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

. iOuS vi Sflti unu utuTllf, tuuI SltN
! deeper and deeper, and rose highe
, aud higher, until the unusual sounds
, surgcd into an uninterrupted motion
VIC lent our car to comprehend tho
, meaning of the mysterious and fran
tic echoes Of the peoples lament II
, was then We learned that Mr.. Lin
coin had been shot and killed, in the
midst of his friends, by the side of his
wife, at the acme of the peoples joy.
The mystery was solved. 1t was q
hellish machination of political mad
ness. The discovery, although over
powering, was a relief The victim:
: of the tragic act were innocent tho
causes were not personal. The obi
Gus act sanctified the victims
In the face of so great a national
calamity, the calamity of Mr.. Seward
paled in comparison.
What a night for these two fami
lies what night for the people o.
Washington. The deed was as darl
as the night; the people were con
vulsed with rage, with sorrow, with
fear
Tread, tread, tread The people
excitedly passed to and fro, as if in
search of an unknown something
stopping each other to ask unanswer-
able questions, and to relieve, with
groans, their sorrow-stricken hearts
Shutters were inquiringly thrown
open by the fearless, doors were
locked by the timid, anxiety was on
every face. Were we walking on a
volcano? Households rose from
their beds, mothers folded their chill
dren within their arms, as if they
feared danger in the very air Men
returned to their homes to shed tears
with their grief-stricken families.
Let us now recur to some of the
chief indictments Of the attempted
assassination.
At or about 10 O'Clock of the even
ing of the l4th of April, thirty min
utes after had left Mr.. Seward, the
bell of his house gave ring. Will
lam Wells, colored lad, who usually
attended the door, answered that
ring. A man holding little package
in his hands, presented himself, say
ing l must 90 up to Mr.. Seward, to
deliver him the medicine and mess
age from DIR. Verdi.
The lad tells him he cannot go up
but would deliver both medicine and
message himself.
No; the stranger cannot trust the
important message, he must go up
himself
In vain the lad demonstrates. In
his testimony before the court, he
states:
81 told him he could not go up; it
was against my orders That if he
would give me the medicine, would
tell Mr.. Seward how to take it. That
would not do he started 10 go up
Finding that he would go up, | step
ped past him, and went up the steps
before him. Then, thinking that
such might be the orders of DR.
Verdi, and that | was interfering, |
begged him to excuse me. i became
afraid he might tell Mr.. Seward and
the doctor of my interference. He
answered all right As he stepped
heavily, / told him to walk lightly,
so as net to disturb the Secretary"
In the adjacent room to Mr.. Sew
ards, Frederick is lying on the sofa,
resting. He hears steps and voices
ascending, he comes out on the land
ing and there meets the stranger
Frederick inquiries, What do you
want ?"
81 want to see MIR. Seward. |
have medicine and a message to de-
liver from DIR. Verdi"
MY father is asleep; give me
the medicine and the directions |
will take them to him"
"No, | must see him !; | must see
him." he repeats in determined
manner
"You cannot see him; you cannot
see him. am the proprietor here /
am Mr.. Stewards son. If you can
not leave them with me, you cannot
leave them at ALL"
The man still insists Frederick
still refuses. The determined tone of
Frederick causes the man to hesitate;
he even turns to go down stairs, the
lad preceding him, telling him to walk
lightly. He descends four or five
steps, when suddenly he turns back
and springs upon Frederick, giving
him a blow-doubtless with the
heavy pistol-on the head, that fells
him to the ground. The lad, seeing
the brutal assault, runs down crying,
Murder, MURDER" He flies to the
corner-General Augur's headquar-
ters. He finds no guard.
In the meanwhile Robinson, the
nurse in attendance on Mr.. Seward,
hearing the unusual noise, opens the
door and sees the stranger, and Fred
erick thrown on his hands and
bleeding; before he has time for
thought the assassin is on him, strik-
ing him to the ground; he quickly
rises, but before he can clinch with
him the assassin is on Mr. Seward,
who, having awakened and compre-
hending the scene at once, had risen
in his bed The assassin plunges an
immense knife in Mr.. Stewards face );
he attempts another stroke at his
neck, but Robinson is on him, and the
knife is partially arrested. He tries
to disengage himself from Robinson
by striking him with the knife over
the shoulders.
The daughter, who, too, is watch
ing in the dimly lighted room,
screams "help" and murder"
Augustus Seward, who is taking
an early sleep to be able to watch his
father later in the night, is awakened
by the heart-rending screams of his
sister. This room is on the same
floor; and undressed he runs to his
fathers room. His mind, hardly
awakened, does not take in the situa-
rion !; he thinks his father delirious
he sees o man in the middle of the
room be thinks it is his father; he
takes hold of him as he grasps him
he perceives, by his size and strength,
it cannot be his father he thinks it is
the man servant drunk or crazy ; he