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

dent that Il guard Is necessary near his
person.
AT the war department General Gil
lespie. chief OF the enginetrs OF the
army, who was acting secretary. I'M
mediately sent messages TO the secre-
tary OF war and TO General Brooke.
commanding ue department or he
east, giving such ':noslciai information
as was available. He also telegraphed
TO Major Simonds the engineer oshceE
stationed at Buffalo. asking him TO re-
port the facts At he earliest possible
moment Conferences were held be-
tween Acting Secretary Hackstt and
General Gillespie in reference 10 any
joint steps which the army ard navy
might be called upon 10 take.
In addition to the marines represent
ing the United States. the army is well
represented at Buffalo and at nearby
Fort Niagara and with the troops thus
at his disposal General Gillespie says
he is fully prepared 10 meet any call
that may be made upon him. General
Gillespie finally got into communica-
ton with Secretary Root and Assis-
tant Secretary Sanger and as = result
of the telephone talk he proceeded To
use some of the forces at his disposal.
He telegraphed an order TO Fort Eos
ter, y. Y, 70 have an officer. a physi-
clan and a squad OF men proceed i'm
mediately TO the hospital where the
pESSIuSll - lying 10 act as u
Steps were next taken To provide for
the future OF the executive branch OF
the government. II was realized that
even under the most favorable con-
ditions the presidents injuries are OF
such character as to make IL almost
certain that he cannot undertake for
a long time to discharge the duties OF
chief executive, even in the most form
al way
Every member of the cabinet able
to travel is expected to speed at once
to Buffalo and there a cabinet eoun.-
ell will be held to decide upon the
course to be followed by the executive
branches. Vice President Roosevelt, of
course, will hold himself in readiness
to do whatever is necessary and to
meet the obligations imposed upon the
vice president by the constitution OF
the United States. These are contain
ed in paragraph 6. Section i, Article II,
in the following words:
I'm case of the removal OF a president
from office, or of his death, resignation.
or inability to discharge the powers and
duties of the said office, the same
shall devolve on the vice president"
etc.
Under the terms OF this article as
soon as Mr.. Roosevelt is assured by
proper authority, probable, in this case.
by the senior member Of the cabinet,
Secretary Hay, who Will doubtless be
in Buffalo by tomorrow morning, he
will undertake at once in q provisional
way to discharge such duties as may
deVolve on him. Much Will depend
upon the report Of the physicians upon
the character of the presidents wound
as TO the extent to which Mr.. Roose-
welt will discharge the presidential
duties, if he undertakes them at all,
and it is almost certain that in the alb
sence of great emergency in public af-
foiy Iai N
obligations, the vice president viii
confine himself in the exercise OF his
powers to the discharge OF the most
routine and Indispensable functions,
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Major Pruden, assistant secretary to-
the president and Colonel Crooks. dis
bursting officer both veterans OF the
White house force, arrived at the White
house together shortly after ) O'Clock.
and assumed charge of the executive
mansion.
Major Pruden has passed through a
similar experience when President
Garfield was shot and Colonel Crooks
service went pack beyond the Lincoln
assassination. He was in tears when
he said: Yes. il is the third affair
Of the kind since ] came into the White
house"
Such public men as were in the city
called during the evening. There were
also representatives of several foreign
legations.
No official confirmation OF the shoot
ing came TO the White house for three
hours after it's occurrence, when Colo
mel Montgomery, the chief operator ar
the White house, was informed at 1920
o'clock by Secretary Cortelyou at Buff
falo that the surgical operation upon
the president was in progress and that
$50 far everything was favorable"
THEORY OF THE SECRET SERVICE
1t is the opinion OF the secret ser
vice officials IN this city that the shoot
ing Of the president Is an outcropping,
in some obscure way, OF the Hay Mar
ket riots and that IL will be found event
ually that Neiman, the would-be assas-
sin. has some connection with the group
of persons associated in the Chicago
anarchists riot. The secret service
officials are of this opinion because OF
the name Of the man. and the fact that
he is probably from the same general
section of the country as some OF the
Hay Market participants. The secret
service bureau had the Paterson. -. J.,
group Of anarchists very thoroughly
under surveillance and are confident
Neiman has no association with these
people. Three secret service operatives
were in Buffalo about the president at
the time Of the shooting. and another
was on the way TO Cleveland.
While the theory Of the secret ger
vice here Is as stated. at the same time
no facts concerning the matter are az
this time known TO the secret service
bureau, SO IL is conceded 10 be but a
surmise at present that they belong to
the Hay Market gang.
CONFERENCE AT WAR DEPART
MENT.
During the early evening a conference
was held at the war department. of such
prominent army officers as could be
gathered at short notice by General Gil
lespie He informed them that he had
communicated with General Brooke at
Governors island and that the general
had replied that he would start in1me-
diatelly FOR Buffalo where he expected
in the early morning 10 take personal
charge Of all arrangements made for the>
guarding OF the presidential household
Meanwhile he had directed that the