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The Attempt upon President McKinley’s Life
World-wide consternation has been caused by the news that on Sept.
6, in the Temple of Music at the Buffalo Exposition, a dastardly
attempt had been made to assassinate President McKinley. The President
had just attended an organ recital, and was, according to the custom
of the highest official of the American Union, holding one of his
informal receptions to which all comers are welcome. Mr. McKinley
had just shaken hands with a little child, and the next to press
forward was a man with his left hand bandaged. The President turned
towards him with an air of interest and shook hands. At that moment
the miscreant, who held a revolver beneath the supposed bandage,
fired twice at Mr. McKinley. A scene of the wildest commotion ensued.
The secret police and attendants hurled themselves upon the assailant
and bore him to the ground, where he was roughly handled by the
populace. The President walked to a chair, and though evidently
suffering, gave directions that Mrs. McKinley should not be alarmed,
and that the would-be assassin should not be harmed by the mob.
Mr. McKinley was then conveyed to the hospital, where one of the
bullets was extracted. The other shot could not be reached, so the
surgeons cleansed and closed the wound, and the patient rallied
so satisfactorily that good hopes are entertained of his recovery.
The assassin, who was conveyed to prison with the utmost difficulty,
as the populace endeavoured to lynch him, proved to be of Polish
extraction, and gave the name of Czolgosz. He called himself an
Anarchist, but that fraternity denies all knowledge of him.
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