The San Francisco call., 1895-10-12
BULLET ON THE WATER.
One Little Fishing incident
That Caused Increased
Vigilance.
GREAT RUSH TO GRAY GABLES.
"I Don't Look Much Like a Dead
Man," Said the Chief Execu-
tive to Visitors.

BUZZARDS BAY, MASS, Oct. IL
Things were very lively all day at Gray
Gables, and the quaint little cottage occu-
pied by the President saw more visitors
enter than ever before in its history. This
was due to the report which was scattered
broadcast all over the country that the
President had been assassinated. AS soon
as the quickest means OF locomotion could
carry them the town was invaded with
newspaper men, special detectives and
prominent business men from all over the
East, and the one objective point was the
little cottage occupied by the chief execu-
tive and his family.
When The CALL correspondent called on
President Cleveland he was seated in the
small library overlooking the bay, reading
from the mountain of kilograms which had
been received from all over the country.
He seemed to take the whole affair as a
huge Joke, but he made it his first object to
send dispatches to all the press associa-
tions and newspapers discrediting the
rumor.
Il don't look much like dead man, do
?n he asked OF the knot of newspaper
men gathered around. "No, it is all a
hoax, and one without the slightest foun-
dation."
In the afternoon he went out fishing,
and by night the quickly arrived guests
had all departed. The matter has been
kept very secret. but it is known that dur
ing the past month the force of private
detectives scattered in the vicinity of the
Presidents summer cottage has been large
ly augmented.
II has always been the custom for two or
more TO stay during the entire season,
while one sufficed at other times. Now,
however, the force has been increased to
five men, and at no time day or night is
their vigilance reIaxed. A person who is
very intimate with the President states
that it is only of late that he has decided
on the advisability of increasing his body
guard, and it was only by the greatest per-
suasion that he consented to do so. Dur
ing the whole summer the local police and
the special detectives had nearly a score of
persons under surveillance.
None showed any disposition for as
sassin-like tendencies, but the watch was
not relaxed one bit. They have arrested
several OF these people, but were unable to
fasten anything on them more serious
than the charge of vagrancy.
Mrs. Cleveland has had considerable to
do with the increase in the guard of de-
tectives. Even those who knew her at
Washington can recall the solicitude which
she always showed for the proper pro-
lection of her husband, and it was al her
special request that any special detectives
were taken to Gray Gables at ALL
A fact has just leaked out which has
considerable bearing on the wild rumors
which have been afoat. a few weeks ago,
when the President was out fishing, a bull
let struck the water only a short distance
away, having been fired from the shore
No special significance is attached to the
fact, as it was probably a random shot
fired by some imprudent gunner, which
had spent its force and had landed merely
by chance near the Presidents boat. The
effect, however, was considerable on Mrs
Cleveland, and even the President himself
was rather nonplused.
Since that time whenever he has gone
fishing the bay has been pretty well
patroIled by detectives, so that it has been
impossible for any one to walk along the
shores without being under observation
Another fact is that even here in the pri-
vacy of his summer home the Chief Execu-
tive has not been secure from cranks
Thus far they have been harmless, their
visits being mainly for the purpose of in
teresting the President in some wild
scheme, or to solicit monetary aid.
All these different inconvenience and
the prospect of some more murderous in
dividual making his appearance have
caused an air more or less of vigilance
around the Presidents home The in
creased force OF detectives will stay until
the departure of the President and his
family for the winter. An effort has been
made to keep the matter quiet, but it has
at last leaked out, and during the last few
days the President has been in receipt of a
constant stream OF kilograms and letters
from detective agencies and private men
from all over the country offering their
services.