Great gloom prevails in Buffalo

“. . . and for the man, if it is just to call him man, that struck the blow, only a single excuse exists, that his brain had been turned by the dark conspiracies in which he was involved, and that it was at the instigation of a fanaticism excited to the pitch of insanity that the deed was done.”
—— Alexander K. McClure and Charles Morris, The Authentic Life of William McKinley, 1901


“He said anarchy was his religion.”
—— Benedict Rosinski, Chicago Sunday Tribune, 8 Sept. 1901

Cortelyou suggested that McKinley should skip the reception, but McKinley replied, "Why should I? No one would wish to hurt me."[5] McKinley, accompanied by Cortelyou and Exposition president John Milburn, arrived at the Exposition at 3:30 p.m. and proceeded to the Temple of Music building where the reception was to take place. Czolgosz became interested in anarchism in the years preceding the McKinley murder. In May 1901 he attended a speech given by anarchist leader Emma Goldman, in Cleveland, Ohio. Czolgosz traveled to Goldman's home in Chicago on July 12 and spoke briefly to Goldman before she left to catch a train.Goldman's speech from May was still "burning [him] up". He joined the line of people waiting to shake the president's hand. Czolgosz wrapped his hand in a white handkerchief to hide the gun he was carrying.[11] Secret Serviceman George Foster later explained his failure to observe Czolgosz's wrapped-up hand by saying that Czolgosz was too closely bunched up to the man in front of him.[12] However, at the trial, Foster would also admit to not noticing Czolgosz because he was paying close attention to James Parker, a black man who was standing in line immediately behind the assassin.William J. Gomph, the exposition's official organist, was softly playing Schumann's Träumerei on the massive organ that was a special attraction at the Temple of Music. At this moment, 4:07 p.m.[14] Czolgosz advanced to face the President. McKinley reached out to take Czolgosz's "bandaged" hand, but before he could shake it Czolgosz pulled the trigger twice.[15] James Benjamin "Big Ben" Parker, a six-foot six inch Black waiter from Atlanta who was laid-off by the exposition's Plaza Restaurant, standing immediately behind Czolgosz, punched him in the face and tackled him,[16] [17] knocking the gun from Czolgosz's hand.[18] Agent George Foster jumped onto Czolgosz and shouted to fellow agent Albert Gallagher "Al, get the gun! Get the gun! Al, get the gun![19] Gallagher instead got Czolgosz's handkerchief, which was on fire. Private Francis O'Brien of McKinley's Army detail picked up the gun.[20]
Emma Goldman incurred a great deal of negative publicity when she published an article in which she compared Czolgosz to Marcus Junius Brutus, the killer of Julius Caesar, and called McKinley the "president of the money kings and trust magnates."Czolgosz expressed remorse, saying, "I wish the people to know I am sorry for what I did. It was a mistake and it was wrong. If I had it to do over again I never would do it. But it is too late now to talk of that. I am sorry I killed the President."