Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-03
PLUMB BOB THROWN ATTRAIN
Belief that an Attempt Was Made to Iniure
President,
MISSILE BARELY MISSES MAJOR HAYES
IL weighs Three Pounds and
wRs Thrown with Sufficient
Force to Break window
sash.

WASHINGTON. Dec Some unknow
person hurled heavy iron plumb DO
through the cars on President Roosevelt
special train tonight on the run fror
Princeton to Washington.
The missile. which was thrown with tel
rife force, crashed through the Goth
stained glass transom of a window Of To
combination car salvius and fell at tn
feet Of Major Webb Hayes a son of I'll
late President Rutherford p. Hayes, VIII
was guest Of the president on the trip I
the army and navy foot ball game.
Fragments OF broken glass fell on Majo
Hayes, who was sitting with his back to tn
window. but did not injure him in an
way. Major Hayes picked up the iron mis-
sile which so narrowly had missed his hea
and then examined the broken window
The frame Of the window was broken wher
the plumb bob had struck II, so great wa
the force with which 1t had been hurled
The train at the time, about 1880 6clocl
was running at comparatively slow rat,
The weather was heavy and a dense TO
which prevailed rendered il almost imposs
bic for the engineer to see a train lengt
ahead Of him. Broad street. in north Phila
delphia, had just been crossed and III
train was in the vicinity Of Oxford stree
when the crash of glass aroused the occl
pants of the car. The Salvius was III
first car of the train and in appearance
might have been mistaken very easily fc
President Roosevelt's private car. Tha
however. was at the rear of the train.
1t was remarked also that Major Haye
from profile view, strongly resembles III
president and that, sitting at the windo'
IN the position he occupied in reading h
might have been mistaken for Prcsider
Roosevelt
Doubt was expressed by officials of III
Pennsylvania railroad who were on Ii
train. whether the missile was Intended
be hurled at the president. They say thf
several times recently stones have bee
thrown at trains passing through Mort
Philadelphia and on one occasion a ma
sitting at one Of the windows of ca
was severely cut by broken glass when
heavy stone crashed through 1t.
Missile n Heavy One.
The implement thrown at the train {,
night was most unusual one TO be in II
hands of a boy, who might in a splr
Of deviltry, throw a stone at a train.
| is of castlron and weighs about thr,
pounds. Had It struck Major Hayes on Il
head, as it certainly would il it had passc
through the window a foot lower he won
have been injured very seriously. If n,
killed.
The president knew nothing of the II
, cldent for some time after it occurred /
made no comment upon it, passing It q
as the wanton act of some irresponsib
! person. AS a measure of precaution tt
! curtains at the windows of several OF Il
cars were drawn down after the news
/ the incident spread among the passenge
| on the train.
The secret service officers who accor
! panied the president took charge OF Il
! missile and an effort will be made thrUut
/ the secret service bureau to apprehend Il
person who threw IL. A report of the 4
cident was made by the train officials
| the officials of the Pennsylvania railroi
J at Philadelphia. Assurance is given tn
! every effort will be made by the Pennsy
vania railroad to apprehend the pers,
I guilty of the act.
Arrival ut Washington.
| Barring this untoward incident the tr
/ OF the president from Princeton to Was
=
special train bearing the president, MI
Roosevelt. Secretary Root, Secretary Ia
and Assistant Secretary Newberry al
their parties, did not leave Princeton un
$40 p. m The passengers all were
board the train at least half an hour b
| fore that time, but the railroad officers d
! not want to take the chance of startil
! the special train until the track to Prime
] -. Ill,
caused long delay. as the jam speci
trains about the station and yards
| Princeton was greater than ever befo
known. The run to Washington was n
made i'm the best possible time on accou
| of the dense fog which prevailed for
considerable part of the journey. r
train arrived here at II :OS O clock. r
presidents carriage was awaiting him
the station and he and Mrs. Roosevt
were driven directly to the White Hous
The president was immensely pleased wi
the Army and Navy foot bali game. ]
would give no direct expression for pub
cation, but he not only enjoyed the gar
as an exhibition Of scientific foot ball,
was gratifed that there was so little
unnecessary roughness in IT,.
DR.. William T. Reid, the head coach
the Harvard foot ball squad, was a spect
tor OF todays game at Princeton.
has made an engagement to visit the pre-
dent at the White House next Monday
discuss the foot ball situation in the liz
OF the developments of the season il
closed The president is anxious to sa
the game, as an American college sport
it can be done hut he is convinced III
II will be necessary to so modify II