Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-09-11
PRESIDENT M'KINLEY SHOT Down!

not felt the impact Of the bullets. While
he was speaking the officer aud secre-
tary Corte,you had been leading him
backward TO chair and had torn open
his vest. Blood was on bis shirt front
ana Detective Gerry, answering his
question. said:
Il fear you are. Mr.. President"
Secretary Cni1elyou sank ON one knee
beside the Presidents chair and gazed
anxiously into his face
"po not he alarmed said tie Presi-
dent 1T is nothing
His head SANK forward into his hands
a moment and then he raised it briskly.
while The stream Of crimson welled
from tie wound in his breast and
spread in an overwhelming circle on
his white shi,a front
But You are wounded exclaimed
2lr Cortelyou "let me examine"
NO. no" insisted the President, 4
am not badly injured, assure YOU"
With d bullet IN his breast and an
other through his stomach. he did not
lose consciousness. lie sat almost as
stancA and straight In his chair as
though his asSailant's shots had missed
and he seemed the calmest and least
perturbcd Of the immense gathering.
President Milhurn aud Secretary Cor
telyou were almost frantic with alarm,
but the wounded man continued to as
sue them that bis injuries were trid,
ing.
This dramatic scene upon the little
platform was enacted in the midst of
IT terrible tumult which continued un-
inte1ruptedly for many minutes.
When the secret service men and the
colored man first threw themselves
upon Czolgosz. the assailant Of the
/ President, and pianed him to the floor
| lest lie should try to use the revolver
again. twenty more men hurled them
selves upon the scrambling quartette
and buried CzolgOSZ from sight. Every
man in that struggling, crazy throng
was striving 10 get hold of Czolgosz, to
strike him. to rend him. to wreak upon
| him In aay way the mad fury which
possessed them instantly they realized
what he had done.
The greater part Of the crowd was
stunned for IN instant by tie enormity
| of the crime they witnessed. but when
| the reaction came hey surged forward
/ like wild beasts, the strongest tearing
! the weakest back ont of the way and
/ forcing themselves forward 10 where
! the prisoner was held by his captors
! All the time a tumult of sound filled the
/ place. a hollow roar at first, punctuated
| by the shricks Of women. swelling into
a medley Of yells and curses. Men
| said unintelligible thing as they push
| ed and crowded toward the center Of
| the swaying mob. They wanted 10
lynch Czolgosz whoever he was. They
i wanted to see him and they shouted
/ vainly at the police officers III front to
drag him out.
/ Mad Effort to Gain Revenge.
A little force Of exposition guards,
penncd in by the clamoring mob,
/ fought desperately TO hold their pris-
oner from the bloodthirsty crowd. They
/ hal Czolgosz safe and fast. His re
/ yolver had been wrenched from his
hand in the instant that Detective Ire
| land fell upon him and he was help
less, bruised and bleeding. His face
! was cut when he was thrown to the
| floor and dozen eager. vicious hands
! had struck at him and reached him
over the shoulders of the officers.
Slowly. very slowly. the little force
of police made way through the
I crowd. dragging the prisoner between
them. They wire determined there
should he no lynchins. Things We're
bad enough as it was, and lynching
would have been the browning horror
of the day.
+ From outside the building, where the
news had spread from lip to lip more
thousands pushed and jostled and
! shouted in their eagerness to enter the
! building. Those inside were struggling
in two directions the more timorouS to
escape from the place before a STAN
pede should crush out their lives and
the hot headed to reach Czolgosz- only
to reach Czolgesz was 5heir one idea,
PRESIDENT i eepe Ca III.
And thus the contcs. ragged while the
President sat, pale but calm, in the
midst of the excited little group on the
platform. 1t was impossible to take
him away ut the moment. Every door