The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-07
CITY OF WASHINGTON rs
PARALYzED BY THE NEWS,
Feeling of Deepest Sorrow Pervades
the City Which Has Loved Me-
KinIey for Many Years.


WASHINGTON, Sept 6-The news of
I The shooting of President Mckinley
which reached Washington first through
the medium of the Associated Press late
this afternoon caused a tremendous SEN
sation. So frequent have been runners OF
this sort, often put af1oat in recent years
Tor stock Jobbing purposes, that the gen.
yerai disposition at first was to withhold
full accordance of the story of the
news. but when it was confirmed feel
ing of deep gloom and profound sorrow
spread over the city, for Mr.. McKinley's.
delightful personality had endeared him.
to the citizens of Washington, apart from
the official class, in degree that rarely
has been. equalled. 1t was some time be-
! fore the full force of the blow was APP,
prec1ated; the people We're stunned and
they could not. respond at once and fully
comprehend the extent of the great dis.
aster that had fallen upon the country
and themselves
Then the newspapers began to appear
the carriers rushed madly through the
streets and crowds of people began to
gather from all quarters. of the city
around the newspaper bulletin boards.
The telephone system of the city was
simply paralyzed for a time and so many
We're the calls upon the news offices and
upon officials who might be supposed to,
have. knowledge of the details of the,
shooting that the operators were over
Wheimed. A reported for the Associated
Press carried to the White house the.
first bulletin announcing the shooting of
the president The executive mansion
Was reached about 4:25 and at that time.
al its few inmates were in total ignor-
ance of the tragedy in which their chief
had just played so serious a part A
policeman paced up and down under the.
pertico as, usual but his serene counte-
nance indicated that he was totally ignor-
ant of the affair. Inside there were few
( to receive the news, the most prominent
{ parsonage there being a telegraph opera
tor, Assistant Secretary Pruden, who has
been in charge of the White house, hav-
ing left his office for the day, as had his
subordinates. The telegraph operator,
: two watchmen at the doors, the police
man on guard outside and the faithful.
colored servant, "Uncle Jerry were the.
only persons about the mansion.
WAS IN GOOD HEALTH.
They recalled with great satisfaction
the fact that when the president left
Washington he was in most robust
health and excellent spirits and that he,
babe all an affectionate farewell 1t was
recalled also that Mrs Mckinley said
this circumstance had much to do with
the presidents own condition later on
/ When he left here he was accompanied
by Mrs. Mckinley, Secretary Cortelyou,
Maj. Pruden, assistant secretary to the
president, and Col. Crooks, distributing
officer, both veterans of the White. house.
force, arrived together shortly after 5
O'Clock and assumed charge of the ex-
ecutive mansion. Maj. Pruden had pass
ed through a. similar experience when
President Garfield was shot, and Col.
Crook S service went back beyond the
Lincoln assassination He was in tears
when he said
Eyes. it is the third affair of this kind
since l came into the White house"
Such public men as were in the city
called during the evening. There were,
also calls from representatives of sew
/ eral foreign legations.
No official confirmation of the shooting
came to the White house for three hours
after it's occurrence, when Col Mont
gomery the chief operator at the White
house, was informed at 1929 o'clock by
Secretary Cortelyou at Buffalo, that u
surgical operation upon the president was
in progress. and that so far everything
is favorable. Later, he gave informa-
ton of the completion of the operation
and followed that statement with other
messages giving private information as
to the presidents condition and his re-
nnoval to Mr.. Milburns residence.
Dr. Rixey and Mrs. McKinley's nurse.
The force at the White house since the
presidents departure has been in con-
slant communication with him, and while
he has conducted most of the business
of his Office at his home in Canton the
majority of the papers with which he
has had to. deal. have been prepared in
Washington and forwarded through the
White house clerical force. All reports re-
-ceived from him by officials here were
cheerful and high spirited.
The work of the official day was done
when the news of the great calamity
arrived here; and the great executive
departments generally had emptied
themselves of their human workmen and
very few of the officials were to be found
at their desks.
Mr.. Adee, the acting head of the state
department, was caught at the station as
he was leaving for his country home
near Laurel Nd and returned at once
to the state department.
He waited for official oonffrmation of
the news and it was. not unit! he re-
ceiyed copy OF the bulletin issued by