Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-29


Walsh, "a secret service agent and head
quarters detective. had just crossed and
was speeding for the ferry, when the
street car got under way.
Chauffeur's Frantic Appeal.
The Presidents chauffeur shouted to the
motorman. For heavens sake. slow up,'
and then he gave the wheel of his ma
chine a violent turn, causing the auto to
swerve to the south. The auto was then
within a few feet of the trolley car.
The automobile, after it turned, veered
inward to the side Of the car. and for
half a block the chauffeur could not get
his machine away from the trolley car
The automobile and car went for that dis,
lance down the avenue -scraping sides.
The motOrman of the Sth avenue car,
1t was said. thought that traffic was
stopped to let the auto in which Inspector
Walsh the central Office detective. and
the secret service agent were riding go
by. He did not know that four other
machines were following the police car
and that the first of those four contained
the President of the United States.
In Close Quarters.
Owing to the closeness of the other
three autos which followed the Pres:-
dent's car and the speed at which they
work to prevent a general smashup. y
policeman who saw what had happened to
tho Presidents car, shouted 10 the hauf-
feurs Of those behind, and the ehauffeurs
applied their brakes with such suddenness
that the occupants were thrown from
their seats. The autos were IN space
less than 100 feet square when they
finally came to a stop
When the police automobile had gone
half a block Inspector Walsh, looked
around for the Presidents car and was
surprised when he saw the street car
getting under way, the car being in the
middle of the avenue at 24th street and
the Presidents machine nowhere in sig nI.
Inspector Walsh knew at once that some
thing had gone wrong and ordered MS
machine hurried back TO the avenue.
Inspector Walsh reached the avenue
just in time to see the Taft mach ne
scrape the side OF the trolley car as il
went down the avenue toward I'D street.
1t was then after midnight, and the
President had but few minutes to make
his train. The police and secret service
autos ran up alongside the Taft car and
the chauffeur said that nobody was hurt.
and the President smiled reassuringly at
Inspector Walsh.
Then the police and secret service men
quickly reformed the procession and a
moment later the cars were speeding for
the ferry. the Presidents auto getting
there with a margin Of just a minute to
started.
Inspector Walsh said afterward that it
was one of the closest escapes from
serious accident that he had ever known.
At midnight no arrests had been reported.
although the police were investigating to
find out why the motorman of the Sth
avenue car had resumed Roadway when
he did.
Dimes With Classmates.
President Taft ate dinner last night
with his classmates of Yale, rs, who met
at the University Club for their annual
dinner. 1t was strictly a college affair.
The President came over from Washing
ton especially for it, attended to notn-
ing else while here, and when it was
over he took train again for Washing
ton. OF the original class of 100 the
survivors number 80, and 65 attended the
dinner. from which all outsiders were
rigidly excluded, even the secret service
men and the President military at
tendant
One of the large banquet halls In the
club was reserved for the affair. with
Yale flags and the national colors in
profusion on the walls and spring flow
ers and smilax decorating, the tables.
When the President arrived Capt. Ora
ham l.. Johnson, who came over this time
as aid In place. of Capt. Butt was with
him in full military forgery. The COM
mittee of arrangements gently commu-
nicated to him that the dinner was strict
ly private. and as the President had
only one voice in many. and did not raise
that in opposition, Capt. Johnson swung
his sword akimbo over his arm and de-
parted to get his own dinner.
Police Waiting at the Gate.
The train by which the President .came
reached Jersey City about half an hour
late. and the presence Of secret service
men and police waiting at the station
served to detain there a large crowd of
people.
Anxiety was shown by. the guards over
the appearance of young man who
paced the platform .restlessly all the time
they were waiting. They decided that
he was excited enough to bear watching.
When the train was signaled and he
started to run toward the cars several
policemen were at his heels. Fears were
ended as young woman tunbled from
one OF the cars into his arms and az
fectionate exchanges between them
proved that he was after some one OF
much more Importance to him than the
Judge Howard C. HOLSTER of the cir
cult court at Cincinnati and Paul Charl-
ton, law ohicer OF the bureau of insular
affairs, both '7s men, came in the Presi-
dents car They marched through the
the load on the freight elevator that took
him to the floor below, where motor cars
were In waiting. The Presidents imme-
diate destination was the Holland House,
where he met his two brothers, Charles
p. and Henry ". From there he went
TO the University Club. at saith street and
5th avenue"
Those Present.
Among the classmates who greeted him
were James NJ. Lamberton Of Williams
burg, Pa; William II. Law, former Rep
resentative James P. Pickett, Judge Will
liam J. James of st. Joseph. Mo-. Norris
Moore, president : of the Indiana State
Bankers, Association: Judge William L.
Dixon Of Ohio. Charles Fl. Kelsey, presi-
dent OF the Title Guarantee and Insur-
ance Company: Justice Edward B. Whit
ney, Presiding. Justice John Proctor
Clark of the appellate division. Marion
Wilcox. Henry e. Coe, Dr.. Henry e. Coe.
Roger Foster, Judge George B. Edwards
Of Louisville, KY: Charles H. Spencer of
Minneapolis. and Editor William L. r.
Wurts OF the Patterson Press.
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