The Meeker herald., 1902-09-27
PRESIDENT DISABLED
WESTERN TOUR DISCONTINUED.

field Trolley Car Accident.
Indianapolis, Ind. Sept. 24.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt's western trip came to
an untimely end in this city yesterday.
He was found to be suffering from
swelling of the left leg between the
knee and ankle that required immediate
surgical attention and, instead OF be-
ing taken to the train to continue his
journey to Fort Wayne and Milwaukee,
he was conveyed to st. Vincents hos
pital, where he was operated on. The
operation occurred at 3:I5 o'clock and
lasted only short time, when he was
taken to Il private room in the hospital
to rest.
After taking light luncheon at $50
p. m, he was conveyed OH a stretcher
to his train, which had been backed up
on a "Y' near the hospital, and at 1850
o'clock the train left for Washington.
The swelling of the Presidents leg
which made an operation necessary
was occasioned by a bruise he received
ut the time of the trolley accident at
Pittsfield. Massachusetts, when the
President carriage was run into and
demolished by car. Beside being ill.,
tured In the face and across the eye,
the President ut that time received
blow upon the inner part of the left
leg, between the ankle and the knee,
but he paid no attention to 1t, ignoring
| it as being slight bruise not worth
talking about For several weeks he
took no heed of it, but finally it began
to pain him SO us to enforce his at
| tentiOn.
| After starting on his western trip he
determined that perhaps DIR. Lung, who
| was aboard the train, should examine
! 1t. The doctor did so, and pronounced
/, 1t q serious matter. When In Detroit
the doctor finally said that something
| would have to be done. After consult
| ing with DIR. Richardson, another men,
7, Der of the party, it was decided that In
/ order to avoid the possibility of blood
| poisoning it probably would be wise to
| have an operation performed. The
President was very much averse to
anything of the kind being done. But
| nevertheless, when LOgansport, lndi-
| ana, had been reached, he had been
| prevailed upon to deliver the tariff
| speech which had been prepared for de-
| livery ut Milwaukee, and which was
/ regarded as one of the most important
| of his proposed speeches for the West.
| At Logansport Senator BeveridEe
! boarded the train, and after consulta-
/ ton with him it was decided that he
| should summon several OF the best
| physicians of indianapolis to meet the
President, and with this end in view
| the senator telegraphed to DIR. George
| II. Oliver, Dr. George ]. Cook and DR..
Henry Jameson to be at the Massachu
sets avenue station. When the train
| pulled into the station the doctors We're
there and they were taken by the SEN
/ Il Ia tnlx in haA II
car.
! After the delivery of his tariff speech
instead of going into the dining room,
| the President was taken into a private
| room, where, unknown to The bustling
! crowd inside and outside OF the club,
he was made the subject of II serious
consultation by the physicians HIS
leg was barred and the swelling exam
ined. After considerable time the
physicians arrived ut the verdict. Said
DIR. Oliver:
I'm order to avoid possible blood
| poisoning setting in 1t will be nece:,-
sary for the President to submit to a
slight operation" and in this view all
| the other doctors cOncurred. The t'rsS-
ident demurred, but his objections
We're overruled by the argument that
man In his position could not afford
to take chances. The President wished
that the operation, since 1t was neces-
sary, should be postponed until he
reached Washington, but the physi-
lians again proved obdurate. They
said that while no very serious colse-
Quenees might follow postponement
of the operation, still there remained q
possibility TINT there might.
] The following official statement was
Issued tonight:
! AT 3:15 p. m. the President went
i from the Columbia Club to st. Vim
Z cents hospital in his own carriage,
aud shortly after lie was in the hospi-
I tai the operation required was per-
| formed by DIR. George ii. Oliver of ln-
lianapols. in consultation with the
Presidents physician, DR.. George A.
Lung and DR.. George j. Cook, DIR.
Henry Jameson and DR.. j. j. Richard
J son.
| "At the conclusion of the operation
| the physicians authorized the follow
| ing statement:
| ".As n result of trnumatism (brulse)
! received in the trolley accident Mt Pitts
1 field, Massac husetts, there was found
| to be circumscrbed collection of
serum in the middle third of the left
! anterior tidal region, the sack contnin-
/ ing about two ounces, which was re-
moved.
.rhe Indications are that the Presi-
dent should make speedy recovery. 1t
is absolutely imperative. however. that
he Should remain quiet and refrain
from using the leg. The trouble is not
serious, but temporarily disabling
| "(SignedD GEORGE b. CORTELYOU,
Secretary of the President"