Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-06-05
Question to Col. Nicholson.


copy from the report the following afidavits-
Qaation to Col. Nicholson.
Will you state to the committee whether
you witnessed the recent assault upon Mr..
Sumner, and if you did, state all the particu-
lars9
On Thursday last, the 22d of May instant;
few moments after the adjournment of
the Senate, retired, as usual to my desk in
one Of the offices of the Secretary of the
Senate. After the lapse of brief period,
returned to the Senate chamber tn request
the assistant doorkeeper (Mr. Holland) to have
Iieee of money changed for me. After
seeking the door keeper and communicating
my wish to bin, / was walking down the main
aisle Of the Chamber, when ] observed the
Hon. Mr.. Brooks, of South Carolina, sitting at
the desk Of Senator Pratt. ! salnfed' him
show is Colonel Brooks day." He respon-
ded, "Well, thank you:" and, reckoning to
! me, he added, "Come here Nicholson" /
advanced, and placed myself in Senator
! Bayard's chair, near which, on my right, Ma
! jor Emory, of the United States army, was
standing, and with whom had been CONVEX
sing few minutes before. Col. Brooks re-
marked to me, in his usual tone of voice, and
without the slightest show of imquietude. "Do
you see that lady in the lobby2" Turning
round, and observing lady sitting on the
lounge at a short distance from us, said ''Yes.
Col. Is. said, "She has been there for some
time; what does she wsntl Can't you man
age to get her outl" Thinking that Col. B.
was only INDUCING momentary whim, | jo-
cosely replied, mo, that would be ungallsnt;
besides she is very pretty" COL B. turning
round, and looking at the lady, said, YES, she
is pretty, but wish she would Co."
At this moment the changed money was
brought to me by one of the pages, and almost
at the same moment Major Emory inquired,
"Who was that gentleman you were convers-
ing With" had scarcely said, ''Colonel
Brooks of South Carolina, a very clever fellow"
when, observing Colonel Brooks advancing in
front of and towards, as though about to speak
to, Senator Sumner, who was sitting at his
desk apparently engaged in writing, or with
papers before him, / cannot be positive which,
Involuntary attempted to call Major Emo
rvs attention to the fact, for ] was much sur
prised to see South Carolina representative
in the act of approaching to speak to Senator
Sumner after the speech delivered by the lat
ter the two previous days but one in the Sen.
ate. But before could attract Major Emory's
attention or express surprise, l saw Colonel
Brooks lean on and over the desk of Senator
Sumner, and seemingly say something to him,
and instantly, and while Senator Sumner was
in the act Of rising, Colonel Brooks struck him
over the bead with dark-colored walking
CAGE, which blow he repeated twice or three
times, and with rapidly. / think several
blows had been inflicted before Senator Sum-
ner was fully in possession of his locomotion,
and eytricated from his desk, which was thrown
over or broken from its fastenings by the ef
forts of the senator to eXtricate himself. As
soon as Senator Sumner was free from the
desk he moved down the narrow passsge-way
under the impetuous drive of his adversary,
with his hands uplifted as though to ward off
the blows which were rained on his head with
as much quickness as was possible for any man
to use q cane on another whom he was intent
on ohastising The scene occupied but point
of time-Only long enough to raise the arm
and infict some ten or twelve blows in rapid
succession-Jhe cane having been broken in
several pieces All the while, Senator Sumner
was holding his hands above his head, and tur-
ming and tottering until he sank gradually on
the floor near Senator Collamer's desk, in a
bleeding and apparently exhausted condition.
did not hear one word, or murlnur, or ex
camation from either party until the affair
was over.
Such was the suddenness of the affair, the
rapidty of It's execution, the position of per-
sons in the chamber, and the relative position
of the chairs and desks, that, although several
persons (myself among them) quietly advanced
to the spot where the parties were engaged, it
was not in the power Of those present TO have
separated Col. Brooks, or to have rescued SEN
ator Sumner, so as to have prevented the for
mer from accomplishing his purpose. Such
was the conclusion of my judgment at the
moment of the occurrence, and such it is now.
JOS. II. NICHOLSON
WASHINGTON, May 23, 1856.
By Mr.. AUeR.-What senators were present
at the timer
Senators Toombs, Pearce, and Crittenden
were seated in their respective chairs just pre-
ceding the affair. During its occurrence, and
towards the close of it, observed Mr.. Critten-
den near the parties, evidently striving to ter
inmate the assault. l cannot now say / OBJ
served any other senator's until the affair was
over.
What members of the House Of Representa-
tives were presents
The only member Of the House of Represen.
tatives whom / recognised was the Hon. Mr..
Keitt, of South Carolina, who approached the
parties about the same time Mr.. Orittenden did.
JOS. II. NICHOLSON
Question prop0undeG to Governor BrowH, Of
Mississippi.
Please TO state tn the committee the cause
of the assault committed by Mr.. Brooks upon
Mr.. Sumner as stated TO you.
Did hr. Brooks state to you the cause of his
assault upon Mr.. Sumner, and the language
which he addressed 10 Mr. Sumner just before
the ASSAULT II So please to tell the commit
tee what his language was, or what the cause
of the assault.
On the day Of the occurrence, and shortly
after, met Mr. Brooks in company with Mr..
Keitt on the avenue, nearly opposite the Union
buildings; after the usual salutationR, Mr.. Keitt
mentioned what had occurred, and was pro.
ceedng 10 give some account Of it. when Mr..
Brooks interposed with this remark: "The
town, / suppose, will be full of rumors in a
few hours, and desire my friends TO under
stands precisely what have done, and why
did it. Regarding the speech" (of Mr.. Sum-
ner) "as an atrocious libel on South Carolina,
and a gross insu to my absent relative"
Judge Butler,) II determined, when it was
delivered, to punish him for it, To-day APP
preached him, after the Senate adjourned, and
said TO him, Mr.. Sumner, | have read your
speech carefully, and with as much calrnness
as l could be expected to read such speech.
You Lave libelled my State and slandered my
relation, who is aged and absent, and feel it
to be my duty to punish you for il; and with
that l struck him blow across the head with
my cane, and repeated it until was satisfied.
No one interposed, and desisted simply be-
cause had punished him to my satisfaction"
This is substantially and almost literally the
statement of Mr.. Brooks. The conversation
then turned on other points and phases of the
affair A. q. BROWN.
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