The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-12-16
MIR. Seward's Account or the Al.
tack upon Him!
,ZANgINTERESTING STORY.

| The American correspondent of the Lon
don Spectator writes hat he re4ently heart
/ Mr.. Seward and Mr. Frederick Steward Civ,
the following account of their own sensa
! tIons AT the time of the attempted assass,na
/ ton:
.''Mr. Frederick Seward said tliat on ste D
ping IRON his bedroom into the passage anC
| seeing the assassin, lie merely wO bdered wha
he was doing there, aid calle him te
account. Ga his resisting the fellows en-,
deavor 10 press into Er. Seward'$ roym.I the
ASSASSIN drew revolver, which H. presented
at Mr.. Frederick Stewards head What fol-
lowed, 1t must be remembered, tbok place in
a lew londs. Nr. Frederick Stewards first
though, was, That. navy revolver'la
The man pulled the trigger, but it ouly
! al ped, and ais intended yic. IN thought
! that cap missed fire. z-v.<asg
| Hi. next sensation was that IF confu sion,
and bein2 upon the floor, rss,i4g upon hs
right arm, which. ike his fathers Jaw, was
barely recovered from a bad itacture-the
! assassin had felled him TO the floor with the
| butt OF his pssol-he INT his hand to his
head, and hnding hole there, he thought,
! 'thst cap did not miss fire after all
Then he beCa ne Insensible, aud remained
- tor two days and more. His first indcA-
ton OF returning consciousness vas the ques-
ton, Have you got the ball Q dut?' After
! which he fell of again into co matose con-
diticn, which was of long contin aance.
Ion The very afternoon Of the day when
Mr.. Lincoln was assassinated MI. Frederick
Seward, who was Assistant Secretary of
State. lad asked his father what preparation
should be made for the presenthtlan of Sir
Frederick Bruce, which was t4 take place
the next day. Mr. Seward ga We him the
points OF reply to he made I'd Sir Freder-
lex, and be land the outline Of the speech
upon the Presidents table, and, as have
previously informed my readers, Mr.. Lincoln
tha afternoon wrote out the reply, adopting
Mr.. Sewari's suggestions, and thus preparing
that reception of the British Minister by
Z esident Johnson, which was regarded at
the time by the people TO whose representa-
tive 1t was addressed as SO friendly and fair,
and dignified.
Mr.. Frederick Stewards first inquiry after
he came fully to his senses, which was long
time after the assassination, was: Has Sir
Frederick Bruce been presented?' He
thought that only one night had passed,
since he knew not what had happened to
him, and his mind took up matters just
where be had let. them.
Mr.. Stewards mental experience during
his supposed assassination was IL its nature
SO ike that of his son that it raises the ques-
ton whether this absence Of CONSERVATION
and observation of minute particulars is not
common in circumstances Of unex pected and
not fully sppreheuded peril. Mr.. Seward
Was living upon his side, close to the edge of
his bed, with his head resting frame,
which had been made to give him ease and
TO protect his broken a~ from pressure.
lie was trying to keep awake, having
been seized upon by sick mans tancy-it
was that If he slept he would wake up with
lock jaw. He was brought to full conscious
ness by the scufiie in the passage-way, fol-
loved by the entrance Of the assassin, and
the CRY Of Miss Seward, 'Oh, he will kill my
father! Bat he saw nothing of his assailant
until hand appeared ahor. h;s- -f.rs, aud
then his thought was, what handsome cloth
that overcost is mace Of The assassin's
face then appeared, and the helpless states
man ouly thought, What handsome man !
(Payne was fine looking fel!ow.l
Then. came sensation as of the rain
striking him snartly upon one side OF his
face and neck, then quickly the same upon
the other side, bu! he felt n severe pain.
hi. wa. tie as.assins- knitr. The blood
sp1u;ed ne thought My time has Come,
NJ falling IRON the De u the tiJer. tainted.
dis hr.i sensation of returning conscioIS-
nes, was that he ~a. drinking I'd, and I'd
II tasted good Mrs Seward wa. irving him
tea with spoon. He heard low voices
around hin, .-hing and replying Is to wheth,
er it would be possible ior hm to recover.
He cju.d moi SPEAK. bIt his eyes IN wed his
con.ciolsnes., aai that ii. desired t, speak
rh,y brought hin porcelain tablet. on
which lie manage: wr.te 'Glve me- some
more tea. shall gel W H. And from that
monen, he has ,losf; but steadily rec ,yered
health anG strength ESf Is Ss