Fully 30,000 persons were in the grounds about the hospital, but the police made a way and soon had the wounded President within the building. Then they forced the crowd back in order that their noise should not disturb the sufferer.

After a consultation the doctors decided that it was possible to remove the President without adding to his danger. An automobile ambulance was summoned and the President was taken to the home of President Milburn, in Delaware avenue. The transit was made very slowly in order to spare the patient as much as possible and the streets were cleared for its passage.

Huge crowds lined the sidewalks, but in obedience to the uplifted hand of the police guard remained absolutely silent as the automobile rolled along.

The sad task of breaking the news to Mrs. McKinley devolved upon Dr. Rixey. "The President has met with an accident-he has been hurt," were the first words he said to her. "Tell me all-keep nothing from me," cried Mrs. McKinley, "I will be brave for his sake." Then Dr. Rixey told her the terrible truth.

THE ASSASSIN.-After his removal to a corner of the temple and imprisonment in an adjoining room the President's assailant was searched, but nothing was found upon him except a letter relating to a lodging. This, however, served to establish his identity. The officers washed the blood from his face and asked him who he was and why he had shot the President. made no reply at first but finally gave the name of Fred Nieman, and said: "I am an anarchist, and I did my duty." Subsequently, however, he admitted his identity as Leon F. Czolgosz, and said that he had been

He

following the President for three days with the idea of killing him. When he read that the President was to attend a public celebration on Sept. 6, he decided that this was the opportunity for assassination, and accordingly went that morning and bought the revolver.

Czolgosz said he belonged to the society of Knights of the Golden Eagle, a socialistic organization, and that he believed in the doctrines advocated by Emma Goldman. He expressed no regret for his crime, but manifested great curiosity as to the condition of the President. Czolgosz said he had seen a great deal of the President since his arrival in this city. He followed the President's party to Niagara Falls.

He said he entered the Temple of Music with the revolver in his coat pocket. He stepped to one side of the entrance and then arranged the handkerchief over his hand. In this way he held the revolver out of sight and had a good chance to shoot straight. He declared emphatically that he had no accomplice.

"I was all alone in this," he said in a statement, "and no one else was responsible for any part of it. I meant to kill the President. I alone made the plans and executed them."

He denied strenuously that the attempt on the life of the President was a result of a preconcerted plot on the part of any anarchist society.

The prisoner was strangely cool and indifferent. He killed his victim apparently without any emotion, and certainly without any clear motive or idea as to the benefits to the cause of anarchy to be obtained by his crime, which he committed simply because he had been taught that it was the avocation of an anarchist to destroy the head of the government.

CHAPTER XIX

THE PRESIDENT'S FIGHT FOR LIFE

Dr. W. D. Storer, of Chicago, who was one of the physicians called to assist in the delicate surgical operation performed on the President in the emergency hospital, gives the following lucid account of the treatment:

"When I arrived at the hospital the President was there lying on a table. There were perhaps a dozen physicians about him. This was not more than ten minutes after the shots had been fired. The President was perfectly calm and collected. He did not utter a word of complaint. When asked if there was any pain he replied:

'Just a little.'

"I never saw any one exhibit such great fortitude under similar circumstances.

FIRST CONSULTATION.-"Perhaps thirty minutes after the President was carried into the hospital Dr. Mann arrived. In the meantime we gave him sedatives to prevent evil effects from shock. A hurried consultation was held, and all the physicians present agreed that time was the vital issue and that an operation was necessary. The X-ray was talked of to assist in locating the bullets, but we decided that the experiment would consume a great deal of time, and after all it probably would be necessary to operate.

"The external opening in the abdomen indicated

that the ball that penetrated there had gone into the stomach, and that is why an operation was considered unavoidable.

"When the President was informed of our decision he did not utter a word of protest, but said simply: "Very well; go ahead, gentlemen.'

DR. MATTHEW D. MANN, WHO PERFORMED THE OPERATION
ON THE PRESIDENT.

stripped and placed on the table, the usual antiseptic precautions observed, and the anesthetic administered, a five-inch vertical incision was made, exposing the stomach and showing in the anterior wall a round, perforating hole large enough to admit the thumb. This wound was thoroughly washed and the hole carefully sutured with silk thread.

"The bullet that caused this wound entered the

abdomen five inches below the left nipple and two inches to the left of the median line, and it was necessary, after closing the hole in the anterior wall of the stomach, to trace the course of the ball. The stomach was turned over, and a similar hole was found in the posterior wall. This was closed carefully, the same method being employed as in the first instance.

"A careful examination was then made for traces of hemorrhage. We found that little blood had been lost. After spending a short time trying to discover whether the ball had lodged in a vital tissue the conclusion was reached that it had not, and it was deemed inadvisable to spend more time searching for it.

"The abdominal cavity was then washed out and cleansed thoroughly. No drainage tubes were used, as the washing out of the cavity made them unnecessary. The stomach was found to be quite full and some of the contents escaping, so steps were taken at the beginning of the operation to prevent further leakage.

FIRST BULLET IN CLOTHING.-"After the cleansing process had been thoroughly gone through the exterior opening was closed and carefully dressed. The wound in the President's breast was not at all serious. The bullet struck the top button of his vest and glanced off, plowing its way under the skin. We found the ball in his underclothing when he was undressed for the operation.

"The President was on the operating table about an hour and a quarter and he did not once come out from under the influence of the anesthetic administered. When the operation was begun his pulse showed 84 and at the finish had gone up to 130. He was still