The 25th POTUS William McKinley was mortally wounded on this day in 1901. McKinley was in Buffalo,New York visiting the Pan-American Exposition when anarchist Leon Czolgosz stepped forward to shake his hand and shot him twice at point-blank range. McKinley was shot twice in the abdomen. McKinley told an aide that he was not seriously wounded, to break the news to his wife gently and he called the mob off of Czolgosz which probably saved his life at that time.

In the days after the shooting POTUS McKinley seemed to be improving but there were no drugs to control infection at that time and gangrene was growing in the walls of his stomach. On September 13th his condition grew critical. At 2:15am on the morning of September 14th,1901 William McKinley died. Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt would become POTUS #26. McKinley had just started his second term in office in March of 1901. TR would complete McKinley’s term and win election on his own in 1904.

Justice was quick back in 1901. Leon Czolgosz was electricuted on October 29th, 1901 just 45 days after the death of the POTUS. A book came out last year about McKinley/Czolgosz/ The assassination by Scott Miller that is called “The President and the Assassin” it has gotten good reviews. I have it but haven’t gotten to read it yet.