How this Unlucky U.S. President Got Stalked and Killed
The disturbing story of James A. Garfield’s assassination.
James A. Garfield, the President in 1831, was shot and taken to a White House hospital room where he lay among rats. Over a dozen medical professionals had been working tirelessly to save his life for weeks after the assassin’s attack. Summer days regularly reached the 100-degree mark, and the mosquito population exploded in the region’s wetlands as a result.
The first lady, Lucretia Garfield, and four other White House staff members have lately been diagnosed with malaria. The President’s internal infections flared up and spread; his temperature fluctuated wildly, and his heart began to fail.
Acute neurological feelings, which he referred to as “tiger’s claws,” frequently overtook him and were felt most strongly in his lower limbs. The 49-year-old President’s anguish was alleviated by the vigorous squeezing of his feet and calves by his bedside aides. This is the story of how he got stalked and shot!
The Arch Nemesis
“Yes, I suffer some,” he said to the nurse. “The tigers must be returning, although they don’t generally stick around for very long. Stop worrying, you little whippersnapper!” His three eldest children, teens Harry, James, and…
