Washington, Nov. 1 —(AP) — Two fiery Puerto Rican revolutionists shot their way to President Truman’s doorstep today, but were mowed down in a gun battle with White House guards before they could carry out their plot to murder the sleeping president. One of the gunmen was killed, the other seriously wounded.
Tonight, a secret service man died of bullet wounds suffered in the roaring gun fight in front of Blair House, the president’s temporary home across the street from the White House. Two other guards were hurt, one seriously.
It was the first conspiracy — by two or more persons — to kill a president of the United States since John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln in a plot to wipe out the whole leadership of the government.
Mr. Truman was taking a nap at the time the assassins stormed his home. The shots awakened him but he was unhurt.
Those killed were: Griselio Torresola, from New York, one of the gunmen.
Pvt. Leslie Coffelt, 40, of the secret service. He was shot in the chest, stomach and legs in his valiant — and successful — defense of the president.
TWO GUARDS, GUNMAN SHOT
The other two guards were critically injured, as was the remaining gunman.
The gun battle took place on the very doorstep of the Blair house.
One gunman went down stretched out across the bottom of the mansion’s steps. The other fell amid shrubbery nearby.
Thus Mr. Truman escaped the fate of presidents Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, all of whom died of assassins’ bullets.
Mr. Truman was taking a nap in his underwear, getting a rest before time to go to Arlington cemetery to help dedicate a monument to the late Sir John Dill, the British wartime chief of staff.
The president once peered out of the window, to see what the shooting was all about. He was quickly waved back by frantic guards.
Thirty minutes later he attended the Arlington ceremonies as scheduled. He made an address pleading for understanding among peoples.
The United States, he said “has no ambitions — only world peace.”
From Anti - U.S. Party
The dead man was identified by the secret service as Griselio Torresola, shot through the head from ear to ear. He was described as a young man from New York City. In his pocket were two letters from Pedro Albizu Campos, leader Puerto Rico’s violently anti-United States party.
The injured man was Oscar Collazo, 37, of the Bronx, New York. He was shot in the chest and may live.
In New York, Mrs. Collazo said her husband belonged to the nationalist party — whose revolution in Puerto Rico was put down earlier this week with a loss of more than 30 lives.
Puerto Rico is a possession of the United States, but elects its own local officers and governor. The national party has said it started the revolution in an attempt to get independence. Gov. Luiz Munoz Marin has described the rebels as members of “a conspiracy against democracy helped by the communists.”
Voted For Truman
Mrs. Coliazo said of herself and husband:
“We voted for Roosevelt and Truman because they promised us independence and we did not get it. Roosevelt is dead so we can’t blame him. We are both nationalists.”
She said her husband polished pocketbook frames, for a living and earned $71 a week.
The connection between Torresola and Collazo was not immediately made clear. But in one of the letters Campos, the revolutionary leader, told Torresola:
“If for any reason it should be necessary for you to assume the leadership of the movement in the United States, you will do so without hesitation of any kind.”
And Collazo told secret service agents:
“We came here for the express purpose of shooting the president.”
Hint Earlier Trouble
Only a few hours before the attempted assassination, an unidentified man hurled two blazing gasoline bottles into a crowd at the Puerto Rican government labor office in New York.
The wounded policemen were:
Police Pvt. Don Birdzell.
Pvt. Joseph Downs, 44, a plain clothes officer, shot in chest and stomach. His condition is ‘critical, very serious.”
The Blair house is across Pennsylvania avenue and up the street about a block from the White House. The Trumans are living there while the White House is being repaired.
Here is the scene, as pieced together from eyewitness accounts.
At 11:15 a.m. PST, all was calm on this warm, lovely fall day. Then pandemonium.
U. E. Baugham, chief of the secret service, said Collazo strolled by the sentry box at one side of the Blair house without attracting notice.
Surprises With Gunfire
He went along the Pennsylvania avenue sidewalk until he was within ten feet of the entrance.
Birdzell was there, but facing the other way. He heard a click, and turned.
Collazo said nothing, but opened fire.
Birdzell rushed into the street, even though hit. He said he was trying to draw the fire away from the Biair house.
By this time Officer Floyd Boring, standing outside the sentry box and Officer Joseph O. Davidson, who was inside, opened fire. Neither knows who fired the shot that dropped Collazo.
He fell at the foot of the steps. One report said he actually had gone up a few steps before the bullets mowed him down.
Torresola was operating to the west of the Blair house.
What happened, here is confused.
Both Well Dressed
He died against a clump of shrubbery, about 30 feet from his companion.
Both men were well dressed. Each wore what appeared to be identical pinstripe suits. Oddly, each fell and lay with his hat on.
About 20 shots were fired.
At least four of these ripped into the Blair house. One window, almost at street level, was shattered. One shot lodged in a door.
Why had these men risked their lives in an effort to kill the president?
Probe Cause
The answer was not completely understood here tonight. And Collazo himself wasn’t very cooperative.
He was asked what was his purpose in coming here to make the attack.
“Oh, just political,” he said.
But exactly why he thought the death of an American president would help his cause isn’t known.
Secret service men studied the two letters for light on the question.
One read:
“My dear Griselio:
“If for any reason it should be necessary for you to assume the leadership of the movement in the United States, you will do so without hesitation of any kind. We are leaving to your high sense of patriotism and sane judgment everything regarding this matter.
“Cordially yours,
“Predo Albizo Campos.”
The second was in the form of a memorandum, written in Spanish. Translated it read:
“Gorsoline will collect the funds which I consider necessary to take care of the supreme necessities of the cause. He will be responsible directly to the general treasurer. The delegate will accord you all the necessary cooperation so that your mission may be a triumph.
“San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sept. 21, 1950.”
And when Mrs. Collazo was told what had happened, she said: “I’m not surprised at anything these days — with revolution going on in Puerto Rico.
“For every $1-million Truman gave us, he took back $2-million.”
This story was published in the Nov. 2, 1950, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.
