NEWS AND OPINION:
An archive of unpublished and never-before-seen letters and notes related to the assassination of a U.S. president has come up for sale.
The Raab Collection — a private Pennsylvania-based company deals in historical documents of many kinds — has acquired the original autopsy report and unpublished medical notes related to the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley.
They once belonged to Dr. Herman Matzinger, who performed the autopsy. His report announced the important news that neither initial infection nor poison had played a role in the president’s death, rebutting two theories circulating at the time.
“This gives us new and fascinating insight into an important moment in American history, when the nation was grieving, demanding answers about a fallen president,” said Nathan Raab, president of the Raab Collection.
“We’ve never seen anything on the market like it,” Mr. Raab said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
The archive is valued at $80,000.
The Raab Collection also shared this historical account:
“On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, when the anarchist Leon Czolgosz stepped forward and shot McKinley twice at close range. Doctors quickly tended the president, and even given the constraints of medical knowledge at the time, the initial surgery appeared successful. However, his health soon began to decline, and McKinley died on September 14, becoming the third president in U.S. history to be felled by an assassin,” the account said.
“In the days that followed McKinley’s death, some doctors criticized the medical treatment he received, while others posited that poison (via a poison-tipped bullet) or some other agent had been involved. A formal report was commissioned, to be conducted in two parts; one covering the shooting and surgical operations, the second consisting of an autopsy and bacteriological report,” the account stated.
The archive includes a 17-page notebook of lab notes and scientific observations dated Sept. 14-30, 1901. There are also manuscripts, letters, ephemera, a typed report — and tickets to McKinley’s funeral service.
RAMASWAMY’S ‘RAUCOUS CAUCUS’
This snappy phrase comes to us from Vivek 2024, the presidential campaign of Vivek Ramaswamy. Perhaps it’s an indicator that the presidential race could get interesting as parties, conventions, and news coverage continues.
The Republican candidate will host “Vivek’s Raucous Caucus Night Party” in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday evening at the Surety Hotel, a historic Beaux Arts-era establishment that was originally a grand bank built in 1913.
The candidate’s planners appear prepared for considerable news coverage.
“Parking for satellite trucks will be made available upon request,” the planners said in a note to the media.
STEFANIK’S WARNING
A vigilant New York Republican is eyeing troubles on the northern U.S. border, which encompasses a sizable portion of her home state.
Indeed, the border between New York and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec is 445 miles long.
“In upstate New York where my district shares a border with Canada, overworked border patrol agents are being overwhelmed there by a flux of illegal immigrants from 79 different countries — just recently apprehending an Iranian national with clear terrorist ties,” Rep. Elise Stefanik said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“Since Joe Biden stepped into the Oval Office, there have been over eight million illegal crossings. Last month, more than 300,000 illegal immigrants poured into our country setting the record for the most monthly encounters in history,” she said.
“As President Ronald Reagan historically said, ‘A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.’ Every day that Joe Biden and Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas refuse to secure our borders they fail the American people, sacrificing our nation’s safety, security, and sovereignty,” Ms. Stefanik declared.
‘MORE ENGAGEMENT, MORE DEBATES’
Let’s take a peek at Fox News Audio’s forthcoming “The Will Cain Show & Podcast,” which will begin streaming live with video on Fox News Digital platforms starting Jan. 15.
“The program will tackle the latest headlines from Cain’s unique perspective along with thought-provoking long-form interviews with leading figures and live calls from viewers and listeners. Fridays will feature a bonus audio-only podcast that focuses on sports and culture,” the cable network said in advance production notes.
“In addition to Fox News Digital, ‘The Will Cain Show’ will be made available on the Fox News YouTube channel. The show will also be produced for national syndication on terrestrial radio and be available for download on all podcast platforms following its live airing,” Fox News said.
The host is ready.
“This is it! This is what I want to be a part of in our national conversation. More. More engagement, more debates, more dangerous conversations, more free thinking, more fun,” Mr. Cain said in a written statement — exclamation point and all — which the network shared with Inside the Beltway.
“We will try to make sense of the chaos,” he said in another audio announcement.
POLL DU JOUR
• 71% of U.S. adults are dissatisfied “with the way democracy is working in the country today.”
• 82% of Republicans, 71% of independents and 61% of Democrats agree. 72% of women and 69% of men also agree.
• 28% overall are satisfied by the way democracy is working in the country.
• 17% of Republicans, 27% of independents and 38% of Democrats agree. 27% of women and 29% of men also agree.
• 2% did not have an opinion or refused to answer.
• 1% of Republicans, 2% of independents and 1% of Democrats agree. 1% of women and 2% of men also agree.
SOURCE: A Gallup Poll of 1,013 U.S. adults conducted by telephone from Dec. 1-20 and released Jan. 5.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.