Bremer's Odyssey

In a chilling postscript to the affair, it turned out that the would-be assassin, Arthur Bremer, was stalking not only Governor George Wallace. Authorities learned soon after the shooting that in early April Bremer had registered at New York's Waldorf-Astoria at the same time Hubert Humphrey was supposed to have been there. Humphrey, as it happened, had canceled his trip. Last week a picture was released of Bremer in Ottawa later in April in a crowd outside Parliament, while inside, President Nixon was appearing with Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Bremer had stayed in the city's Lord Elgin Hotel for two nights. Evidently there was no ideological consistency to Bremer's obsession; he could have as easily taken a potshot at Nixon or Humphrey--or anybody.

But Bremer is now in custody, the President was safe in Moscow last week, and Wallace was in the hospital making considerable progress--both medically and politically. The Alabama Governor had experienced what doctors described as "involuntary muscular sensation" in his toes, and vital signs remained stable. Whether or not the plucky presidential candidate makes good his promise to appear at the Democratic National Convention in July, however, largely depends on the results of an operation to remove the remaining .38-cal. bullet lodged in his spinal canal.

Still, Wallace felt sufficiently fit after placing second in the Oregon primary to pose with his family and chat briefly with reporters. "Sorry it had to end this way," he told them. "There won't be any more speeches for you fellows." His wife Cornelia is easily his equal in repartee. She pucked back: "That's all right, George. They're all the same anyway. Everybody knows the punch line."

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