We’ll be getting a mini explanation on exactly what happened. Adams is slain right in front of the Secret Service. Nasty event. Congress is pissed.
This is basically the end of hasty public events and places the public can have easy access.
Triple Calamity: What if the Three Most Important Men in the Executive Branch Died in One Night?
- Thread starter Mr.Q
- Start date
This is basically the end of hasty public events and places the public can have easy access.
like OTL like ITTL, it was still a Charles Guiteau.
Adams was lying, he’d been dodging him for practically the whole Vice Presidency and Presidency. He did not write the mad man from Boston when he returned from the White House.
Also technically the “Secret Service” isn’t charged with Presidential protection. They are still the counterfeit guys. The President just a couple Federal troops or Guardsmen per public appearance. Some random officer would get the President for a few hours then he’d be in private again. Or within the safety of the White House. (Walk in appointments There died after the calamity.) Again this is all about to change.
August 2, 1888 Cont.
2:21 PM: The President gives a speech at the Arlington Hotel ballroom, he is introduced by Secretary Lincoln and Speaker Reed.
2:25 PM: The President is speaking to the crowd about the new American backed Government in Hawaii, multiple diplomats of the Hawaiian Government are present and a large Aloha sign adorns the hall.
2:29 PM: The President completes his speech and begins to chat with the guests. Most are politicians who lived at the Arlington and select members of the public. Every entrance to the ballroom is manned by a member of the Maryland National Guard. The President is personally escorted by Pvt. Kinney and Pvt. McConnell of the Guard.
2:52 PM: The President leaves the ballroom and enters the hotel lobby, he is on his way to a carriage outside planning to head to a dinner at the White House.
2:53 PM: Secretary Lincoln stops the President in the lobby handing him a hat he left inside the ball room. Both guardsmen turn to look at Lincoln.
2:54 PM: One of the Hotel guests places his paper down and approaches the President with an ivory gripped Smith & Wesson Model 3 Revolver concealed in his coat sleeve.
2:55 PM: Pvt. Kinney moves to stop the man on his approach but he is stopped by the President. The President looks to the approaching man and exclaims, "Mr. Guiteau? Why are you here?"
2:57 PM: The man said something unintelligible (there is debate) and moved to the President with haste. Adams' final statement was "Sir, I told you no and meant it". Mere seconds after said statement the man fired three shots into the President, one bounced off the ground and into Pvt. McConnell, a second into the President's liver and the final struck the heart squarely.
2:58 PM: The President's fall was stopped by Secretary Lincoln who quickly grabbed him, Pvt. Kinney tackled Mr. Guiteau, after a scuffle that ended in another bullet being fired, hitting the wall, Kinney won the physical em battlement and restrained Guiteau until more Guardsmen flooded the room.
3:00 PM: Pvt. Smith reported that as the clock struck three o'clock the President died in the arms of Secretary Lincoln, the bullet piercing his heart killing him.
"On August 4th Congress convened and held a prayer for the Adams family. After an extensive report on the causes of the event, the blame was put on the national guard, their attention was divided, the detachment sent was made up of young inexperienced men and the security and safety checks were lackluster, seen as a gun was allowed in a room that held the President, Speaker of the House and Secretary of State.
On August 18th 1888, Congress voted to form the USPPD. The United States Political Protection Detachment, an officer of the USPPD would be specifically trained to be the best security detail in the world, tasked with protecting the President, Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries, Speaker of the House and President Pro Temp of the Senate, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Though primarily and most famously for the President and Vice President.) In 1889 the USPPD began it's service to the United States Government.
The public reaction to the assassination of the President was massive, nearly a million people came to watch the funeral procession back to Boston from DC. Schools, businesses and Government jobs took the day off. 1888 campaigning came to a pause for the whole month of August. It seemed as if the nation had trauma from the Triple Calamity. It was as if the nation went into shell shock overnight."
-from KING JOHN ADAMS: Third of His Name, Son of Charles Adams 'The Great'
by Nicole Jillings, published 2000
2:25 PM: The President is speaking to the crowd about the new American backed Government in Hawaii, multiple diplomats of the Hawaiian Government are present and a large Aloha sign adorns the hall.
2:29 PM: The President completes his speech and begins to chat with the guests. Most are politicians who lived at the Arlington and select members of the public. Every entrance to the ballroom is manned by a member of the Maryland National Guard. The President is personally escorted by Pvt. Kinney and Pvt. McConnell of the Guard.
2:52 PM: The President leaves the ballroom and enters the hotel lobby, he is on his way to a carriage outside planning to head to a dinner at the White House.
2:53 PM: Secretary Lincoln stops the President in the lobby handing him a hat he left inside the ball room. Both guardsmen turn to look at Lincoln.
2:54 PM: One of the Hotel guests places his paper down and approaches the President with an ivory gripped Smith & Wesson Model 3 Revolver concealed in his coat sleeve.
2:55 PM: Pvt. Kinney moves to stop the man on his approach but he is stopped by the President. The President looks to the approaching man and exclaims, "Mr. Guiteau? Why are you here?"
2:57 PM: The man said something unintelligible (there is debate) and moved to the President with haste. Adams' final statement was "Sir, I told you no and meant it". Mere seconds after said statement the man fired three shots into the President, one bounced off the ground and into Pvt. McConnell, a second into the President's liver and the final struck the heart squarely.
2:58 PM: The President's fall was stopped by Secretary Lincoln who quickly grabbed him, Pvt. Kinney tackled Mr. Guiteau, after a scuffle that ended in another bullet being fired, hitting the wall, Kinney won the physical em battlement and restrained Guiteau until more Guardsmen flooded the room.
3:00 PM: Pvt. Smith reported that as the clock struck three o'clock the President died in the arms of Secretary Lincoln, the bullet piercing his heart killing him.
"On August 4th Congress convened and held a prayer for the Adams family. After an extensive report on the causes of the event, the blame was put on the national guard, their attention was divided, the detachment sent was made up of young inexperienced men and the security and safety checks were lackluster, seen as a gun was allowed in a room that held the President, Speaker of the House and Secretary of State.
On August 18th 1888, Congress voted to form the USPPD. The United States Political Protection Detachment, an officer of the USPPD would be specifically trained to be the best security detail in the world, tasked with protecting the President, Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries, Speaker of the House and President Pro Temp of the Senate, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Though primarily and most famously for the President and Vice President.) In 1889 the USPPD began it's service to the United States Government.
The public reaction to the assassination of the President was massive, nearly a million people came to watch the funeral procession back to Boston from DC. Schools, businesses and Government jobs took the day off. 1888 campaigning came to a pause for the whole month of August. It seemed as if the nation had trauma from the Triple Calamity. It was as if the nation went into shell shock overnight."
-from KING JOHN ADAMS: Third of His Name, Son of Charles Adams 'The Great'
by Nicole Jillings, published 2000
-
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Images from the Funeral
"President Adams' Funeral was perhaps the finest I have ever seen."
-James A. Garfield
August 16th-August 19th 1888
The White House, adorned in black drapes.
An event in Seattle, commemorating the President
Garfield was Inaugurated on August 2nd at 5 PM. Many however requested to see him be inaugurated. Garfield refused, not wanting to make the month about himself. He would however deliver Adams' eulogy from the Capitol's steps.
An Illustration of the casket en route to the train station.
The funeral train passing through New York on It's way to Boston.
-James A. Garfield
August 16th-August 19th 1888
The White House, adorned in black drapes.
An event in Seattle, commemorating the President
Garfield was Inaugurated on August 2nd at 5 PM. Many however requested to see him be inaugurated. Garfield refused, not wanting to make the month about himself. He would however deliver Adams' eulogy from the Capitol's steps.
An Illustration of the casket en route to the train station.
The funeral train passing through New York on It's way to Boston.
. It was one of my earliest ideas for the timeline.Also people think it's funny that a Republican died leading to a Liberal president. Who then died leading to another Republican President. The Liberals a fuming seen as if Adams had not appointed Garfield to keep the coalition, John Sherman would've assumed the Presidency.
If it hasn't already been done, could someone please do a timeline where Guiteau is actually given an appointment overseas, only to have the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern act done to him, except that this time the bad man isn't smart enough to change the document wording and is therefore put into prison in said other country.
I just think it would be so funny. or, he is actually nominated as Ambassador and therefore because it is an action which requires Senate approval, Guiteau must appear before the senate. With the senators all in on it of course. Hilarity ensues.
I just think it would be so funny.
or, he is actually nominated as Ambassador and therefore because it is an action which requires Senate approval, Guiteau must appear before the senate. With the senators all in on it of course. Hilarity ensues.That sounds hilariousIf it hasn't already been done, could someone please do a timeline where Guiteau is actually given an appointment overseas, only to have the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern act done to him, except that this time the bad man isn't smart enough to change the document wording and is therefore put into prison in said other country.
I just think it would be so funny.
Poor Lincoln, first his father and now another President. This time in front of his face.
At the same time, this is undoubtably a boon for the Liberals. A slain President and an energetic successor? They can easily energize the populace to rally-around-the-flag.
At the same time, this is undoubtably a boon for the Liberals. A slain President and an energetic successor? They can easily energize the populace to rally-around-the-flag.
If only Adams had a Liberal VP 😔😔, it's a great gain for the Republicans though 🤣🤣🤣
The Republicans have just gained a massive victory, Garfield is in an amazing position.
The Liberals do however have a path to victory, they just need luck and to play their cards right.
I find the routine instability of the presidential office through illness and assassination very interesting, it's as if the Triple Calamity laid a curse upon the tenure of officeholders in the executive branch. Definitely a TL I have enjoyed reading thus far.
Thank you very much! Glad you've enjoyed it! Yes the office of President seems like a death sentence these days. To a career or to a life.