The sun., 1918-10-13
TOUCHES WILSON'S
ARM, THEN-WOW!
Man Who Tries to Shake Hands
With President Runs Into
Whirlwind of Fists.
KILL HIM. SHOUTS CROWD
Police Finally Rescue Intruder
and Hold Him on DisOr-
derby Charge.

As President Wilson, marching at the
head Of the military section OF the
Liberty Loan parade, was passing the
Union Club at Fifty-first street and
Fifth avenue yesterday an enthusiast
darted out from the cheering crowd on
the sidewalk and managed to touch the
President on the arm. Then he was
struck by a flying wedge Of bluecoats
and secret service men.
| When he regained consciousness he
protested weakly that he merely sought
to shake the Presidents hand. The po-
lice afterward admitted they had no rea-
| son to doubt his story. He gave his
name as Herbert J. Boone, 1870 Second
avenue, and said he was a printer.
When the incident occurred the Presi-
dents bodyguard did not stop to ask the
man what his intentions were. To bor-
row perfectly good phrase from the
lingo Of the Tank Corps they treated
him rough and the Infatuated crowd
believing an attempt had been made on
the Presidents life, was even more Wig
| orous. Only the concerted action of the
/ police saved the man from further man
| handling.
How the man managed to slip YIN
4
guard Is a mystery. The best explana-
ton offered was that tho policemen who
lined the avenue were SO busy trying
| TO hold back the swirling crowd that
they did not see him dart from the side
4 walk. Before any one was able to in
tercept him he had slipped around in be-
| hind the President. In his headlong
plunge he almost upset Major-Gen.
] George r Dyer. who walked to the left
/ 4xro hah ina tha IDras
Fist Lands on Intruder.
| Few of the spectators actually saw
! what happened, but to the reporter for
THE Bun and the other newspaper men
| who marched down the avenue fifteen
or twenty yards behind the President. II
appeared that he had succeeded In
| touching the Presidents right arm. The
! President wheeled about sharply with
a look OF amazement on his face and az
/ though In self-protection extended his
right hand, in which he held a small,
silk American flag. Then one OF the
secret service men shot out a fist which
| landed squarely on the point OF the in
| truder's jaw and sent him whirlng into
the phalanx OF policemen and secret SER
| vice men.
| In the meantime Secretary Joseph
Tumulty and Admiral Cary T. Grayson.
who marched on the Presidents right,
| had also made a dash for the man, who
was being rushed toward the curbstone.
Police Inspector Faurot and acting
Police Captain Cornelius Wlllemac
| jumped from their automobiles and
| Joined the melee. AS the intruder was
catapulted on to the sidewalk by. the
! policemen and secret service men the
crowd opened to receive him. Shrieking
women brought their umbrellas down
on his head and men fought frantically
! to get at him. Cries OF xii him"
lynch him." shoot him." warned the
! police that exterem measures were neces-
! sary to save him from the fury of the
| mob.
"Just Wanted to shake Hands"
| Bleeding from cut on the head the
| man was finally carried back into the
! street and tossed into an automobile
which carried him as far as Forty-third
street and Fifth avenue. There he was
taken out o: the car again and rushed
| over 10 the Twenty-ninth Precinct. where
! Boone said he was employed by the
! Industrial Press In the station house
he admitted to Police Lieutenant George
! Human that he had been drinking.
! II was SO carried away by enthu-
! siasn." he pleaded, that just couldn't
resist the temptation OF rushing out and
| shaking hands with the President. You
see voted for him and I wrote letter
| TO him some time ago telling him OF that
fact ! got a letter in reply and I
! thought l owed the President some re-
! turn for answering my letter. | Just
! wanted 20 shake his hand. that was all.
! OF course I realize now that did wrong
in trying to reach him at such a time"
Boone gave his age as So years. APP
parently he had taken pains TO dress up
10 al0sN 1xV.. III
| was wreck when he reached the sta
! ton house.
Besides the cut on his head he was
suffering from bruises on both cheeks
an! he was minus two front teeth. lie
said that he was TO have met his wife
on the corner where the trouble oc-
CURED and that she must nave wit
| messed the incident
Boone was the generalization OF re-
morse when he appeared before Magis-
| trate Brough last night in the Mems
Night Court. His head was swathed in
! bandages and he leaned on the arm of
| his wife as he limped up to the bar.
Yes, your Honor" said the prisoner
after Patrolman Lyons had described
| Boone's agile attempt to shake hands
with the President, 81 had been drinking.
! that's true. Furthermore, II ] hadn't
been drinking and I had seen another
helped the crowd thump him just as
was thumped."
Magistrate Brough decided that the
! prisoner had been sufficiently punished
for his lmpetuosity and suspended SELL
tence with warning to Boone to keep
away from drink In the future.
''Ill do that. your Honor" responded
| Boone. In fact I'm going to take n
pledge right here and now TO keep off
| the stuff for a year
Gun Adds 10 Excitement.
! Excitement at the scene OF the incl
dent was intensified by the discovery ~
a 3s callbre revolver, fully loaded. in
a leather holster near the curb. This
was later found to be the property Cf
one OF the secret service men, who had
lost his hat and his belt in the scuffie.
At no time during the AFFAIR did the
Presidents composure leave him. lie
10 have been pulled partly or his
shoulder and continued his march. APP
parently unmindful OF the turmoil The
line of allied officers marching behind
lin In the parade quickened pace AMI
fccmed n sort OF half circle about the
President for his greater protection.
The incident had increased the anX-
iety OF the preGident's bodyguard how
ever. and there was another slight furry
Of excitement wien further down tho
avenue n derby hat, whred into the
air by another enthusiast, fell almost
at the Presidents feet. still further on
pretty girl made matters worse by