Gloom Overspreads City

People Gather Near Milburn Residence Silently Awaiting New from Stricken Man.

     MILBURN HOUSE, BUFFALO, Sept. 7.—The scene at the fine old residence on Delaware avenue, where the nation’s executive lay stricken, perhaps unto death, was impressive in the extreme.
     Far-away ropes were stretched and the police guarded every approach. Three companies of the Fourteenth infantry from Fort Porter patroled the square on which Mr. Milburn’s residence is located.
     A large American flag was draped over the veranda on the north of the residence and here, partially concealed by the climbing vines, sat Secretary Wilson, Miss Barber and several of the other distinguished visitors.
     By Secretary Root’s direction, shortly after noon the telegraph instruments were removed from the stable in the rear of the residence to a vacant lot diagonally across the street, where a large tent had been erected for the accommodation of the newspaper men. The carriages which brought the members of the cabinet and other visitors were halted at the ropes.
     Outside the enclosure a pall seemed to hang over the city, notwithstanding the fact that the exposition was open. The gay decorations everywhere now seemed a mockery and the visitors who crowded the streets wandered aimlessly hither and thither with heavy hearts. Thousands of them, drawn by the magnet of their thoughts, went out to the Milburn residence instead of to the exposition and stood at the ropes with bared heads, discussing in suppressed whispers the chances of the president’s recovery.

Prays in the Street for Him.

     Many of them were allowed to pass the residence on the opposite side of Delaware avenue, but the curtains of the residence were drawn and they caught no glimpse of the forms flitting about within the darkened house. An elderly woman, dressed in deep mourning, threw herself on her knees opposite the entrance to the Milburn residence and with uplifted hands offered up a silent, but fervent, prayer that the life of the president might be spared.
     Upon Vice President Roosevelt’s arrival at the residence he said to a reporter that the more he thought of this affair the more dastardly the crime becomes. He was driven rapidly to the Hotel Iriquois [sic], accompanied by an escort of mounted police.
     The clattering of the horses attracted much attention as he alighted at the hotel and the crowd appeared to annoy him. At his request the mounted police were dismissed and some police of the bicycle squad accompanied him the remainder of his journey to the Milburn residence. When he heard the encouraging news upon his arrival there his face lighted up.
     “I am sincerely glad,” said he, turning to Ansley Wilcox, who had accompanied him from the station. The vice president remained in the residence scarcely half an hour. He left with Secretary Root and walked around the corner to Mr. Wilcox’s residence, where he will stop. He declined absolutely to say a word.
     Secretary Cortelyou is making no attempt to reply to all the countless telegrams that are being received. The bulletins as they appear are, however, being sent to those foreign monarchs who have sent inquiries and to those members of the cabinet who have not yet arrived. Secretary Gage left the residence at 1:15. Secretary Hitchcock is expected at 4 o’clock.
     When Secretary Gage left the Milburn residence he was asked by an Associated Press correspondent whether the news from the sick room was still encouraging. He replied with a nod of his head and added: “We can only trust in God.” Secretary Gage was evidently deeply moved.