The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-09-08


the Hall of Music at the Pan-American
Exposition, where he was holding a re-
ception for all Americans who cared
to meet the President. In the line of
admirers was an anarchist, Leon
Czolgosz. He approached the Presi-
dent with his right hand bandaged as
if it were broken and set in splints.
AS Mckinley extended his hand to
greet the seemingly injured man, fire
flashed from the camouflage of band
ages and the report of a revolver
drowned the hum of voices in the Hall
of Music.
Don't hurt the man." President Nc
Kinley demonstrated as Secret Service
men leaped upon his assailant; "he
doesn't know what he's DONE"
And while burly negro policeman,
obeying the President, protected the
cringing assassin from the fury of the
crowd Mr.. Mckinley, horribly wounded,
was hurried away to the Exposition
Hospital, where physicians were sum-
monded to attend him.
Among the latter was DR.. Charles
G. Stockton of Buffalo, who is now
guest at the Kimball home on Prai-
RE avenue.
Medical Man in the Case.
eyes," DR.. Stockton said this morn
ing, cit was my very great privilege to
attend President Mckinley in his last
Illness l am not surgeon but | was
called to care for the medical aspects
Of the case. The operation was per-
formed by Dr. M. D. Mann of Buffalo,
in the absence of DR.. Roswell Park,
whose wife, incidentally, was former
Iy Miss Florence Durkee of Kenosha
and whose father was at one TIME
president of Racine College"
Here Dr. Stockton left the McKin-
ley motif in his story long enough
to pay a tribute to his professional
colleague.
CDR Park did very unusual and
very splendid thing" he continued.
"When the President was shot he was
performing an operation at Niagara.
He was Immediately called by tele
phone and told that a special car
would carry him to the hospital to
operate on the President. His patient
at Niagara was just an everyday citi
zen but DR.. Park refused to leave him
until he had finished the operation
and had done what he could to insure
his recovery"
In the meantime DR.. Mann and
others decided that the Presidents
case was so critical as to demand an
immediate operation, which was forth
with performed by DR.. Mann, DR.. Her
man Mynter and General Rixie, the
Presidents personal physician.
His Best Patient.
"It was a masterful piece Of work"
DR.. Stockton declared today. "Dr.
Mann was in no way to blame for
President McKinley's death. No one
was to blame except the assassin who
fired the shots. There was no infec-
ton. President Mckinley died from
pancreatitis, caused by the bruising
of the pancreas when the bullet pass
ed through his abdomen. Neither
surgery nor medicine could have saved
him; for at that time thA disease was
not we'll understood and there was no
known cure for it. DR.. Park arrived
before the operation was completed
and thereafter was associated in the
case. Later DR.. McBurney and ulti-
mately DR.. Janeway of New York were
summoned.
"I was with the President almost
constantly during the days preceding
his death, which occurred September
18th. He was the best patient I ever
had He wanted to live but was re-
signed to death if it could not be
avoided. was with him when Mrs.
Mckinley came and later, when he
died. On both occasions little emo
ton was displayed but much courage.
The President was very calm; he seem
ed concerned only for Mrs Mckinley
and his friends, who might grieve if
he should die"
When asked if the stories told about
the martyred Presidents last hours
were exaggerated by emationalists,
DR.. Stockton answered: "No, they are
not; but the things that happened
there were too sacred to be recounted
before any except the Presidents
most intimate friends"
| Witnessed RoOseveit's Inauguration.
DR.. Stockton also witnessed the ar
rival of Vice President Roosevelt, who
was hunting in the Adirondacks when
the assassination took place. Immedi
ately after the shooting he had come
to Buffalo, had seen the injured Presi-
dent at the Milburn home, and had
gone back to the mountains after he
had been assured that Mr.. Mckinley
was on the road to recovery. Then
the relapse came-pancreatitis. and
certain death.
Colonel Roosevelt arrived at noon,
after a hard night ride through the
mountains" DR.. Stockton recalled, "and
was much affected when he heard that
Mr.. Mckinley had died that morning.
They had been close friends and the
Colonel was devoted to the President.
Later in the same day Mr.. Roose-
welt was sworn into the Presidential
Office at the home of Ansley Wilcox
By the Colonel's invitation l was one
of twenty who witnessed the cere-
mony.
Attorney Administered Oath.
at was the most impressive thing I
ever saw. Strangely, District Attorney
Hazel who represented the Department
~ Iuetice and adrninis+erad the oath