Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-30
TAFT IS TARGET
FOR unknown
M|SCREANT
BOAT BEARING CANDIDATE
FIRED ON FROM SHORE
Ugly incident Of River Trip at
Cincinnati May Prove At
tempt at Assassination of Re-
publican Leader


Cincinnati. Ohio. July 29.-Willlam
Taft. accompanied by Mrs Taft left
Cincinnati at $40 o'clock tonight for
Hot Springs, Va, whore they viii re-
main until the opening Of the cam
paign the first week in September. AT
that time Mr.. Taft will return to Gin
cinnati, where it is his present inten-
ton to remain until election day.
The day following the notification
ceremonies was one of comparative
quiet for the candidate. He had an
extended cinference with Arthur l.
Vorys, his chief of staff, touching
many minor matters in connection
with the Ohio situation. He also saw
state Chairman Williams and Elmer
Dover, secretary of the national COM
mittee. He was made a member of
the International Brotherhood of
Steam Shovelers and Dredge Men and
late in the afternoon went in an au-
tomobile to the home of his father
in-law, Mr.. Heron, where Mrs Taft
spent the entire day. Mr.. Taft said
he felt no III effects of his speech
making exertions yesterday but will go
back to the mountains for month
of rest.
In accepting membership in the
shoveler's organization, Mr.. Taft said:
II am very glad to have at your
hands this expression of confidence in
my efforts to do justice while | was
in office. The work upon which many
of your members and I were engaged,
in one capacity or another. endeavor-
ing to facilitate the greatest construc-
tive work Of modern times adds
great deal of interest to me IN the
compliment you~pay me today. | am
specially gratified because you evince
a liberal and impartial view in thus
rendering me this compliment, because
in the administration Of work on the
isthmus | did not always decide in
favor of your contentious. But when
/ decided contrary to the claims which
were made by you, I tried to give the
reasons why, and which l think by
your action today, were convincing of
my desire to reach Just conclusion.
president Mckinley had the honor
to be an honorary member of the
bricklayers union; President Roosevelt
has the honor to be an honorary of
the fireman's union. With such eX-
amples as that and with the preeed-
ents in my own life in becoming an
honorary member Of a number of use
full organizations, ! can not see the
slightest objection to my accepting
this compliment at your hands which
appreciate highly and which ] shall
always cherish as one of the evidences
that are some men whom have con-
vlnced through my official work, Of
my desire to- do the square thing for
everybody"
1t became known publicly 'olay
that the steamer Island Queen, which
last night conveyed Judge Taft and a
distinguished party, Including the no.
tification committee, up the Ohio river,
was fired upon by an unknown man
on shanty boat moored on the Ohio
side of the river opposite Dayton, Ky.
Several shots from the charge hit, but
did not seriously injure Mrs Charles
b. Russell of this city. who was stand
ing with her husband near the rail
on the deck directly below where Mr..
Taft was at the time standing. An In
vestigation is being made by the
steamboat company.
The distance from the shore was so
great that the charge of shot had al
most spent itself when II reached the
boat. A number of the pellets pierced
her decks A man standing by Mrs.
Russells chair was almost hit by one
OF the shot, but he was not hurt
The officers Of the boat stated that
they would make an investigation In
order to learn the identity of the mis-
creant who fired the gun.
c. b. Russell said today:
II was standing at my wife's side
but none OF the shot struck me. II
was lucky we were not closer 20 the
Ohio shore. ! saw the man plainly
and at first thought him merely an
enthusiastic celebrator. ] do not like
to believe that the shot was fired with
malicious intent and II may have been
only by chance that the spent charge
struck Just below where Taft was sit
ting"