The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-06-25

, less, ran Wlt1 MN 10 tne mouse
There was only two blocks between
my house and Mr.. Stewards. Will,
running | asked the boy what h
meant, how was Mr.. Seward killed
"Oh," he exclaimed, "a man came t.
the door and asked admittance il
your name; let him in; he went NJ
to Mr.. Stewards room, and killet
him"
| was amazed! "HOw, who, il
my name ~ 1t was all could utter
"Whc, for what, did a man go in my
name?" were unanswered question,
that flashed through my mind Ii
this short time, so great is the powe
of Imagination, / thought of q MAJ
who had begged me to recomment
him to Mr.. Seward for II consulship
that | had done so, but that Mr.. Sew
ard, not having the place vacant
would not crafty the Office-seeker
Now this man, mad with disappoint
ment, is surely gone to assassinat,
the Secretary. These thoughts had
hardly crossed my mind till / reached
the door of Mr.. Stewards; | ascend
ed quickly, and when / got up stairs
| met the blanched face of Mrs. Sew
ard, who, in an agonized tone, said
"look at Mr.. Seward"
Mr.. Seward Law upon his bed, with
pallid face and half-closcd eyes: he
looked like an exsanguinated corpse
In approaching him my feet went
deep in blood. Blood was streaming
from an extensive cash in his swollen
cheek; the check now laid open, and
the flap hung loose on his neck. With
prompt applications of iced-water !
checked the hemorrhage, and then
examined the extent Of the wound
The cash commenced from the high
cheek bone down to the neck, in q
semi-circular form, towards the
mouth it was, probably, five inches
long and two inches deep. 1t seemed
the jugular vein or the carotid artery
must be wounded, so great was the
loss of blood | was greatly relieved
to find that they were not.
Mrs. Seward and her daughter, al
most parylized, were waiting and
watching for my first word. Reliev-
ed to see that the Secretary had so
miraculously escaped the severing Of
those two vital vessels, | said: "Mr.
Seward, even in your misfortune, |
mast congratulate you; the assassin
has failed, and your life is not in dan
ger"
He could not speak, but he made a
sign with the hand for his wife and
daughter to approach, took hold OF
their hands, and his eyes only spoke
and bid them hope
| had hardly sponged his face from
the bloody stains and replaced the
flap, when Mrs. Seward, with an in
tense look, called me to her. Come
and see Frederick" said she.
Somewhat surprised, said, What
is the matter with Frederick" In a
painful whisper she muttered, "He is
badly wounded, i fear"
Without adding another word, l
followed her to the next room, where
found Frederick bleeding profusely
from the head. He had ghastly
appearance, was unable to articulate,
gave me smile of recognition, and
pointed to his head. There | found
q large wound little above the fore
head and somewhat left of the medi-
an line, and another further back, on
the side. The cranium had been
crushed'in both places, and the brain
wrs exposed. The wounds We're
bleeding profusely, but the applica-
ton Of cold water pledgets soon stop
ped the hemorrhage. l feared these
wounds would prove fatal.
Mrs. Seward again was haunting
me with that intense look of silent
anxiety. | gave her words of en-
couragement | feared they We're un-
meaning words.
Again she drew me to her with
that look | had seen in the other
room. As | approached, almost be-
wildered, she said, Come and see
Augustus"
For Heavens sake, Mrs Seward
what does all this mean?r
followed her in another room, on
the same floor. and there found AI-
gustus, with two cuts on his forehead
and one on his right hand, They
were superficial.
As | turned to Mrs. Seward to give
her word of comfort, she said, Come
and see Mr.. Robinson.
| ceased wondering; my mind be-
came as if paralysed; mechanicly /
followed her and examined Mr.. Rob-
inson. He had four or five cuts on
his shoulders. They, too, were su-
perfcial.
Again / turned to Mrs. Seward, as
if fasking, "Any more?" yet unbeliev-
ing that any more could he wounded.
She answered my look. "Ies, one
more"
In another room | found Mr.. Han
sell, piteously groaning on the bed.
He said he was wounded in the
back. i stripped him, and found
deep cash just above the small of the
back, near the spine. / thrust my fin
ger in the wound, evidently made by
large-bladed knife, and found that it
followed rib, but had not penetrat-
ed the viscera. Here was another
escape, Even here / was
glad to be able to give word of
comfort.
And all this the work of one man.
yes, of one man !
No one in that house knew then
that at that very moment, a more
fatal, if not so extensive a tragedy
was being perpetrated in that theater
where we thought people were re-
joicing. ..-...-.,
We were SO engaged with the per-
ilous condition of the victims of this
terrible slaughter, that we had not
time even to ask for an explanation.
A blight, as if from thunderbolt,
had passed over this house, laying
its inmates low with stricken bodies,
with paralyzed souls.
What human passion, what fran
tic revenge, could find vent in such
deed +?
What could Mr.. Seward have