Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-09-12
It was shortly after four o'clock,

Both Secretary Cortelyou and Presi-
dent Milburn noticed that the mans
hand was swathed in bandage or
handkerchief. Reports of bystanders
differ as to which hand. He worked
his way amid the stream of people
up to the edge of the dais until he
was within two feet of the president.
President Mckinley smiled, bowed
and extended his hand in that spirit
of geniality the American people so
well know, when suddenly the sharp
crack of a revolver rang out lond and
clear above the hum of voices. the
shutting of myriad feet and vibrating
waves of applause that ever and anon
swept here and there over the as
semblage.
There was an instant of almost COM
plete silence. The president stood
stock still, look of hesitancy, almost
of bewilderment on his face. Then he
retreated a step while pallor began
to steal over his features. The null
titude, only partially aware that
something serious had happened,
paused in surprise, while necks were
craned and all eyes turned as one
to the rostrum where great tragedy
was being enacted.
Then came a commotion. With the
leap of tigers three men threw them
selves forward, as with one impulse
| Il
sassin. Two of them were United
| States secret service men who were
on the lookout and whose duty it was
to guard against just such calamity
| as had here befallen the president
and the nation. The third was a by
stander, a negro, who had only an in
slant previously grasped in his dusky
palm the hand of the president. AS
one man the trio hurled themselves
upon the presidents assailant. In a
twinkling he was borne to the ground,
| his weapon was wrested from his
| grasp and strong arms pinioned him
| down.
Then the multitude which thronged
the edifice began to came to a real
iZing sense of the awfulness of The
scene of which they had been un-
willing witnesses.
\ murmur arose, spread and swelled
to hum of confusion, then grew to
demonium of noises.
The crowds that a moment before
had stood mute and motionless, as n
bewildered ignorance of the enormity
of the thing, now, with a single inn
pulse surged forward toward the
stage of the horrid drama, while a
hoarse cry welled up from a thousand
threats and thousand men charged
forward to lay hands upon the perpc-
traitor of the dastardly crime.
For a moment the confusion was
terrible. The crowd surged forward
regardless of consequences. Men
shouted and fought, women screamed
and children Grief. Some of those
nearest the doors fled from the edifice
in fear of stampede, while hun
dreds of others from the outside
struggled blindly forward in the eff
fort to penetrate the crowded build
ing and solve the mystery of excite
ment and panic which every moment
grew and swelled within the longest
ed interior of the edifice.
Inside on the slightly raised dais
was enacted within those few feverish
moments, tragedy so dramatic in
character, so thrilling in its intensity
that few who looked on will ever be
able to give a succinct account of
what really did trapspire. Even those
who attended the president came out
of it with blanched faces, trembling
limbs and beating hearts, while their
brains throbbed with tumult of con-
flicting emotions which could not be
clarified into lucid narrative of the
events as they really transpired.
Of the multitude which witnessed or
bore a part in the scene of turmoil
there was but one mind which seemed
to retain its equilibrium, one hand
which remained steady, one eye which
gazed with unfinching calmness and
one voice which retained its even
tenor and faltered not at the most
critical juncture.
They were the mind and hand and
eye and the voice of President Nc
Kinley.
After the first shock of the assas-
sins shot he retreated a step, then,
as the detectives leaped upon his as
sailant, he turned, walked steadily to
a chair and seated himself, at the
same time removing his hat and bow
ing his head in his hands.
In an instant Secretary Cortelyou
and President Milburn were at his
side. His waistcoat was hurriedly
opened, the president meanwhile ad-
monishing those about him to remain
calm and telling them not to be
alarmed.
"But you are wounded" cried his
secretary, 'let me examine"
mo, think not" answered the |
president. 81 am not badly hurt, I |
assure you"
Nevertheless his outer garments