The midland journal., 1905-12-08
WEIGHT THROWN
AT PRESIDENT
Missile Crashes Into His Special
Train.
Mr.. ROOSEVELT IS NOT INJURE~
A Mason's Plumb Bob, Weighed Two and a
g Half Pounds, Thrown by Someone Unkown
Through Car Window, at Which Sat Major
Webb Hayes. Whose Profile Is q Duplicate
of Roosevelt.

Washington (SpeciaD President
Roosevelt's special train was passing
through North Philadelphia at 7.3o P.
NJ, en- route to Washington some un-
known person hurled mason's plumb
bob through one of the windows of the
combination car Salvius.
The implement was of iron and
weighed about two and one-half pounds.
Webb Hayes, of Ohio, son of the late
President Rutherford B. Hayes, was sit
ting in the combination car Salvius read
ing newspaper. Several other gentle
men were in the car, and the converse
blance between Mr. Hayes and President
Roosevelt. No sooner had this fact been
remarked upon than the crash was heard.
Pieces of glass were thrown in every di
rection, and heavy missile dropped to
the floor on the far side of the car.
Everybody jumped to his feet, for it
was thought for a moment that Mr..
Hayes had been hurt. for the projectile
passed within dozen inches or so OF
his face. The missile proved to be a
plumb-bob conical-shaped piece of lead
The train was running at a great rate
of speed, but had slowed down somewhat
upon entering the city limits. 1t is con-
sidered by the railroad men who were
on the train as very doubtful whether the
miscreant could have aimed at Mr.. Hayes
with design, for the train was running
at least IS miles an hour. The incident
was especially startling, however, from
the fact of a strong resemblance of Mr.
Hayes to the President. The combina-
ton car was running next to the engine,
while the Presidents car was at the rear
Of the train, with several cars filled with
army and navy officials intervening be-
tween it and the car where the startling
incident took place.
The weather was heavy and dense
fog which prevailed rendered it almost
impossible for the engineer to see train
length ahead of him. Broad Street, in
North Philadelphia, had just been cross
ed and the train was in the vicinity of
Oxford Street when the crash of glass
ford Street when the crash of glass
aroused the occupants of the car.
Doubt was expressed by officials of the
Pennsylvania 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 recent oc-
casion man sitting at one of the win
dows of car was severely cut by brok-
en- glass when heavy stone crashed
through it.
No clue to the thrower Of the missile
was obtained. although the incident was
reported to the officials of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad at Philadelphia, and the
statement was made that it would be in
vestigated thoroughly. The President
himself knew nothing of the matter until
nearly an hour after it occurred.
The implement thrown at the train
was most unusual one to be in the
hands of a boy, who might, in a spirit
of deviltry, thrown a stone at train.
1t is of cast iron and weighs about
three pounds Had it struck Major
Hayes on the head, as it certainly would
if it had passed through the window a
foot lower, he certainly would have been
injured very seriously, if not killed.
The President knew nothing of the in
cident for sometime after it occurred
He made no comment upon it, passing it
off as the wanton act of some irrespon-
sible person. AS measure of precau-
tion, the curtains at the windows of sew
eral 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-
companied the President took carge of
the missile, and an effort will be made,
through the Secret Service Bureau, 10
apprehend the person who threw it.