Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-04-19
Particulars of the Assassination
of Secretary Seward.

WASHINGTON, April 17.-Geo. F.. Robin
son, soldier and nurse who was in attend
ance on Secretary Seward on Friday night,
has related circumstantiall the proceedings
in the chamber, from which it appears that
it was through his brave and determined
endeavOrs that the consummation of the
murderous designs of the fiends were frus-
trated.
According to Robinson's narrative Fred
erck w. Seward, Major Seward and Mr..
Hansell were all wounded on the. stairway,
as heretofore mentioned in this correspond
ence. AS Robinson opened the door to
learn the cause of the disturbance without,
the man struck at his breast. In his hand
he had long knife the blade of which ap-
peared to be about II inches in length and
one inch in width. Robinson, determined
to oppose his progress, raised his arm to
parry the blow, the consequence was that a
wound was inflicted in the center Of his
forehead, close to the hair, which he
wears turned back. The knife glanced,
and the clenched hand in which the man
held the dagger came down upon Mr.. Rob-
inson's face and felled him to the floor.
Miss Seward, at this juncture, escaped from
the room and ran to the front window
screaming murder. The assassin leaped to
the bed where Mr.. Seward lay still appar-
emily in helpless condition and gave
a tremendous blow at his face. He
missed his mark, however, and almost
fell across Mr.. Seward's body. By
this time Robinson had recovered,
jumped on the bed and caught hold of the
assassin's arms. While he was thus attempt
ing to hold the assassin, the latter struck
Mr.. Seward on the left side of the face and
then on the right side. The assassin then
raised up and he and Robinson came to
the floor together; they both got OF to their
feet, Robinson keeping firm hold of him.
The assassin reached his left arm over Rob-
inson's shoulder and endeavored to force
him to the floor. Finding he could not
handle Robinson In that position, he
dropped his pistol which had been forced
against Robinson's face in the hand which
was around his neck, caught hold of Rob-
inson's right arm with his left hand and
struck behind Robinson with the knife.
They continued the struggle for few me-
ments, Robinson forcing him towards the
door, which was open, with the intention
of throwing him over the banisters. When
they had nearly reached the door Major
Augustus Seward entered the room. Rob-
inson called on him to take the knife out of
the assassins hand. Major Seward imme-
diately clutched the assassin. The latter
then struck Robinson in the stomach, knock
ing him down, broke away from Major
Seward and rushed down stairs.
During the scuffle, when, he cannot say,
Robinson received wound, quite serious,
some two inches in breadth, on the upper
part of the right shoulder blade, another a
little lower down on the same side, and a
slight one on the left shoulder. While
struggling with the man near the bedside
he had seized the wrist of his right hand,
in which was the dagger and did not
release his hold until knocked down by the
assassin near the door, and after Major Sew
ard had come to his assistance. He return
ed to the room after he found that the as
sassin had escaped and found that the Sec
retary had got off the bed on to the floor,
dragging with him the bed clothes and was
lying in a pool of blood. Upon going to
the Secretary he found no pulse in his wrist
and stated so to Miss Seward, who had re-
entered the room-and asked if her father
was dead. He said that he believed he was
but upon a second examination Robinson
ascertained that his heart was still beating.
The Secretary then said 81 am not dead.
Send for the police and a surgeon and close
the house," He then placed the Secretary
on the bed, telling him he must not talk.
Mr.. Seward did not speak after that.
Mr.. Robinson remained with Mr.. Seward
until IL o'clock the next morning, when he
was removed to the Douglas hospital. Ev-
cry attention is being paid to this brave
man by the attendants of this institution,
and his condition is very favorable. r9.