The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-06-01
Circumstantial Evidence.

la Ser.bnu for June We find SOME interesting
recolleetons of Charles Sumner, by his former
secretary. Mr.. A. 3. johnson. The following
extract is account Gan explanatory Of the plot
to assassinate Mr.. Sumner in 1865
simultaneously with the murder Of the
President, two rough, stalwart men had
gone twice to M Summers rooms, and
their suspicious demeanor had SO frighten.
ed the women.servants who saw them,
that no concurrent story had been obtain
ed from them as to the appearance Of the
in.rudors. The servants had been care
fully examined and their every word had
been Photographed drawings OF the sus-
rieio~e 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 been
placed in The hands of the detectives, but
up 10 this time no tidings 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,-o at least so long as
their identity was not known, Mr.. Stan
ton thought it absolutely necessary that
some care should he taken Of Mr.. Sumner,
so VIGOROUSLY careless was he Of his own
safety. On hearing these details, Mr..
Sumner ceased to demand the removal Of
the guard, though he jocosely proiessed
to be more afraid of them than Of those
they were to doieud him against Per.
haps he had reason, for the soldiers had
refreshments each night at his expense,
and the kind Of refreshment was left to
the selection of the sergeant. But when
the lady of the house permitted her cook
to give the soldiers coffse and sandwiches
in the kitchen at midnight, instead of
having the refreshments served from the
neigbboring restaurant, the guards were
less dangerous to their friends
Who the two men were that 80 fright.
ened the servants at Mr.. Summers odc-
ings and by their singular actions gave
point to the suspicious of the secretary Of
war, was often a subject of conversation
among the very few of the senator's
friends to whom the incident was known.
They naturally watched the developments
made during the trial Of the conspir ltors,
but no conclusion was reached. II re.
mained as one Of the unravelcd tangles of
affairs until after the senator's death,
when | accidentally came upon the trail
which led to the discovery of the identity
Of the suspicious characters, and recciv-
ed from their own lips, they having little
idea Of .ho commotion their course had
caused an account Of their visit TO Mr..
Summers rooms on that eveptlul night.
They we're member. al the Massachusetts,
delegation to Congress. one the late
chairman oil the Coumi'ye Of Ways and
! Means, now Mr. >unnel'. successor in
the Senate, Henry l.. Dawes and the
other his friend Mr Ioorh
The facts were thus detailed Mr..
Dawes ami Mr. Gooeh had been 10 Rich
mond, ard returning TO Washington. bad
made tour to the hatte.hclds about
Manassas, reaching Washington on tho
night OF the fourteenth Of April, 1865,
about sun>er After supper they started
out for walk joking each other as 10
their appearance. And well they might.
Their clothing was rough. travel.worn
dusty, and even mud-stained Their
hands. faces, aud ueeks were much sun.
burned, in spite Of the wide brimmed hats
they wore. Each carried stick OF
cu1gel, cut as u souvenir on some battle.
field, and the hai- and beard Of each were
longer than usual. Thus accoutred they
concluded 10 call on Mr.. Sumner. liz
then had chambers at the corner Of i
and Thirleenth streets they knew the
J house well so, without ringing, they
mounted the stairs and raped at hi
, Or, using their sticks. When it appear
ed that the senator was out they left hi
: house, aud, passing on, concluded to cal
on the president. There again they wer'
, disappointed, for it appeared, when the,
rung at the White House, that Mr. Lin
| coin had gone with some friends to th'
D iheater Ga their way back to thei
0 hotel. they stopped again at Mr. Sumner
5 lodgings aud again went up to his rooms
0 and raped at his door, The noise the,