Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-09-14

of note who approached. Upon the
Presidents left stood Mr.. Cortelyou
It was shortly after p. m, when
enc Of the throng which surrounded
the presidential party, medium-sizel
man of ordinary appearance, and plain
ly dressed in black, approached as If
to greet the President.
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.
Sharp Crack of the Revolver.
President Mckinley smiled, bowed
and extended his hand In that spirit
of geniality the American people 80
well know, when suddenly the sharp
crack Of revolver rang out loud and
clear above the hum of voices, the
shutting Of myriad feet and vibrati1g
waves of applause that ever and anon
swept here and there over the Assem-.
blage.
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 be-
gan to steel over his features
The multitude, only partially aware
that something serious had happened,
paused in surprise, while necks were
craned and all eyes turned as one
toward the rostrum where a great
tragedy was being enacted
Then came a commotion. With the
leap of tiger three men threw them
selves forward, as with one impulse
and sprang toward the would-be assas-
sin. Two OF them were United States
secret service men who were on the
lookout. and whose duty it was to
guard aginst just such a calamity as
had here befallen The President of the
nation. The third was bystander, a
negro who had only an instant pre-
viously grasped in his dusky palm the
hand of the President. AS one man
the trio hurled themselves upon the
Presidents assailant. In twinkliag
he was borne to the ground, his wea-
pom was wrested from his grasp and
strong arms pinioned him down.
Then the multitude which thronged
the edifice began to come to a realizing
sense of the awfulness OF the scene
of which they had been unwilling wit
nesses.
A murmur arose. spread and swelled
to a hum of confusion, then grew to
babel of sounds and later to a pande
monium Of noises.
Crowd Surged Forward.
The crowd that a moment before
had stood mute and motionless as in
bewildered ignorance of the enormity
OF the thing, now with a single i'm
pulse surged forward toward the stage
of the horrid drama, while a hoarse
cry welled up from a thousand threats
and a thousand men charged forward
to lay hands upon the perpetrator of
the dastardly crime.
For moment the confusion was ter
rible. The crowd surged forward re-
CARELESS of consequences.
Men shouted and fought, women
screamed and children cried. Some of
those nearest the doors fed from the
ediflce in fear of a stampede, while
hundreds of others from the outside
struggled blindly forward in the effort
to penetrate the crowded building and
solve the mystery of excitement and
panic, which every moment grew and
swelled within the congested interior
of the edifice
Inside, on the slightly raised dais,
was enacted within those few feverish
moments a tragedy so dramatic in
character, so thrilling in it's intensity
that few who looked on will ever be
able to give a succinct account of what
really did transpire. Even the actors
who We're playing the principal roles
came out of it with blanched faces,
trembling limbs and beating hearts,
while their brains thrObbed with
tumult of conflicting emotions which
could not be clarified into lucid mar
rative of the events as they really
trsre- 'v.l.
Evt OF the multitude which wit
messed or bore a part in the scene OF
turmoil and turbulence there was but
one mind which seemed to retain its
equilibrium, one hand which remained
steady, one eye which gazed with un-
flinching calmness, and one voice
which retained its even tenor and fall
tered not at the most critical juncture.
They were the mind and the hand and
the eye and the voice of President Nc
Kinley.
President Remained Calm.
After the first shock of the assas-
sins shots, 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 hurried!y
opened. the President meanwhile Cd