemen who were
present that l deemed 1t unwise to make
any further examination. l then asked the
physicians who were present to retire to
one of the corners of the room for CONSUL
tation there being no other available
place. respecting the propriety OF remov-
ing the President to the White House. and
whether or not more stirnulants should be
given. 1t was then thought best on account
of his weak condition to give him another
half ounce of brandy
Removal to the White House.
THE physicians present at this consulta-
ton were Drs. D. w. Bliss. Smith Town
shend, N. S. Lincoln. Basil Norris. T. 8.
Wales, John B. Hamilton, C. NJ. Ford, d.
C. Patterson. c. 3. Purvis and Robert Rey
burn. The President repeatedly and urgent
! ly requested that he should be removed to
the White House. After the examination
Of the wound, the President inquired to
the gravity of his injury. DIR. Bliss replied
to him that 1t was quite impossible to give
a definite opinion at this stage. Disgusting
/ his own fears as to the gravity of the case.
| The President complained very much of
weight and heaviness in his lower extremi-
ties. After a few minutes he said he had
/ sensation of tingling in his feet, and very
soon these sensations changed to severe and
distressing pains in the lower eXt-emities.
Half an hour after the injury the Presi-
dents pulse was fifty to the minute, and
| though feeble, was more full. After the
consultation, it was deemed eXpcdient to
remove the President to the White House,
and the ambulance was ordered for that
/ purpose. i think / can see now the sea of
] inlV
/ space in and around the depot as we car
ried him down stairs and through the depot.
with the mingled expressions of pity and
! CONSERVATION that sat upon each of them.
| The President tenderly and carefully
| taken up by eight men and carried on the
| mattress to the ambulance, and was slowly
driven to the White House, DIR. Bliss and
DIR. Townshend accompanying the President
/ in the ambulance.
At the time of his removal, 1880 a. M, he
complained of pains in his feet and legs
pulse sixty to sixty-fve. At II a. m, pulse
sevcnty-four, with E.ore character: patient
slightly restless, was offered water, which
he took with half an ounce of brandy At
ter arriving at the White House he received
hypodermic injection of one-quarter of
grain of sulphate of morphia and one
ninety-sixth of a grain of sulphate of afro
pia At l. a. m, pulse ninety -four, soft and
compressibie he complains of spasnodic
pains in the extremities, which he describes
as shooting up his legs toward the body
These pains became very severe. There is
a considerable hemorrhage which has taken
place from the wound since his arrival at
! the White House, and there is probably
also internal hemorrhage taking place AT
| l2"'o p. M, pulse. lightweight; no material
chanSe except interruption Of pulse; I2:4J D.
m. patient vomited. and on recovering him
| self said: well, Doctor, suppose that was
the result of your hypodermc" Att D. m.
pulse, Il" and very feeble. signing respira-
t'n but complains less of pain in the ex-
| tremltles has pain in right hip. At 30 D.
m patient is restless, has had nausea and
mas Vomlted twice; complains of constant
Itln III the Feet surface cool, temperature
oOS, respiration thirty to the minute The
| pulse and respiration are increasing in fire.
quency. whilst the temperature is falling.
an ominOuS sign.
| AT 10 PIN, pulse l2I and feeble Pain
| In the eXtremiticS continues about the
same; patient gives evidence of extreme
pfostrallon, 2:lJ pm. pulse ~ and q trife
better IN character; respiration, ~ per min
Ute; complains of much pain in the lower
| cxtremties. After consultation one-quar-
| ter of a grain of sulphate of morphia was
| given hypodermically; 2:4J pm, pulse 1lG
ana trifie more fun; respiration, Is per
minute; has less pain and feels more like
! sleeping; is thirsty and asks If it will injurc
! him to take water freely. At 4:30 pm.
| | ulse 13o pains in feet more severe. After
| Gems utation II was decided to give another
| quarter of a grain of morDha hypodermi-
| caliy. At i:l5 pm, pulse rs; resp!ra ton,
| 80 PER minute. Seems easier since hypoder-
mic injection, but has just vomited freely