Evening journal., 1912-05-03
new NEWS NEWS OF YESTERDAY
APreSidcntial Tragedy That
the Nation Narrowly
Escaped
By Holland.

The people of the United States
have hitherto never known how mar
rowly they escaped a double presiden-
tial tragedy between the years 1881
and 1888. OF course. the assassination
Of President Garfield was a world
moving event. But there was a time
night in April, 1888, when for a few
hours the danger was grave that Pres
ident Chester A. Arthur, who succeed
ed Garfield, would fail TO respond "
medical treatment. Had the appre-
hension of his physician been proved
correct, then for the first time in our
history the duties OF the office of
president would have devolved upon
the president pro tempore of the
United States Senate
In April, 1888, President Arthur was
invited to visit Florida When the cit-
zens of Savannah learned that he
would on that excursion approach as
c'ose 10 Savannah as the mouth OF
the river, they urged him with much
cordiality and earnestness to become
a guest Of the city. The president felt
that he could not refuse so cordial an
invitation. He reached Savannah on
the United States dispatch boat Talla-
poosa With his was Secretary of the
Navy, William K. Chandler. A very
close personal intimacy had been es-
tablished between President Arthur
and Mr. Chandler.
President Arthur was entertained
with characteristic Southern hospi-
tality both by the city Of Savannah
and some of the leading men Of that
city. At about midnight he returned to
the Tallapoosa pretty we'll tired out,
/ for the hospitality of the day had been
extended from IL o'clock in the morn
ing until eleven at night. What later
occurred was told me confidentially
by DR.. Black, the surgeon and physi-
clan attached to the Tallapoosa
Il should say r was about two
O'Clock in the morning when I was
summoned by President Arthurs
valet, who told me that the president
was suffering excruci ing pain" said
DR.. Black, who sever 4 years later
lost his life when the Tallapoosa went
down in Buzzards Bay Il went as
soon as ] could hastily dress myself
to the state room set apart for the
President. / saw instantly that he was
! grievously III / knew that speedy and
heroic treatment was necessary. and
after making a few inquiries, l dag
nosed the trouble. as acute indigestion.
l was certain that it was due to
shrimp salad, OF which the president
had eaten heartily, a Wand for which
Savannah is famous.
Between his parogysms of pain the
president said that he ought to tell
me something which no one but him
self and one or two of his immediate
friends had any knowledge of Then
ne said that certainly functional and
prohably organic disease of the kid
neys had attacked him. | was satis-
ned that this statement was correct,
for some of the symptoms OF the acute
indigestion we're those that are fire.
quently observed when attacks of that
kind are associated with Bright's dis
ease You can imagine my sense Of re-
spon sibility. Here was the president
Of the United States on board a little
despatch boat, desperately i'll, and
and for a while, / feared mortally H.
/ anu ht Ndo oullel lIS d6ONlLllk pam.
Il treated him in the manner indi-
Gated TO our profession, I was in con-
stant attendance upon him, testing his
pulse frequently, but II was at least
two hours before I began to observe
the FIRST symptoms OF relief. And in
that period--I shudder still to recall
| it-there was one interval should
| say of about ten minutes-when 7
feared, gravely, that the president
would not recover Happily, those
dread minutes passed but even after
the trouble had yielded partially to
treatment, ] did not dare authorize
the President to return to Washington
by sea. lie was, therefore. carefully
and tenderly carried from the Talla-
poOsa TO a private car which had been
obtained, and while still a very sick
man was taken TO Washington.
III the people Of the United States
had known at the time how danger
ously Ill their president was, am
sure there would have been universal
concern and sympathy But it was
the part of political as well as of per-
sonal eXpediency. that there should be
no revelation Of that kind"
| ((CoDyright, 1911, by r. J. Edwards.
All rights reserved.