Heard the Shots Fired at Buffalo
Henry Nichols, assistant
cashier of the Souhegan National bank of Milford has the destinction
[sic] of having heard the two shots fired that ended the life of
the chief executive of this nation. He had been an interested observer
of the great exposition, which was his object in visiting Buffalo,
and of which he expresses himself in words of praise in regard to
the extent and general interest. It was on the day that the president
made his memorab e spe ch [sic] during which Mr. Nichols had a fine
opportunity of seeing McKinley, but it was at the reception that
he stood in line waiting to get an opportunity of taking the president
by the hand, and when not many feet away heard the fatal shots that
have plunged this nation into intense mourning. He said it was but
a moment before it was whispered about that President McKinley had
been shot and the anguish and emotion that followed was indescribable.
Later it was his opportunity of seeing the stricken president placed
in an ambulance and conveyed to the Milburn house. It was a moment
of great excitement and only needed a leader to have precipitated
a demonstration that would have resulted in tearing the assassin
in pieces. Still it was his observation that the character of the
crowd were [sic] of an element that could easily be restrained by
p lice [sic] and soldiers that were called quickly to the spot,
which prevented o[t]her occurrences that might have followed under
other circumstances.
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