The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-05-30
From the Esssr Register.
UEARDfS ASSAULT.


We have been favored with the follow
ing correct and interesting account OF the
assault upon Mr.. Arnold. sseceived from
gentleman who was an eyewitness OF 'he
scene:-
Extract from a letter Of agenaemaH al " aSaj
ingtoa. TO his friend IN THIS to''n, @a'e"
Monday evening last +A Joy
ave have JUS; had repetition oi 'n1
Houston outrage, bnt with dineIe". "''"
more glorious result. You know that Ar
mold Of Tennessee, the only Ani-'acSsoh
member from that State --sn arden', ta'e"',
ed, fiery, powerful man OF o9-feu''lnr"
with great severity in the debate upo"
Tfoostop. pending the trial. last weeS'
fellow. calling himself Major Heard made
!. little demonstration of attacking ArhoIi
for s.niusiug his friend, Gov. Houston
I'm, f,ul,ered. and did not attack him. AT
mold wrote the letter whirh YOU saw IN Inc
Jp,elhuenrer. To-day, just after the All
;o,,,,,nept of the House, the members, say
from 5O 10 400, were coming down the
r,nat stems of the Capiiol-Arnold beng.
sinos, wholly ahead Of them all-Heard
.,n,nred he great gate, came towards them,
mot Arnold and aimed a.tremendous blow
heavy
his ear, or perhaps the si1e of'hlS nea"'-
Arnold, most providen'Ialiy, saw HIM soon
enough to dodge-the cane passed over MS
head without touching, and some say new
out of Heard's hand, hut | think 1t was al
forwards knocked out of his hand. Arnold
rose straight upright on his feet, aad with
slicht sword cane Ia little thrust sword. with
a slender wooden sheathl sir9cE ~ 1tN ami chi,
III
the neaa ;,eS part OF Arnol,'s cane all to pie
ces. Ainodfollowed ap his blow with marvel
Ions despatch and effect over Heard. head,
and if it had not fallen before, knocked his
cane ont of his hand. Heard stepped back
two or three fect-tlrew a pistol, and pre-
sep,ed it-Arnold pressed on him with his
sword rane-Heard fred-the ball graZed
the under part of AS arm, tearing away
clothes and rnkng up the skin-passed
close TO Mr.. Doddrilge-a half dozen
members almost in its exact path, and went
of lust at nv right. The smell of powder
was most fresh and agreeable. Heard held
on to his pistol, and warGed of, as well as
he could-but Arnold, who was by this
time. a tiger, closed in, knocked or threw
him flat on his back t,cice-and was in the
act of sticking his sword into his body,
when AS friends took him off by main
strength. Arnold took the pistol and rane
of Heard, and marched home, attended by
the members, cengratuiating him.
Heard picked himself up. His face was
n gore of hiecd-no man could tell whether
he was white or black. He was Immedi-
ately arrested, hut his physician certified
that he was too i'll to attend court; his head
is cut, and several stabs in the arm and
back. AS friends alone saved Heard's life.
HIS first blow, had it taken effect, would
have killed A., and on the othef hand, had
A. had such cane, or had no one interior
ell, he would have left H. a corpse. A.
says his first thought, on seeing the pistol,
was TO run-the next, and that instantane-
nus, was to press on to the murdeTous VIII
lain, as he did. A. struck, for his weapon,
with prodigious quckness and effect-ev-
ery blow hit-not one of HIS touched him.
The chances were 100 10 ]. that A. or some
one of the so members nehr him would
have been killed by the pistol ball. One of
the members after all was over, picked up
HIS dirk-a II incher. Fl. reached out his
hand for 1.-THE gentleman refused TO give
it up, and still has it. "Damn him." sa,.
the bleeding bully" if that had not slipped,
I'd have fixed him." meaning Arnold.
These are the facts, as well as can re-
member or collect them. To tell the truth,
the sight was the most awfaiI ever beheld
The surprise-the blood s,rcaming-the re-
port of the pistel-the smell of the powder
the PROSTATE bleeding man-the deadly
thrusts aimed or given after he feli-shock-
ed my New England nerves most prodi-
gioasiy. 1t was not personal fear-but in
stinctlve horror at such an exhibition of the
passions of armed and angry men in mortal
conflict.
1t was right that AS Observation-Disclosures
did not stand By, and see him put the fallen
savage to death, hut had it pleased God
that AS sword conld have been passed
through his heart, while both were stand
ing up, it would hive been terrible, hut
inst and salatary doom. Just as Arnold
was about despatching him, some cried out,
viii you stand and see that man killed,
Others, She has fred his pistol. let him
have itl' ] saw no man, whose face was
not deadly pale. and the city is in an up
roar. Heard is Hetiston's friend. Since
Arnold's letter in the intelligencer, Heard
hns been goaded on to this. II is reported,
Houston yesterday refused to Introduce
Heard TO some gentlemen, saying, you
must retrieve your honor &c.
The House administered its mock-rcpri-
mnnd of Houston at IL to-day. At 4, his
friend assaults another member.
To conclude, rejoice at the immediate
result Of this mnrderous ontrage-the tri-
umph of the right cause-aided by true
heart, a strong arm, and gracious Provi-
dence. Bat mourn, and am ashamed when
think. that though Jackson may not *direct-
" advise 10 these things, yet his exam
pie, habits, sentiments, and language, have
helped to form a public opinion, class of
character, school of tastes, sentiments, and
practices, whence they all directly spring.
What said Benton writing from Nashville,
just after he was nearly assassnatcd by this
same Jackson p" Dear Brother,-I am
here in the middle Of h-ll-among puppies,
DULLES and affidavit makers"
We beiere Jackson does directly Gdrise TO these
things Can there be a doubt, het he encouraged
Houston in his attack upon Stanberryf We think
IL eoncl,tsicdy prored that Jackson did say that
there ,oas but ,cay Of qt,slIing H,e sLcnderotn
spirit Of House-and that " A FEW SICH
CASES WOULD PUT A STOP TO THE
Mischief" These words mere said in pres
ence Of clergyman, ipho deemed IL his duty 10 re-
proue the President for utfering sentiments triich
scoald fiji The streets tcid blood
THE SLAVE TRADE. An English naval IF
fcer, who spent three years on the coast OF Al.
RIGA, states, that a single Portuguese factor, by
HE name Of Do LAURA, fexiled from Lisbon m
account Of his crimes) sells, at place called
!. - a