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November 23, 2005 at 9:31 PM

            A newly released book, “American Gunfight” has a DuBois connection, Secret Service Agent Floyd Boring, who grew up in DuBois. Part of the research for the book was conducted at the DuBois Area Historical Society.

            “American Gunfight,” by Stephen Hunter and John Bainbridge Jr., released by Simon and Shuster, concerns the Nov. 1, 1950 attempt by two Puerto Rican Nationalists to assassinate President Harry Truman. The assault took place at the Blair House, where Truman was living while the White House was being renovated.

            During the 40-second gunfight, which involved three Secret Service agents and four White House Police officers, between 29 and 31 shots, two men died, and two more were seriously injured. Part of the Secret Service detail that day was Floyd Boring.

            It was Boring that brought John Bainbridge Jr. to DuBois to do research. Bainbridge, a free-lance journalist, is a former reporter for The Baltimore Sun and legal affairs editor for The Daily Record of Baltimore. He is also a lawyer and a former Maryland assistant attorney general.

            Bainbridge met with DuBois Area Historical Society President Evo Facchine. He used the Society’s genealogical department and was shown the several items on display at the Society, which relate to Boring’s time in the Secret Service. Both Facchine and the DuBois Area Historical Society are mentioned in the book.