The suburban citizen., 1901-09-14

traction. His smooth, rather pointed
face would not indicate his purpose in
Staying the nations Executive
The secret service men noted that
about his right had was wrapped hand
kerchief As he carried the hand up
lifted as if supported by sling under
his coat, the officers believed his hand
was injured, and especially as he extend
ed his left hand across the right so as to
shake hands with the President 1t was
noticed that the person who was in front
of the assassin held back, apparently to
shield the young man, so that it was nee
essary for Ireland to push him on.
The organist had now reached the cli
max to the wild strains of the sonata. A
more inspiring scene could hardly be
imagined Innocently facing the assas-
sin the President smiled a smile of dig
nifty and benevolence as he extended his
right hand to meet the left Of the sup
posedly wounded hend.
AS the youth extended his left hand
he, quick as a flash, as il trained by long
practice whipped out his right hand
the one which held the pistol Before
anyone knew what was transpiring two
shots rang out, one following the other
after the briefest portion of second.
For the first moment there was an aw-
full hush. The sonata died instantly the
people stopped and could not breathe.
Then there was pandemonium. The
Chief Executive it was kRown, had been
shot
The President drew his right hand
quickly to his chest, raised his head and
his eyes rolled. He swerved a moment
reeled and was caught in the arms ol
Secretary Cortelyou, to his right
Catching himself for the briefest sec
ond the President, whose face was now
of the whiteness of death, looked at the
assassin as the officers and soldiers bore
him to the floor and said feebly and with
the most benevolent look it is possible to
imagine:
inlay God forgive him"
The President was carried first one
way, then a step in another direction
The excitement was so sudden that for
a moment no one knew what to do. FL
nally someone advised carrying him in
side the purple edge of the aisle and seat
ing him on one Of the chairs.
The bunting was in a solid piece. No
one had time to produce a knife had he
been able to think of such thing A
couple of men tore the benches aside and
trampled the bunting down, while Mr..
Milburn and Secretary CortelyOu half
carried the President over the line and
into the passageway leading to the staEU.
which had not been used
The President was able to walk lit
tic, but was leaning heavily on his es-
corts, In passing over the bunting his
foot caught and for a moment he STUN
bled. A reporter extricated his foot, and
the President was carried to a seat,
where half dozen men stood by and
famed him vigorously. Quick calls were
sent for doctors and to the ambulance.
While seated for a moment Secretary
Cortelyou leaned over the President and
inquired
Do you feel much pain?"
White and trembling the President
slipped his hand into the opening of his
shirt front near the heart and said
This wound pains greatly
AS the President withdrew his hand
the first and second fingers were covered
with blood. He looked at them his hand
dropped to his side. and he became
fainter His head dropped heavily to his
chest and those about him turned away
During this pathetic scene, while tears
were filling the eyes OF those about the
President, who realized their utter pow
erlessness to help him. Minister Aspi-
roz, OF Mexico, broke through the little
crowd eXcitedly and awakened the faint
into which the President had sunk by
dramatically exclaiming in English:
"Oh, my God, Mr. President, are you
shot?'
While the excited diplomat was be-
ing restrained from careSsing the Ex-
ecutive and falling at his feet, the Presi-
dent replied, gaspng between each
word:
"Yes-I-beleve-I--am."
The Presidents head then fell back
ward and he partially tainted. Mr. Mil
burn then placed his hand back OF
the wounded mans head and supported
it. This seemed to resuscitate the Presi-
dent and he sat stocally on the chair,
his legs spread out on the floor, his lips
cinched firmly. as il he would fight de-
terminedy against death. lie was Civ
ing the fight OF a soldier, and more
than one turned away tremblingly-all
in the building trembed and shook, not
from fear, but the tenson-and remark
ed
"EIe is certainly a soldier
AS soon as possible the President was
taken to the Emergency Hospital on
the Exposition grounds in an automo-
bile ambulance At the hospital the sur
geons probed for the bullets Later the
President was removed to the home OF
Mr.. J. G. Milburn.
While all this was transpiring the
tragedy had not yet ended on the scene
of the shooting. The shots had hardly
been fired when Foster and Ireland
were on top OF the assailant Ireland
quick as thought had knocked the
smoking weapon from the mans hand
and at the same time he and his com
panion officer, with dozen Exposition
police and as many artilerymen, were
upon the assailant The man was liter
ally crushed to the floor
While the President was being led
away the artilerymen and guards clear
ed the building in a few moments OF
those who had entered to meet the EN-