Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-03
Explanation of the Plot to Assassi-
nate Mr.. Sumner.

THE following account and explana-
ton of the plot to assassinate Senator
Sumner in 1866 is given by his former
Secretary, Mr.. A. B. Johnson, in some in
teresting recollections of Charles Sum
ner in Scr1bners Monthly for June:
simultaneously with the murder of the
President, two rough, stalwart men had
gone twice to Mr.. Summers rooms, and
their suspicious demeanor had So fright
ened the wOmen-servants who saw them
that no concurrent story had been OBJ
tanned from them as to the appearance
of the intruders. The servants had been
carefully examined and their every word
had been Photographed; drawings of the
suspicious visitors had been made by
artists from the description shown to
them, and altered again and again until
they could no longer suggest any change
In form or feature. Photographs of these
had then been placed in the hands of the
detectives, but up to this time no tiGings
had been gained as to the persons sought.
They might have come up from hell and
then gone back there, for all he could
learn, the Secretary said But So long
as they were undiscovered-or at least
so long as their identity was not known
Mr.. Stanton thought it absolutely neces-
sary that some care should be taken of
Mr.. Sumner, so VIGOROUSLY careless was
be of his OWE safety. On hearing these
details Mr.. Sumner ceased to demand
the removal of the guard, though he
loosely professed to be more afraid of
them than of those they were to defend
him against. Perhaps he had reason, for
the soldiers had refreshments each night
at his expense, and the kind of refresh
ment was left to the selection of the
Sergeant. But when the lady of the
house permitted her cook to give the
soldiers coffee and sandwiches in the
kitchen at midnight, instead of having
the refreshments served from the neigh
| boring restaurant, the guards were less
dangerous to their friends.
| Who the two men were that so fright
ened the servants at Mr.. Summers loGg-
ings and by their singular actions gave
point to the suspicious of the Secretary
OF War was often subject of converse
ton among the very few of the Senator's
friends to whom the incident was known.
They naturally watched the develop
ments made during the trial of the con-
spiratOrs but no conclusion was reached.
1t remained as one of the unraveled
tangles of affairs until after the Sena-
tors death, when I accidentally came
upon the trail which led to the discovery
OF the identity of the suspicious charac
tiers, and l received from their own lips.
they having little idea of the commotiou
their course had caused, an account of
their visit to Mr.. Summers rooms on that
eventful night. They were members of
the Massachusetts delegation to Con-
gress-one the late Chairman of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, now Mr..
Summers successor in the Senate. Henry
l.. Dawes; and the other his friend Mr.
GOOch.
The facts were thus detailed: Mr.
Dawes and Mr.. Gooch had been to Rich
mOnd, and, returning to Washington, had
made a tour of the battle-felds about
Manassas, reaching Washington on the
night ofthe 18th of April, 1865, about
sunset. After supper they started out
for walk, joking each other as to their
appearance And well they might. Their
clothing was rough, travel-worn, dusty,
and even mud-stained. Their hands.
faces and necks were much sun-burned,
in spite of the wide brrmmed hats thew
wore. Each carried stick, or, rather, a
cudgel, cut as souvenir on some battle
field, and the hair and beard of each
were longer than usual. Thus accoutered.
they concluded to call on Mr.. Sumner.
He then had chambers at the cor
ner of f and Thirteenth streets; thew
knew the house well a.; so, without
ringing, they mounted the stairs and
raped at his door, using their sticks
When it appeared that the Senator
was out they left his house, and, passing
on, concluded to call on the President.
There again they were disappointed, for
it appeared, when theyrung at the White
House, that Mr.. Lincoln had gone with
some friends to the theater. On their
way back to their hotel they stopped
again at Mr.. Summers lodgings, and
again went up to his rooms and raped at
his door The noise they mace brought
a servant to the foot Of the stairs. They
leaned over the balustrade and cues
toned her. When did the Senator go
out! DID he ayWhen he should return?
would 1t, they queried between them
selves, be worth while to wait? And
then they laughed at the evident fear the
servant had Of two sucn rough-looking
customers. As they were quite fatigued
they went back to their hotel, and
in the morning woke to learn that while
they were last at Mr. Summers lodgings
the shot had been fired that took the life
of Mr.. Lincoln.