Editing William McKinley (section)

==Assassination==
{{Main|Assassination of William McKinley}}
[[File:McKinley last photo.jpg|thumb|McKinley entering the [[Temple of Music]] on September 6, 1901, shortly before the shots were fired]]
[[File:McKinleyAssassination.jpg|thumb|Artist's conception of the shooting of McKinley]]

Although McKinley enjoyed meeting the public, Cortelyou was concerned with his security because of recent [[Era of Attacks|assassinations by anarchists in Europe]], such as the assassination of King [[Umberto I of Italy]] the previous year. Twice he tried to remove a public reception from the president's rescheduled visit to the exposition. McKinley refused, and Cortelyou arranged for additional security for the trip.{{sfn|Miller|p=294}} On September 5, McKinley delivered his address at the fairgrounds before a crowd of 50,000. In his final speech, McKinley urged reciprocity treaties with other nations to assure American manufacturers access to foreign markets. He intended the speech as a keynote to his plans for a second term.{{sfn|Miller|pp=298–300}}{{sfn|Gould|pp=250–51}}

A man in the crowd named [[Leon Czolgosz]] hoped to assassinate McKinley. After hearing a speech by anarchist [[Emma Goldman]] in Cleveland, Czolgosz had decided to take [[Propaganda of the deed|action that he believed would advance the cause]]. He had managed to get close to the presidential podium, but did not fire, uncertain of hitting his target.{{sfn|Miller|pp=298–300}} After his failure to get close enough on September 5, Czolgosz waited until the next day at the [[Temple of Music]] on the exposition grounds, where the president was to meet the public. Czolgosz concealed his gun in a handkerchief and, when he reached the head of the line, shot McKinley twice in the abdomen at close range.{{sfn|Miller|pp=300–01}}

McKinley urged his aides to break the news gently to Ida, and to call off the mob that had set upon Czolgosz, a request that may have saved his assassin's life.{{sfn|Miller|pp=301–02}} McKinley was taken to the exposition aid station, where the doctor was unable to locate the second bullet. Although a primitive [[X-ray machine]] was being exhibited on the exposition grounds, it was not used. McKinley was taken to the home of [[John G. Milburn]], president of the Pan-American Exposition Company.{{sfnm|Leech||1pp=596–97|Miller||2pp=312–15}}

In the days after the shooting, McKinley appeared to improve and doctors issued increasingly optimistic bulletins. Members of the Cabinet, who had rushed to Buffalo on hearing the news, dispersed, and Vice President Roosevelt departed on a camping trip to the [[Adirondacks]].{{sfnm|Miller||1pp=315–17|Morgan||2pp=401–02}} 
[[File:(Untitled)_-_DPLA_-_12610d761dd44e93dc6fc18aa9d4c13a.jpg|thumb|321x321px|A September 11, 1901 [[political cartoon]] responding to the anarchist assassination attempt.]]
Leech wrote: 
{{blockquote|It is difficult to interpret the optimism with which the President's physicians looked for his recovery. There was obviously the most serious danger that his wounds would become septic. In that case, he would almost certainly die, since drugs to control infection did not exist&nbsp;... [Prominent New York City physician] [[Charles McBurney (surgeon)|Dr. McBurney]] was by far the worst offender in showering sanguine assurances on the correspondents. As the only big-city surgeon on the case, he was eagerly questioned and quoted, and his rosy prognostications largely contributed to the delusion of the American public.{{sfn|Leech|p=599}}
}}

On the morning of September 13, McKinley's condition deteriorated. Specialists were summoned; although at first some doctors hoped that McKinley might survive with a weakened heart, by afternoon they knew that the case was hopeless. Unknown to the doctors, [[gangrene]] was growing on the walls of McKinley's stomach and slowly poisoning his blood. McKinley drifted in and out of consciousness all day, but when awake he was a model patient. By evening, McKinley too knew he was dying, "It is useless, gentlemen. I think we ought to have prayer."{{sfn|Leech|p=600}}{{sfn|Miller|pp=318–319}} Relatives and friends gathered around the death bed. The first lady sobbed over him, saying, "I want to go, too. I want to go, too."{{sfn|Miller|pp=319–320}} Her husband replied, "We are all going, we are all going. God's will be done, not ours", and with final strength put an arm around her.{{sfn|Miller|p=320}} He may also have sung part of his favorite hymn, "[[Nearer, My God, to Thee]]",{{sfn|Leech|p=601}} although some other accounts have the first lady singing it softly to him.{{sfn|Miller|p=320}}

At 2:15&nbsp;a.m. on September 14, 1901, McKinley died. Theodore Roosevelt rushed back to Buffalo and took the oath of office as president. Czolgosz, put on trial for murder nine days after McKinley's death, was found guilty, sentenced to death on September 26 and executed by [[electric chair]] on October 29, 1901.{{sfn|Miller|pp=321–30}}