Accordingly he made many enemies.
Among the many office-seekers whom the President was forced to
disappoint was a weak-minded, bad young man named Guiteau. Garfield
saw plainly that he was quite unfit to fill any government post,
and he refused to employ him. Thereupon Guiteau's heart was filled
with hate against the President. He brooded over his wrongs till
his hate became madness, and in this madness he determined to kill
his enemy.
Since he took up office the President had been hard at work. Now
in July he determined to take a short holiday in New England, and
visit Mrs. Garfield, who had been ill, and had gone away for a
change of air.
On Saturday, the 2nd of July, the morning on which he was going
to set out, he awoke in excellent spirits. Before he got up one of
his sons came into his room. The boy took a flying leap over his
father's bed.
"There," he said with a laugh, "you are the President of the United
States, but you can't do that."
"Can't I?" said the President.
And he got up and did it.
In the same good spirits he drove to the station.
As he walked along the platform a man with an evil look on his
face followed him. Suddenly a pistol shot was heard, and a bullet
passed through the President's sleeve, and did no harm. It was
quickly followed, however, by a second, which hit the President full
in the back, and he fell to the ground.
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