The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-12

Immediately after the occurrence took place ]
think they came in after all the assistance had
been rendered Mr.. S. that was necessary
could not be particular in stating the precise
instant in which they came into the Senate
Chamber Mr. Summer asked for his hat aud
several bystanders looked around among the
desks and chairs for it f; by this time l should
suppose, thirty or forty people were in the Sen
ate Chamber; / have no knowledge whatever
of any generalization of this act never heard
it spoken of in any way previous to the trans
action / now know nothing about any premed-
itation / have not seen MIR. Brooks since Mr..
Douglas was not standing in the aisle az the
time the difficulty occurred; did not see him
until afterward have no idea that he was there;
do not remember that any other desk was
overthrown than the one at which Mr.. Sumner
was sitting; my impression is that there was
not, though am not sure about it.
The Hon. AMBROSE S. MURRAY sworn;
l was on Thursday last standing near the
south entrance Of the Senate Chamber, behind
the screen Just back of Senator Cayton's seat,
talking to Mr.. Morgan and Mr.. Simonton;
heard blow or blows struck. and the rushing
of something in the Senate Chamber; looked
around to see what was going on; l saw Mr..
Brooks striking some person with a cane very
rapidly; | ran back around the outside Of the
rail, around the Senate passage, and saw Mr..
b. continuing his assault, striking Mr.. Sumner
with cane over the head and shoulders; l
came mp the passage way; numbers were stand
ing around; | saw nobody interfering to pre-
vent the assault, or actively interfering, except
Mr.. Crittenden; he apparently was endeavor-
ing TO prevent Mr.. BIS assault upon Mr.. s.;
| Immediately stepped up behind Mr. B., aud
caught HIM around the body and the right arm,
drew him back, and turned him around from
MIR. Sumner; | then turned to Mr.. s; he was
lying down, resting partly upon one of the
desks that had been turned over, seeming very
much stunned, and covered with blood; my
opinion is that twenty persons or upward were
standing around; | saw Mr.. Foster, Mr.. Keitt,
Mr.. Crittenden, and the Doorkeeper or Sergeant
alarms, Mr. Morgan, and Mr.. SimontOn;
number of persons came in shortly after; Mr..
b. struck Mr.. s. great number of times-from
10 to 20-in very rapid succession; | think he
did not strike Mr.. S. after he was down; when
| came up, Mr.. S. was reeling around against
the seats, backward and forward, and after |
pulled Mr.. B. back, Mr.. S. fell over; | caught
his arm just as be was in the act of striking an
other blow; at that time Mr.. S. was Keeling
| around, but not defending himself at all the
blows were falling very thick upon his neck and
shoulders; he was not standing erect at any
time after | saw him; there were two or three
desks thrown over; | did not see any person
L
standing near at the moment caught hold Of
Mr.. b., but | saw no person trying to separate
them, except Mr.. Crittenden; Mr.. Keitt did not
interfere TO separate them, to my knowledge;
did not hear any threatening language from
Mr.. Keitt; they were about fifty feet from where
first stood, and when | got around to them,
Mr. Brooks was still striking; the striking had
commenced when / started.
JAMES w. SIMoNToN sworn:
Was conversing in the Senate Chamber with
Morgan and Murray, of the House of Represent
atives; heard blow, and Immediately started
one step; saw Mr.. Sumner Just in the act Of
springing forward as he came upon his feet,
he staggered and fell; Brooks was striking him
with cane; ] rushed forward, and as / came
near him, Mr.. Kett rushed in. running around
Sumner and Brooks with his cane raised, cry
ing, I" Let them alone" threatening myself and
others who had rushed in to interfere Brooks
continued to strike until seized by Mr.. Murray,
and until Sumner had fallen to the floor; he
struck at least a dozen times, and / should
think twenty blows; Mr.. Sumner seemed un-
conscious the first moment ] looked at him;
saw several parties there, perhaps not distinct
enough to mention them; saw several Senator'S
present Immediately afterward; my attention
was especially directed to Mr.. Sumner, and to
Mr.. Keitt, who seemed to be acting in concert
with Mr.. Brooks; | have heard it said that
Captain Marriott and f. G.. Coleman were in
formed that an attack was contemplated Mr.
Holland, an officer of the Senate interfered
with great deal of energy, just as the collision
ended, commanding Brooks and Keitt to stop :
at that time. Keitt and Brooks were about where
Mr.. Summers desk ordinarily stands his desk
was overturned; | noticed Keitt run in from
the centre aisle, and raise his cane his lam
guage was, Let them alone, God d-n you :"
~ 1
saw him strike no blow, but he was hourishing
his cane over his head he brandished the cane
as have described, and almost completed
circle around Sumner and Brooks.
RICHARD SUTTOY sworn:
On Thursday, the 22d, the Senate adjourned
at l245 o'clock; several Senators remained in
their seats Mr.. Sumner was III his seat, en-
gagged in writing, and occasionally in converse
ton with visiers; about I.l5, heard a sharp
crack, and on looking in the direction of the
sound, saw a stranger rapidly striking Mr. Sum
ner on the head with cane; Mr.. Holland ran
to that portion of the Senate Chamber, and, "a
an officer of the Senate, called for the preserva-
ton of peace; Mr. Keitt rushed with a shout
toward Mr.. Holland, brandishing a cane around
his head, with the evident purpose to prevent
any interference; the stranger-whom | subse-
quently learned was Mr.. Brooks-continued to
beat Mr.. Sumner with his cane, until it broke
and the beating was continued with the pieces
Mr.. Sumner struggled, and desks and chairs
were overthrow, but Mr.. Summer did not strike
his assailant; at length, Mr.. Sumner staggered
from the platform on which his desk was placed,
and sank to the floor, bleeding profusely.
ADAM j. GLOSsBRENNER sworn:
have fragment Of the stick, handed to me
by Mr. Edmundson it is the head of the stick,
2li inches in length, an inch thick at large
end, and three -fourths of an inch at small end
hollow, the hollow being three-eighths of an
inch in diameter at the small end, and seeming
to increase proporticnally to the head.
COLLEGE FOR CoLORED MEN.-The Cincin-
natl Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church has entered vigorously upon the pro-
ject of a College for the education of free col
ored men. The Trustees have purchased a
very excellent property near Xenia, Greene
county, Ohio. The establishment, called the
Tawawa House, was built for watering place,