The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-16
Ir. SevErd'4 Account OE she AksGk upon
Mim-Am lnterestfnR @ton.

Hr SevTErd's Account OT the AsSak Epon
Him-An Interesting sIOry.
The American correspondent of the
London Spectator writes that he recently
heard M. Frederick Seward gve ii 9
following account of their own sensations
It the time of the attempted asassina-
sion
Mr.. Frederic Seward said that on
stepping from his bedroom into the pas
'ag and seeing the assassin, he merely
wondered what he was doing there, and
called him to account. On resisting the
fellows endeavor to press into Mr. Sew
lrd's room, the assassin drew a revolver,
which he presented at Mr.. Frederick
Seward's head. What followed, it must
D. remembered, took place in very few
seconds. Mr.. Frederick Stewards first
thought was, That's a navy gevolver.'
"The man pulled the trigger. Tut it
only snapped, and his intended victim
thought, That cap missed fire.
'His next sensation was that of con-
fusion, and being upon the floor, resting
upon his right arm, which like his faith
er's jaw, was barely recovered from a
bad fracture-the assassin had felled him
to the floor with the butt of the pistol
he put his hand to his head and found
hole there. he thought, That cap did not
miss fire after ALL
Then he became insensible, and re-
NAMED so for two days or more. His
first indication of returning consciousness
was the question, Have you got the ball
out ?" alter which he fell off again into a
| comatose condition, which was of long
continuance.
'On the very afternoon of the day
when Mr. Lincoln was assassinated, Mr..
Frederick Seward, who was Assistant Sec
retary of State, had asked what prepa-
| ration should be made for the presenta.
ton of Sir Frederick Bruce, which was
to take place the next day. Mr.. Seward
gave him the points of reply to be
made to Sir Frederick, and he laid the
outline of the speech upon the Presi-
dents table, and, as | have previously
informed my readers, Mr. Lincoln that
afternoon wrote out the reply, adopting
Mr.. Stewards suggestions, and thus pre-
pairing that reception of the British Min
ister by President johnson which was re-
garded at the time by the people to
whose representative it was addressed as
SO friendly, and fair and dignifed
"Mr. Frederick Stewards first inquiry
sfter he came fully to his senses, which
was long time after the assassination,
was Has Sir Frederick Bruce been pre-
sented 2 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 it had left them.
"Mr. Stewards mental experience
during his supposed assassination was in
its nature so like that of his son, that it
raises the question whether this absence
of CONSERVATION and observation of min
|
stances of unexpected and not fully ap-
pretended peril. Mr.. Seward was living
upon his side, close to the edge of his
bed, with his head resting in a frame,
which had been made to give him ease,
end to protect his broken jaw from
pressure.
''He was trying to keep awake, having
been seized upon by sick mans fancy
1t was that II he slept he would wake up
with the lockjaw. He was brought to
full consciousness by the scuffle in the
passage way, followed by the entrance of
the assassin, and the cry of Miss Seward,
Oh he will kill my father But he saw
nothing of his assailant until hand ap-
peared above his face, and then his
thought was, What handsome cloth that
| overcoat is made Of The assassin's face
then appeared, and the helpless states
man only thought, What a handsome
mani payne was fine looking fellow. J
"Then cane a sensation as of rain
striking him smartly upon one side of his
| face and neck, then quickly the same up
on the other side, but he felt no severe
pain. This was the assassin's knife. The
blood spouted he thought, my time has
come and falling from the bed to the
floor, and tainted. His first sensation on
| returning consciousness was that he was
drinking tea, and that it tasted good
Mrs. Seward was giving him tea, with
spoon. He heard low voices around him,
asking and replying as to whether it
would be impossible for him to recover
He could not speak, but his eye showed
his consciousness, and that he desired to
speak. They brought him a porcelain
tablet, on. which he managed to write,
Give me some more tea. I shall get
WE'LL And from that moment he has
slowly but steadily recovered health and
strength"