Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-03
ATTACK TRAIN
Of PRESIDENT
MISSILE HURLED THROUGH
CAR WINDOW
Mass Of Cast Iron Weighing Three
Pounds Narrowly Misses the
Son Of Late President
Hayes
BY Associated Press.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 2.-Some un-
plumb bob through a window of one
of tho cars of President Roosevelts S
train tonight on the run from Prince
ton TO Washington.
The missile, which was thrown with
terrific force, crashed through the
gothic stained glass transom on Il win
dow of the combination car Salvius and
fell at the feet of Maj. Webb Hayes.
a son of the late President rutherford
-. Hayes, who was IL guest of the presl-
dent on the trip.
fragments of broken glass fell on
Maj. Hayes, who was sitting with his
back to the window. reading, but did
not injure him in any way.
Maj. Hayes stopped and picked up
the iron missile which so narrowly had
missed his head. and then rose and ex-
amined the broken window The frame
Of the window was broken where the
plumb bob had struck 1t, so great was
the force with which it had been
hurled.
The train at that time, about 1880
O'Clock, was running at a comparative
ly slow rate. The weather was heavy
and n dense fog which prevailed rem
dered it almost impossible for the en-
gineer to see a train length ahead of
him.
. Broad street, i'm North Philadelphia.
had just been crossed and the train
was in the vicinity of oxford street
when the crash of glass aroused the
occupants of the car. The SalviuS was
the first car of the train and i'm APP
pearance might have been mistaken
very easily for President Roosevelt s.
private car. That was at the rear of
the train.
1t was remarked also that Maj. Hayes
from a profile view strongly resembles
window in the position he occupied in
reading, he might have been mistaken
for President Roosevelt.
Doubt was expressed by officials of
the railroad who were on the train
whether the missile was intended to be
hurled at the president. They say that
several times recently stones have been
thrown at trains passing through North
Philadelphia and on one occasion a
man sitting in one of the windows of a
car was severely cut by broken glass
when heavy stone crashed through it.
The implement thrown at the train
tonight was a most unusual one to be
in the hands of boy who might, in a
spirit of deviltry. throw u stone at a
train. 1t is of cast iron and weighs
about 3 pounds. Had it struck Maj.
Hayes on the head. as it certainly
would IL it had passed through the
window a foot lower, he would have
been injured very seriously if not
killed.
The president knew nothing of the in
cident for some time after it occurred.
He made no comment upon 1t,
passing it off as the wanton act of some
irresponsible person. AS a measure of
precaution the curtains at the windows
of several of the cars were drawn
down after the news of the incident
spread among the passengers on the
train.
The secret service officers who ac-
companed the president took charge
of the missile and an effort will be
made through the secret service bureau
to apprehend the person who threw it,
A report of the incident was made by
the train officials to the officials of the
Pennsylvania railroad. Assurance is
given that every effort will be made by
the Pennsylvania railroad to apprehend
the person guilty of the act.