The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-10

the American people so we'll know,
when suddenly the sharp crack of a re-
VolVer rang out loud and clear above
the hum Of voices, the shuff1ing of my
riad feet and vibrating waves of ap-
plause that ever and anon swept here
and there over the aSsemblage.
There was an instant of almost COM
plete silence. The president stood stock
still, look Of hesitancy. almost of be-
Wllderment on his face. Then he re-
treated a step while a pallor began to
steal over his features. The multitude,
only partially aware tnat something Sc
rious 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 assassin.
Two of them were United States secret
service men who were on the lookout
and whose duty it was to guard against
just such a calamity as had here befall-
en- the president and the nation. The
third was byStander. a negro, who
had only an instant previously grasped
in his duSky palm the hand of the pres
ident. AS one man the trio hurled them
selves upon the presidents assailant
In a twinkling he was bourne 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 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 noses.
The crowds that a moment before
had stood mute and motionless as in
bewildered ignorance of the enormity
of the thing, now with a single impulse
surged forward toward the stage of the
horrid drama. while a hoarSe cry SWELL
UP from a thousand throats and a
thousand men charged forward to lay
hands upon the perpetrator of the das-
tardly< crime.
For a moment the confusion was ter
rible. The crowd surged forward re-
gardless of consequences. Men shout
ed and fought: women screamed and
children cried. Some of these nearest
the doors fec from the edifice in fear
of a stampede, while hundreds of others
from the outside struggled blindly for
ward in the effort to penetrate the
crowded building and solve the mystery
of excitement and panic which every
moment grew and swelled the congeSt-
ed interior of the edifice
Inside on = slightly raised dais was
enacted within those few feverish mo-
ments a tragedy, so dramatic in char
acter, so thrilling in its intensity that
few who looked on will ever be able
to give succlnct account of what real
ly did transpire.
Even the actors who were playing
the principal roles came out of it with
blanched faces, trembling limbs and
beating hearts while their brains
throbbed with a tumult of conflicting
emotions which could not be clarified
into a lucid narrative of the events as
they really tIanspired.
M'KINLEY'S WONDERFUL CALM
NESS.
Of the multitude which witnessed
or bore a part in the scene of turmoil
and turbulence there was but one mind
which seemed to retain it's equilibrium.
one hand which remained steady, one
eye which gazed with unf1inching calm
ness, and one voice which held it's even
tenor and faltered not at the most crit
ical juncture. They were the mind and
the hand and the eye and the voice of
President Mckinley.
After the first shock of the assassin's
shots, he retreated a step, then a the
detectives leaped upon his assailant he
turned, walked steadily to a chair and
seated himself, at the same time re-
moving his hat and bowling his head in
his hands.
In an instant Secretary Cortelyou and
President Mllburn were at his side
His waistcoat was hurriedly opened,
the president meanwhile admonishing
those about him to remain calm and
telling them not to be alarmed.
But you are wounded" cried his Sec
retary, 'let lie examine"
mo, think not" answered the pres
ident. II am not badly hurt. assure
you
Nevertheless. his outer garments were
hastily loosened and when a trickling
stream of crimson was seen to wind it's
way down his breast, spreading its tell
tale stain over the white surface of the
linen, their worst fears were confirmed.
A force of exposition guards were on
the scene by this time and an effort
was made to clear the building. By