The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-09-12

only failed in his plans should the
president recover and divine provi-
dence should grant that result.
Exposed to Attack.
The president, though guarded by
secret service detectives. was fully ex-
posed to such an attack as occurred.
He stood at the edge of the raised
dais on which stands the pipe organ
structure.
Throngs Of people crowded in at the
various entrances to gaze on their ex-
ecutive. perchance to clasp his hand.
and then fight their way out In the
good natured mob that every minute
swelled and multiplied at the points
of ingress and egress to the building.
The president was In cheerful
mood and was enjoying to the full
the hearty evidence OF good will which
everywhere met his gaze. On his
right stood John c. Milburn of Buffalo,
president of the Pan-American exposi-
ton, chatting with the president and
introducing to him especially persons
of note who approached.
/ Upon the presidents left stood Mr..
Cortelyou.
1t Nas shortly after p. m. whom
one Of the thronE which surrounded
the presidential party, medium sized
man of ordinary appearance and plain
ly dressed in black. approached ~ II
| to greet the president. Both 6ecro-
tary Cortelyou and President AilburB
noticed that the mans hand wlss
swathed In bandage or handker-
chief Reports Of bystanders diner
as to which hand. He worked his
way amid the stream of reople up to-
the edge Of the dais until he was with
in two feet of the president.
President Mckinley smiled, bowed
! and extended his hand In that spirit
Of geniality the American people -
we'll know, when suddenl,y the sharp
crack of Z revolver rang out loud and
clear above the hum Of voicecs the
stunning OF myrlads Of feet and VI
brating waves Of applause 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 bewilderment, on his face. Thea
he retreated step, while a pallor be-
gan to steal 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 t.
the rostrum where great tragedy
was being enacted.
} AssaIlant Borne to tho Ground.
Then came q commotion. With
the leap Of a tiger three men threw
themselves forward, as with one I'm
pulse, and sped toward the would-be-
ASSASSIN Two of the men were
United States secret service men, who
were on the lookout, and whose duty
1t was to guard against just such 4
calamity as had here befallen the
president and the nation. The third
was a bystander, a negro, who had
only an instant previously grasped
; in his dusky palm the hand OF the
: president AS one man the trio
hurled themselves upon the presi
dents assailant. In a twinkling he
was borne to the ground, his weapon
= was wrested from his grasp and
strong arms pinioned him down.
8 Then the multitude which thronged
the edifice begun to come to real
. izing scene of the awfulness OF the
. scene OF which they had been unwill
: ing witnesses.
murmur arose, spread and swelled
u to a hum of confusion. then grew to .
. babel of sounds and later to a pande
u monium of noises.
The crowds that a moment before
81 had stood mute and motionless as II
q bewildered ignorance of the enormity
e OF the thing, now, with single i'm
N pulse surged forward toward the stage
10 OF the horrid drama while a hoarst
'e cry swelled up from a Thousand
throats end e thousand men charged
's forward to lay hands upon the perpe
y traitor of the dastardly crime.
"a Confusion Was Terrible.
~ For a moment the confusion wa
y terrible. The crowd surged forwar'
'p regardless of consequences. Mel
50 shouted and fought, women screame'
ls and children cried. Some of thos
is nearest the doors fed from the edific
ID In fear of a stampede, while hur
~ dreds of others from the outside strul
"a gled blindly forward in the effort t
=. penetrate the crowded building an
~ solve the mystery of excitement an
~ panic which every moment grew an
VI swelled within the congested interiC
III Of the edifice.
Go Inside. on the slightly raised dai
at was enacted within those few feverif
ne moments tragedy sc dramatic
ys character, 30 thrilling in its intensit
that few who looked on will ever
'r- able to give succinct account of VIII
really did transpire. Even those wi
VI attended the president came out OF
iis with blanched faces, trembling lin
NJ and beating hearts, while their brai
nu throbbed with tumult of conhictil
III emotions which could not be clarin
Vi into lucid narrative OF the even
'hs as they really transpired.
ap OF the multitude which Witness
lin or bore part In the scene Of turm