The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-19
GUST REVEALS THE
PRESIDENTS GUN.
Revolver Always in His Pocket and
He Is Expert in Its Use.
From The New YORK World.

From the New York World.
When President Roosevelt jumped to
the wharf at Ellis Island from the i'm
migration cutter II. b. Chamberlain.
yesterday afternoon, and ran forward
to shake hands with Commissioner
General Frank +. Sargent, powerful
gust caught the skirts of his frock coat
and Whirled them against the back of
his head.
Those standing behind the President
saw d sight that evoked much COM
ment. Sticking out of his right-hand
MP pocket was the handle of a revolt
yer. one of the secret service men
quickly restored the skirts of the Pres
ldent's coat to their proper place. but
the rnomentary glimpse the spectators
mad convinced those familiar with such
matters that the handle indicated a
weapon of heavy calibre.
Those unfamiliar with the Presidents
custom wondered why he should go
armed when on a mission so peaceful
as an inspection of Ellis Island. 1t
was explained by one of the secret
service men, however, that the Presi
dent invariably carries a revolver when
he goes to a public place.
The President has carried a pistol
ever since he took the oath of office
after the assassination of Mckinley He
has the greatest faith in the ability of
the dozen or more secret service agents
who guard him, but prefers to be arm
ed himself in case of emergency. His
most intimate friends have known of
his practice of carrying a siX-shooter,
but some of the secret service men
looked surprised when they saw the
handle prot1uding from the Presidents
pocket yesterday
The pistol is the black handled, blue
CT coli \ oh, h1
ried when with his Rough Riders in
Cuba. 1t is the same gun with which
he shot "A Spaniard, as he tells in his
history of the Rough Riders.
When in Cuba he practiced faithfully
with his revolver until he became an
excellent marksman. Since that time
both in Washington and at Oyster Bay,
the revolver shooting has been contin-
ued until the President can score a
bull's-eye at pretty nearly every shot.
When riding about the country roads
of Washington and Oyster Bay, the
President frequently dismounts and
practices shooting in company with
secret service man or Sergt Mcdonald
one of the best revolver shots in the
army, who is the Presidents orderly
on all such rides.
The secret service men have siren
uous target practice at Oyster Bay
or paper to a tree or stump the man
who is to do the shooting is started
on a run, and must pull his pistol as
soon as he sees the object and fire
every charge without slackening his
pace. The President has taken part
in this practice, and has been able to
hit small sapling five times out of
six shots.
When he became President Mr..
Roosevelt was much adverse to the
secret service guard which was main
tanned about him. He insisted that he
could take care of himself in any
emergency. But he has become very
friendly with two or three of them,
and when some politician or other
parsonage makes complaint of being
handled roughly in a crowd by the Sc
cret service men the President tells
them:
"Oh, we'll they did not know you.
They'll remember you next time"
The Presidents ammunition is fur
nished him by the ordnance bureau of
the army. 1t is especially inspected
and loaded, and the President knows
he can depend upon it in an emergen-
cy.
The President is not entirely de-
pendent upon his revolver and the Sc
cret service men for protection. He
has taken a course in ''jitsu," the Jap
anese method of self-defense. and can
grab a man bv the coat collar and
throw him on his head.
The most remarkable shooting ever