The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-06

OFFICIALS ESCAPE
(Contlnued from Page one.l

d6S Ohcsf
Suddenly Steele appeared In the door
way. He walked past Reed without
speaking, heading straight for the door
OF the Governors office. The door was
closed. Steele hesitated an instant, then
turned and drcw a revolver.
Pointing IL at Mr. Cohen, who stood
about six feet from him, he fired. Mr..
Cohen's back was toward the assassin.
The bullet struck him in the back of the
head and came out at the forehead The
wounded man turned In the act of falling
and another bullet crashed through his
skull. One OF the shots sent splash OF
blood ON the wall, directly under por-
trait of Abraham Lincoln
FIRED THREE SHOTS.
Muttering incoherenty. Steele pointed
the revolver at Mr. Driscoll and again
pulled the trigger The bullet ploughed
along the labor mans scalp and he fell
unconscious 10 the floor Huddell sprang
forward to wreSt the pistol from Steele,
but the insane man struck him In the
face with It, tearing the flesh badly.
Governor Guild, who had heard the
shots. flung the door OF his office open
and sprang into the anteroom just as
Steele went to the floor. with Private
Secretary Groves clutching his throat.
General Whitney entered the room just
at that moment and assisted the Cover
nor and Mr.. Groves IN disarming and
binding the maniac.
The governor then knelt by the side Of
Mr.. Cohen and wiped the blood from
the labor mans face with his handker-
chief. Word was sent to the office OF
the state police In the state house and
for doctors Several members of the
force rushed upstairs and took charge of
Steele. The first physician to arrive was
DR.. Owen Copp. chairman OF the state
board of insanity. He Immediately rec
ognized Steele, having had him under OBJ
servation for more than FIVE years in
various Massachusetts, insane asylums.
Merely remarking that the prisoner was
insane, DR.. Copp knelt and examined Mr..
Cohen's wounds. Drs. Harrington and
Harvey OF other state commissions were
also on the scene within a minute OF
so, and very quickly the executive de-
partment was filed with attaches of the
various state departments and commits
sions.
The physicians, after a hasty examina-
ton OF Cohen and Driscoll, expressed the
opinion that the formers wound would
probably prove mortal.
Edward Cohen and Dennis d. Driscoll
arc the two most prominent figures In
the Massachusetts movement of organ
ized labor, while Mr.. Huddel Is president
OF the engineers union of Boston and
was for several years president of the
Boston Central Labor Union.
The four Providence men expressed
themselves as being certain that they, in
stead of the labor leaders, would have
been the marks OF the would-be assassin
of Governor Guild had they been waiting
In the anteroom. The fact that Steele was
evidently on his way TO shoot the govern
or was looked upon as being a certain
indication that, had he gained entrance to
the governors private office, their lives
would have been endangered by the bull
let's of the madman.
Had the labor men not been in the ante
room II was thought probable that Sec
retary Groves would have been easily dis
posed of and that Steele could have gain
ed the private office before anyone would
have been able to prevent 1t.
RELEASED RECENTLY.
steele, who shot Cohen and Driscol.
was an inmate of the state Insane Hos
pital in Danvers for three months up to
Nov. l3 last. on that day he was released
on parole. He was transferred to the hos
pitsl from the state Insane Hospital at
Westboro
Officials OF the Danvers institution
stated last night that Steele never showed
any signs of violence while he was here.
He was transferred there at his own re-
quest. being dissatisfied with his treat
ment at Westboro, where che was COM
mitted several years ago. Before his com
mitment he had worked at one time in a
machine shop and at another time as an
insurance agent He is 81 years of age.
and was released on parole at the request
of his mother. Mrs. Jane Steele, OF iS7
Ferry street Everett.
During his confinement at westboro he
was released on parole several times. on
such occasions working for various per-
sons and giving no trouble.
While at Danvers Steele always insisted
that he was not insane but he told the
officials of certain thoughts he had which
might be called delusions. and said II the
officials thought they really were delu-
sions he would guard against them in the
future and not think of them as facts.