Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-10-23

| his political or personal enemies, but oil him
self Mr.. Edmundson was before the Com
nittee and gave his testimony, as follows;
" Hon. Henry A. Edmundsou, sworn.
| - Question, (by Mr.. CAMPBELL.) WHAT do
4 yon know Of the facts connected with the as
| sault alleged to have been made upon MT.
| Sumner, in the Senate Chamber, by the Hon.
| Mr.. Brooks, of South Carolina, Oh the I'D OF
| May, 1856 aud state anything you may have
heard Mr. Brooks say in relation thereto, pre-
! yious to SAID assault.
Aasteer [ was not present when the al
| leeed assault was made. The first impression
| had that Mr.. Brooks had taken any offence
! at what Mr.. Sumner said, was on going into
| the Senate Chamber OH the second day of the
| speech, when l heard a gentleman say that
| Mr.. Brooks had taken exceptions 10 remarks
| made by Mr. Sumner, the day before in rela-
| ton to Judge Butler and OF the State of South
Carolina. The morning after Mr.. SIMMER
closed his speech, while on inywayto the House
with some other gentlemen, l met Mr.. Brooks
at the foot of the first fight OF steps approach
ing the Capitol l accosted him, saying,
" You are going the wrong way tor the dis
charge Of your duties He asked rue TO walk
with him. did 30. He then told me Mr..
Sumner had been very insulting to his State,
and that he had determined TO punish him,
unless he made ample apology. We took
seat in the Capitol grounds, near the walk
leading from the avenue to the Capitol He
| said TO me, i wish you merely to be present,
and, if q difiultv should occur, to take no
| part in it. Sumner may have friends with
| him, and | want friend Of mine to be with
me to do me justice i asked him what was
his purpose He replied it was to call upon
Mr.. Sumner for the insulting language used
towards the State, and if he did not apologize
| to punish him.
/" Question About what time was this
| /" AnSWer. / met Mr.. Brooks about ten
minutes before the time for the meeting of
the House, Wednesday morning. re-
member to have heard Mr.. Brooks says it was
| time for southern men to stop this coarse
| abuse used by the Abolitionists against the
southern people and States, and that he should
not feel that be was representing his State
! properly if he permitted such things to be
said that he learned Mr.. Sumner intended
| to DO this thing days before he made his
| speech that he did it deliberately, and he
thought he ought to punish him for it. That
| is all that occurs 10 my mind that has any
| relevancy TO this matter. The next morning,
when coming to the Capitol about the time
for the House TO meet, l saw MIR. Brooks sit
ting in the gate house of the Capitol grounds
at the entrance from Pennsylvania avenue,
alone. l supposed what his object was, and
stepped in | said, you are looking out. He
said he was DESTROYS of seeing Mr.. Sumner
that he could not overlook the insult that he
had scarcely slept any the night before think
ing of it and that it ought to be properly re-
scented.
. We sat there only few moments, dur
ing which time l learned that his purpose was
to meet MIR. Sumner before he got into the
Senate Chamber that he could see from that
position, whether he should walk or ride if
he SHOULD be in carriage, he (Brooks) in
tended to pass through the ground and Capt.
tol, and meet him before he reached the SEN
ate Chamber. I'stated to him, that would be
an imprudent course that l had no doubt
Mr.. Sumner was physically a stronger man
than himself, and the exertion and fatigue of
passing up SO many flights Of steps would
render him unable to contend with Mr.. Sum-
ner, should personal conflict take place. We
walked then to the Capitol; our conversation,
as we passed on, was in relation to other mat
tiers. When we arrived at the door entering
into the rotunda, he remarked that he was GO
ing into the Senate Chamber, and went IN
that direction. | went into the House, where
l found Mr.. Lindley of Missouri, was an
nouncing the death of his colleague Mr.. Mil
| Ter he was followed by Mr. Marshall of Ken
lucky otter " hich the House auIOsGi ned.
then walked over to the Senate, and saw
Mr.. Brooks standing in the lobby on the OPP
posite side of the main aisle from where Mr..
| Sumner was sitting. / scented myself, and
heard Mr.. Geyer announce the death of Mr..
Miller in the Senate. The Senate then ad-
journed. When l noticed Mr.. Brooks again,
he was occupying seat in the Senate Cham
Der. AS was passing near him, asked him
if he was senator He then said to me he
would stand this thing no longer would send
to Mr.. Sumner to retire from the Chamber
He then got up, and went into the yestibule
outside Of the Chamber with that view. fol-
| lowed him, and said that if he sent such
message, Mr.. Sumner would probably send
for him to come into the Senate Chamber. He
seemed to be busy at his desk directing does-
ments, as / supposed and he would effect
nothingHby this, he having previously said he
did not desire to have an interview with Mr..
Sumner while ladies were present, and knew
there still remained lady occupying a seat
in the lobby not far from where Mr.. Sumner
| was sitting. This is all the conversation that
l now remember to have had with MIR. Brooks
that had any relevancy to this matter. We
then stepped back into the Senate Chamber
L Immediately passed on through another door,
near which | met friend CSenator Johnson)
| to whom propounded the question, if there
| would be any improperly, should an alterca-
! ton occur between Mr.. Brooks and Sumner,
! Of its taking place in the Senate Chamber, the
senate having adjourned at the time Ny
recollection is, that | suggested in the said
conversation, there seemed to be no impropri-
ETY. in calling on Mr.. Sumner in the Senate, it
having adjourned some time before, and there
being few persons present; the insult was
given there, and that might be looked upon as
the proper place to resent it; and further that
should collision follow, both parties might
| prefer it to take place where it would be more
| private than it would probably be outside of
| the Capitol. Here the conversation terminal
ted, and as / turned away from this gentle
| man, heard a noise in the Senate Chamber,
| with EXPLANATIONS of ooh OH l went
back as quickly as l could but when 1 got
into the Senate Chamber the whole difficulty
was over found Mr. Sumner in a reclining
position, Mr.. Morgan holding him by the arm,
saying that he was badly hurt, and that
physician must be procured There was some
conversation between Mr.. Brooks and Mr..
Crittenden. In short time it was suggested
that Mr.. Sumner had better go into the ante
room, and he was carried out in a leaning DO.
sition."
The witness was cross-examined, but nothing
of Importance was brought out which put any
new view upon his conduct, except, perhaps,
the following answer to question, by Mr.
Pennington =
~ did not remain at the Capitol with any
definite view of witnessing all interview be-
tween Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. Brooks yet my
impression was, that an interview would take
4 FAtoa f1.N a