The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-08
How Two Other Presidents
Were rIurdered by Fanatics


was confidently predicted by his doctors.
The first check to the favorable symptoms
occurred on the 1Sth--two weeks after the
shooting. On the 23rd the President suf-
| fered a serious relapse and on the next
| day an incision was made along what
was supposed to be the path Of the wound
| to allow the escape of pus there collect
ed This was followed by improved symp-
| toms. On the 2Sth there was recurrence
of the fever, but this soon passed and
there were favorable reports until Au-
| gust 9Th. On the 10th another incision
was made along the wound; following
| this the reports became daily less en-
courag cling until the 18th, when the doc
tors acknowledged the patients condition
| as serious. NOurishment and medicine
had to be administered by injection, and
! another incision made to liberate the pus
| in the wound. On the 25th he was again
| pronounced as in critical condition,
though on the 9th improvement was
| shown.
| On September 4th the President was
| moved to the New Jersey coast in the
| hope that the change might do him good
| and for awhile this seemed to be the re-
| suit, for on the Sth his symptoms seemed
| very favorable; but on the 18th reports
| began to fluctuate and continued to do so
till the 10th. when serious relapse came,
and from which he never rallied dying
on the 18th, at 1895 O'Clock.
During President Garfields sickness
there had been criticisms and discussion
of the Medical treat
THE EXACT ment being admins
NATURE tered, and so after
OF THE WOUND. his death q post
norton examination
was held. 1t was found that the ball,
after fracturing the right eleventh rib,
had passed through the spinal column in
front of the spinal canal, fraCturing the
first lumbar vertebra and driving the
splinters of bone into the eshy parts.
The ball lodged about two inches below
the pancreas (sweetbread) and half to
the left of the spine and behind the peri
tonaeum, where it had become complete
ly encysted. The immediate cause of
death was a secondary hemorrhage from
one of the nesenteric arteries adjoining
the track of the ball, the blood rupturing
| the peritonaeum, and nearly pint escap-
ing into the abdominal cavity.
| AS in the case of President Garfield,
| the illness of the President may be long
and painful, and in
| IN CASE OF the meanwhile the
DEATH conduct of the ad-
OF MCKINLEY. ministration will de-
pend upon the mem
bers of the Cabinet vi when Secretary
Hay is the premier. Nj Roosevelt viii,
be officially nothing more than the pre-
siding officer of the Senate unless he is
called upon to succeed the President.
Pending the President Hines the Cabi-
net will meet from time to time.
Should his wounds prove fatal. Vice
President Roosevelt will probable be re-
qrired to take the oath of office Of Presi-
dent OF the Cn,ted States wiicre&er he
may be at the time, without delaying to
go to Washington for that purpose.
The more favorable reports from the
Presidents physicians encourage the
hope that he may live, but the gravity of
the situation renders it important that
everything should be in readiness.
1t is now stated that President McKin-
ley has never taken seriously the warnings
received of designs upon his lie. He has
never indicated the least apprehension
bodyguard
In Washington he has Wake the streets
freely, and his everfailing amiability for
all classes of people has seemed all the
protection needed.
In spite of his unwillingness to ,ecog-
nize the possibility of danger, he has
never been without protection while in
Washington, whether walking or driving,
at his desk in the White House ~ en-
joying the privacy of domestic life. A
bodyguard has kept watch over him rom
a distance, often without his knowledge.
In reference to his objections to be ac-
companied by detectives while at the
capital, the men delegated by Major Rich
ard Sylvester, chief of the Washington
police force. have been kept at dis
lance from him and performed their du-
ties in manner not to attract attention
On all occasions when the President s
appearance in public was likely to at
tract crowd men detailed to guard him
have been kept along the outskirts OF he
crowd, away from the President, out SO
situated as to be able to interpose II any
one advanced toward him.