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VOL. L.
ROXBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1?, 1933
i ~
NO. 8.
Mayor Of Chicago And
Four Others Wounded
By Assassins's Bullets
ROOSEVELT WAVES
J CROWD TO SHOW
1 IS NOT WOUNDED
President-Elect Target Of Six
Shots Fired At Conclusion
Of Speech At Miami
i - Reception
ITALIAN BRICK LAYER
SAYS HE AIMED SHOTS
AT PRESIDENT-ELECT
Miami, Fla., Feb. 15. ? Six shots I
were fired at President-elect Frank
lin D. Roosevelt tonight wounding
five persons including Mayor Anton
Cermak, of Chicago.
The President-eltect was uninjur
ed.
The assailant, who was captured
by a rush of secret service men, po
lice and sheriff's officers, was de
scribed as Guisseppi Zingara, an,
Italian brick layer. He was spirited
away by officers to save him from
an angry crowd. Police said he ad- '
mitted he bought his; gun with the
intention to kill Mr. Roosevelt.
The shooting took place in Bay
Front Park here a few minutes af
ter Mr' Roosevelt had come ashore"
from the yacht Nourmahal on which
he had been cruising through the
Bahamas. The President-elect was
responding to a welcome of 10,000
people gathered in the park when
the crack of pistol shots cut Short
his speech.
Zingara was said to have admit
ted that 10 years ago he was party
to a plot against the life of King
Victor Emmanuel, of Italy.
(An attempt was made in 1911 on
the life of King Victor Emmanuel
and the assailant was imprisoned
until 1928 when, at the King's or
der, he was given full freedom in
a general amnesty:)
The Injured.
The injured in addition to Mayor
Cermak, who was shot through the
chest, the bullet coming out his
back and who may be fatally wound
ed, were:
William Sinnott, of New York, de
tective, shot in head.
j0s wife of the Presi
of the Florida Power and Light
^Wmpany, shot twice in the abdo
men.
Mrs. Margaret Keyes, of Newark,
N. J., shot in the hand.
Russell Caldwell, aged five, of
Cocoanut Grove, Fla., Slightly In
jured.
First reports had been that a se
cret service man named Brod
neaux, who was with the President,
had been shot in the head. It de
veloped, however, that he had leap
ed to a position in front of Mr.
Roosevelt to shield him and then
had joined in the rush to capture
the would-be assassin. In the con
fusion it had seemed that he had
been shot.
Cancels Trip North.
Mr. Roosevelt cancelled, plans for
his return to New York tonight. He
will remain here at least another
day.
He will spend the night aboard
the Nourmahal, Vincent Astor's
yacht, on which he had returned
earlier tonight from an 11-day trip.
The President-elect had just Com
pleted a brief address of welcome to
thousands of cheering winter resort
residents, in a Setting that was col
? orful and in keeping with the oc
casion when the shots, six of them,
slilit ' the air.
Mayor Cermak, who had been
standing on the running board of
the shiny black automobile in which
Mr. Roosevelt was in the back, drop
ped to his knees in the fusillade.
Mrs. Gill wife of the President of
the Florida Power and Light Com
pany, was struck as she Stood on the
6uter fringe of the crowd about 50 1
feet from the car.
"i got Cermak," Zingara was
heard to shout before the crowd re
covered from the first shock of the
attempt at wholesale killing.
Mr. Roosevelt owes his life to the
fact that a split second ^before the
o
Guard at White
House Doubled
Washington, Feb. 15. ? The
secret service detail assigned
to protect the life at President
Hoover immediately was dou
bled tonight upon receipt of
word here of apparent at
tempt to assassinate Pres
ident-elect Roosevelt.
shots were discharged he had low
ered himself down to the rear of
his motor. He had been standing,
braced by his arms on the lowered
top of the car.
He wag in the process of sliding
into his accustomed seat when the
bullets cut through the air.
No sooner had the shots been
fired, it seemed, than the Roosevelt
car was thrown into gear by the
chaffeur and it was sent into mo
tion through a path cleared by po
j lice sirens!.
Mr. Roosevelt was heard to re
mark, "I'm all right." He waved
his arms to the crowd as an indi
cation that he had been spared. He
waS driven to his special train on
a siding of the Florida East Coast
Railroad, and later to the hospital,
where the wounded were 1 ruShed.
. Alter, urains that all possible
comforts be given the victims he
was driven back to the Nourmahal,
where but a few hours ago he
laughed and joked with the news
papermen who boarded the yacht
to greet him after his absence.
Reports brought back to the train
by Robert H. Gore, a member of
the Roosevelt party, said that hos
pital authorities expected Mayor
Cermak to die of his injuries.
"The bullet struck Cermak full in
the chest and came out through his
back," Gore declared.
Mrs. M. J. Cross, of N. W. Sec
ond Street, Miami, was standing
close to Zingara as he arose from
a crouching position with the gun ;
in his hand. She sensed the im
pending tragedy and tried to wrest
the weapon from his hand. He 1
climbed a chair to get an accurate :
aim.
He was about 35 feet from the
Roosevelt automobile, which had
stopped to allow the President-elect
to extend a greeting to this city.
(Continued on last page)
o ?
SPEECH OF ROOSEVELT
PRIOR TO SHOOTING
Response To Welcome Hardly
Finished When Shots
Ring Out
TELLS NO FISH STORIES
M4ami, Fla., Feb. 15. ? President
elect Roosevelt had just finished a
brief speech to a welcoming crowd,
thanking them for the reception
when the six shots rang out tonight.
The text of Mr. Roosevelt's re
marks was : \
"Mr. Mayor, my friends of Miami,
I am not a stranger here because
for a great many years I used to
come down here. I haven't been
here for seven years, but I am
coming back. I have firmly Re
solved not to make this the last
time. I have had a very wonderful
12 days of fishing in these Florida
and Bahama waters. It has been
wonderful rest and we have caught
a Rreat many fish.
"I am not going to attempt to
tell ytfu any fish stories and the on=~
ly fly in the ointment on my trip
has been that I have put on about
10 pounds. So that means, among
other duties which I shall have to
perform when- 1 get North is tak
ing those 10 pounds off.
"I hope very -much to come down
here next winter and to see all off
you and to have another wonderful
ID days or two weeks in Florida
wafers." I
Then, as he said "Many thanks,"
and $at down, the firing began.
Escapes Gunman's Bullets
FRANKLIN
ROOSEVELT
? ? ? -S
New York, Feb. 15.? Three Ameri
can- T5rasid?nts tnet tteam irt the
bands of assassins. A lunatic at
tempted to kill President Theodore
Roosevelt on September 1, 1903.
Abraham Lincoln was shot by J. ,
Wilkes Booth in a Washington
theater on April 14, 1865.
President Garfield was shot by i
Charles J. Guiteau in- a Washington j
railway station on July 2, 1881.
President McKinley on Septem
ber 6, 1901, was assassinated by Leon !
Czolgosz while attending the Pan
American exposition in Buffalo.
Mayor William J. Gaynor of New
York was badly wounded by an as
sassin's bullet aboard a steamer in
New York harbsr August 9, 1910.
The wounding of Mayor Cermak
of Chicago recalls that on October
28, 1893, Carter H. Harrison, then
mayor of Chicago, was assassinated
There have been many attempts
on the lives of European rulers,
but comparatively few on American
political leaders.
William Goebel, governor of Ken
tucky, was killed on January 30,
1900. Prank Steuenberg, former gov
ernor of Idaho, was slain in Dec
ember, 1905.
Among other assassinations of
world famous leaders are : Emperor >
Alexander II of Russia in 1881;
King Humbert I of Italy in 1900;
President Madero of Mexico in 1913;
King George! of Greece in 1913;
Archduke Francis Fredinan4-?f Aus?
tria-Hungary in 1914.
o
Mayor Cermak
Glad It Was He,
Not/ RoOaevelt
I ' ? ? '
Miami, Fla., Feb. 15.? "I'm glad
it was me, not you."
With that expression of loyalty
to his Chief, Mayor Anton Cermak
of Chicago, tonight greeted Presi
dent-elect Roosevelt at Jackson
Memorial hospital here, where Cer
mak was taken after being shot in
an abortive attempt to assassinate
the President-elect.
Roosevelt visited the hospital af
ter the five victims were taken
there, and sfient some time with all
save one. He then returned to the
Astor yacht, Nourmahal.
? o
A1 Smith Shocked
By Miami* Shooting
New York, Feb. 15. ? Of the trag
edy tonight at Miami, Former Gov.
Alfred E. Smith tonight said :
T am deeply shocked to learn
such a thing could happen. My joy
at learning that Governor Roose
velt was not hit is tempered only
by my diStressf at the misfortune
of Mayor Cermak and the others.
Roosevelt And Party Just. Before Shooting As
They Arrived At Miami From Cruise
Pictures here ten the President-elect, Franklin D. Roosevelt, with
his cousin, Kermit Roosevelt, on left, and Vincent Astor, his host and
owner of the yacht used for the cruise. -A short while later the happy ,
occasion was turned into a near-tragedy as an assassin's bullets crashed
into the party.
?v-t " "
EYE WITNESSES GIVE
DETAILS OE SHOOTING
Radio Station Broadcasts Ac
tual Revolver Shots, Amid
Scenes of Confusion
FIRST SHOTS FROM CHAIR
Miami, Fla., Feb. 15. ? A camera
man's cray to his photographer, "ac
tion.1" was the signal for the six
shots fired at President-elect Roose
velt, William W. Wood, 27, Miami,
told the United Press tonight.
Wood, a member of the Dade
County Democratic committee and
assigned to Mayor Anton Cermak
of Chicago as a local guide, was
standing between Cermak and th
would-be assassin when the shoot
ing started.
"I was holding a lapel mike pass
ing over a cable for a radio an
nouncer when the shooting began,"
Wood said.
"The first shot went over my
shoulder just as the President-elect
reached over another man to shake
hands with the Chicago Mayor and
remarked jovially, 'Hello Tony."
*"A cameraman had just cried, 'ac
tion,' to his' photographer. It was
the cue for all the action."
Meanwhile thousands of Miamians
and winter visitors who could not
jam into the enormous amphithea
tre at the park discussed their own
little drama as heard over radio
from Miami's station WQAM.
Mr. Roosevelt had just uttered a
farewell, "Thank you," when the
listeners were startled by two shots
fired in quick succession. Some
freak of radio operation cut out the
reports of the other four blasts.
ly, near the microphone:
"Get that man."
The announcer began describing
the tumultuous scene. He attempted
to minimize the importance of the
shots.
"There seems to be some confu
sion here," ' the announcer said.
"Don't be alarmed." He then said
the shots were flash light explosion
guns.
But the confusion and loud shout
ing continued on the radio until the
station suddenly cut off.
It was nearly half an hour before
the announcer returned to the air
and told the actual occurrences of
that exciting moment.
Roy A. Dobs of Johnson City, N.
Y? was seated directly behind the
would-be assassin, Zingara.
"As Roosevelt sat down I saw the
would-be assassin half rise and
shoot from just above his hip be
tween the heads of those in front
of us.
"From this position he fired two
shots. A tall man grabbed him by
the wrist and elevated the gun
hand. The third shot went wild
into the platform.
"The tall man began to wrestle
with Zingara. The would-be assas
sin rose and stood on a chair.
"He was in this position still
shooting when a woman tackled
him around the knees and the chair
collapsed. Then the-police came."
o
Mayor Cermak
Expected To Re
cover From Wound
Miami, Fla., Feb. 16. ? Mayor An- I
ton Cermak. of Chicago, has a good
shance to recover from the bullet
wound he received last night. Dr.
Oerald Rapp announced after an
X-ray examination of the Mayor
;arly today.
"The bullet entered the right side
Df the back and passed below the
tip of the scapula downward to
wards the midline and lays at the
interior of the eleventh dorsal ver
lebrae," Dr. Rapp said.
He added that he "uciieved the
Mayor will live.
"The bullet may have tipped the
iver," he said. "Pulse 80, respira
tion 26, condition considered very
re ry good," was the brief bulletin.
? . O rl
Notice
The regular monthly meeting of
:he Boy Scout Council will be held
it Hotel Shirley Tuesday night, Feb.
ilst. atv7:30 p. m. Please attend
if possible.
1 fW i
A number of Cumberland County
tobacco gfowers will try out the
new plan of "covering their tobacco
beds with a light scattering of grain |
straw this season.
Admits Buying Gun To
Kill President-Elect
Seriously Wounded
Mayor Anton Cermak, of Chicago,
who was probably fatally wounded
by one of the shots fired by the
would-be assassin of President-elect
Roosevelt.
President Hoover
Deeply Shocked By
News O f Attack
Washington, Feb. 16. ? President
Hoover issued a statement tonight
saying he was "deeply shocked" by
news that shots had been fired at
President-elect Roosevelt.
He described the incident as a
"dastardly act." Mr. Hoover also
sent a telegram to the President
elect rejoicing at his escape and
asking for the condition of Mayor
Cermak.
In his telegram to Roosevelt,
President Hoover said:
"Together with every citizen I re
joice that you have not been in
jured. I shall be grateful to you
for news of Mayor Cermak's con
dition."
The President-elect replied:
"I deeply appreciate your mes
sage. Mayor Cermak is resting but
^is condition is still serious. I will
wire you in the morning after I
have been to the hospital."
? ir'ii
Stranger ? And whafc.$-e you going
to be when you grow up, my little
man?
Little Man ? Well, after I have
been a minister to please mother
and a lawyer to please father, I'm
going to be a policeman.
mrsTroosevelt is
CALM WHEN NOTIFIED
i
Says "These Things Are To
Be Expected"; Is Anxious
About Cermak
New York, Feb. 15. ? Mrs. Frank
lin D. Roosevelt bustled into the
room of the Roosevelt mansion on
East 65 Street while Colonel Louis
Howe, confidential secretary to the
President-elect, was talking to re
porters and calmly asked "What is
it all about?"
Her daughter, Mrs. Anna Curtii
Dall, followed her into the room
?mxiously.
When Howe explained that Mr.
Roosevelt was unhurt, Mrs. Roose
/elt sat on the edge of her chair,
smiled broad and said, "phew, that's
jreat."
Then she noticed that reporters
vere in the room, smiled gracious
y and said:
v"You've got to expect these
hings."
Advised that Mayor Anton Cermak 1
)f Chicago had been wounded, she
ixpressed great anxiety and said
she would wait by a telephone un
il she could get details from Mr.
Roosevelt himsfelf . ? ? , ? J, ? .
Colonel Howe expressed great Sur- 1
jrise tonight at news of the unsuc- I
?essful attempt made upon Mr. 1
Roosevelt's life in Miami. ,<
"The Pres'.dent'elect'e mail has i
jeen especially free of any crank 1
nail or threats of any kind," he i
;aid. " 1
"I seriously doubt," Howe contin- ]
led, "whether the bullets were i
neant for Mr. Roosevelt as he is not i
he type of man who would be tar- i
ret of such an assault." 1
w ? "
Italian Brick Layer Says He
Tried To Kill King Vic
tor Emmanuel
BLAMES CROWD FOR MISS
Miami, Fla., Feb. 15. ? Guisseppi
Zingara, 33, Italian brick layer, ad
mitted he purchased the gun with
which he attempted to assassinate
President-elect Roosevelt here to
night, police announced shortly be
for midnight.
Zingara also told police he at
tempted to assassinate King Em
manuel of Italy ten years ago, po?
lice said. s
"When I read in the Miami news
papers that Roosevelt was coming
to Miami I bought -with $8 a gun
with which to kill him," Zingara
was quoted as having t&ld police.
"I got to the scene early but the
crowed was too big for me to get
near the platform.
"I meant to shoot him while he
was talking but the crowd was in
my way and I am a short man.
"I have always hated the rich
and powerful and I hoped tonight
that I would have better luck than
I did ten years ago when in Italy
I purchased the pistol with which
to kill King Emmanuel with."
He blamed the dense crowd for
his failure.
"By a queer trick of fate," he
continued, "the same thing that
failed me in Italy was the same
thing that prevented me from kill ?
:ng Roosevelt tonight ? too dense a
crowd.
"I suppose I tried to kill Roose
velt because I have been 4n-eonstant
trouble from a stomach operation."
"I would not shoot a working man
or a policeman," Zingara continued.
"It is the rich and powerful I
hate. As a child I had to work hard
in the field, and when I was 16 I
had to go to war. Life has been bad
for me."
The Italian brick layer was strip
ped of all his clothes as he reached
the jail and his clothing thoroughly
searched.
Rogue's gallery pictures were tak
en of him clad only in his under
wear. Later even that bit> of cloth
ing was taken from him.
When news syndicate photogra
phere attempted to take his pic
ture as he stood nude in his cell,
Zingara demanded a shirt which he
held in front of him.
"I was too shfrt to Shoot as I
wanted to," Zingara continued. "My
big chance came, .however, whep
some people got tired standing and
sat down.
"I stood on a chair and pointed
the gun at Roosevelt but people
pushing and milling around made
it-wobbly. The gun started to shake
but I pulled the trigger anyway. I
dont remember how many times.
"I do note hate Mr. Roosevelt per
sonally but I hate all PreSidents.no
matter from what country. I hate
all officials and anybody who is
rich. I am 35 years old and was
born in Csiadria, Italy."
Zingara came here by bus two
months ago. He came from New
York City but has been making his
home in Hackensack.
MENACING GROWD GATHERS
AROUND JAIL IN MIAMI
Miami, Fla.,? Feb. 15. ? At mid
night reports came to police head
quarters here that a menacing
crowd was forming around the Mi
ama jail where Guisfceppi Zingara
who fired six shots at President
elect Roosevelt" and party tonight,
was being questioned.
Precautions were being taken to
keep the crowd moving, however.
There was little danger of the mob
reaching Zingara, for Miami's jail
is 27 stories above the aftreet.
o
Foot Hurt By Tractor
?Charlie ^Sasnett, an employee of
the State Highway Commission, was
the victim of a painful accident
ast Wednesday morning when one
)f the heavy caterpillar tractors
).*d by the highway force ran over
lis foot. The accident happened
lear Helena, where some roads were
ueing repaired. He was brought to
Roxboro and the injured member
lressed. No bones were broken, it
ivas stated, and he is now getting
ilong nicely, at the home of his
father.