The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-06-11


Scribner for June gives the following
which illustrates how trembling towards got
up assassination stories at the time referred
| to:
simultaneously with the murder of the
President, two rough, stalwart men had
gone twice to Mr. Summers room, and their
suspicious demcanor had so frightened the
women-servants who saw them, that no con-
current story had been obtained from them
as to the appearance Of the intruders. The
servants had been carefully examined and
their every word had been Photographed;
drawings the suspicious visitors had been
made by artists from the description, 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 tidings had been gained as to the
persons sought. They night have come up
from he'll and then gone back, for all he could
learn, the Secretary said. But 50 long as
they were undiscovered, or at least so long
as their identity was not known, Mr.. Stan
ton thought it absolutely necessary that
some care should be taken of Mr.. Sumner, so
notoriously careless was he ofhis own safety
On hearing these details, Mr.. Sumner ceased
to demand the removal of the guard, though
he prolessed to be more afraid of them than
of those they were to defend him against.
Perhaps he had reason, for the soldiers had
rofroxl, 70 oool ,,i,-bt - J., = 81,
kind of refreshment being left to the selec-
ton Of the Sergeant But when the lady of
the house permitted her cook to give the SOL
diers coffee and. sandwiches in the kitchen
at midnight, instead. of having the refresh
ments served fromSthe neighboring restau-
rant, the guards were less dangerous to their
friends.
Who the two men were that so frightened
the servants at Mr.. Summers lodgings 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,in-
cident was known. They naturally watched
the developments made during the trial of
of the conspirators, but no conclusion was
reached. 1t remained as one of the unrav-
cled tangles of affairs until after the Sena-
tors death, when | accidentally came upon
the trail which led to the discovery of the
identity of the suspicious characters, and |
received from their own lips, they having
little idea of the commotion their course had
caused, an account of their visit to Mr.. Sum
ner's room on that eventful night. They
were Members Of the Massachusetts, Delega-
tiOn to Congress, ,-one the late Chairman of
the Committee 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 Richmond, had
made tour of the battle-fields about Man.
assas, reaching Washington on the night of
April, 1865, about sunset. After supper
they started out for walk, joking each other
as to their appearance. Andwell they might.
Their clothing was rough, trave-worn, dus-
ty, and even mud-staned Their hands
faces, and necks were much sun-burned. in
spite of the wide-brimmed hats they wore.
Each carried stick or, rather, cudgel, cut
as a souvenir on some battlefield, and the
hair and beard ofeach were longer than usual.
Thus accoutered, they determined to call on
Mr.. Sumner. lie then had chambers at the
corner of f and Thirteenth streets; they
knew the house well So without ringing,
they mounted the steps 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 disap-
pointed, for it appeared, when they rung 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 made brought a SER
want to the foot of the stairs. They leaned
over the balustrade and questioned her.
When did the Senator go out? Did he say
when he should return? Would it, they
queried between themselves, ,,,bc worth while
to wait /. And then they laughed at thc'eyi-
dent fear the servant had Of two such rough. .
looking customers. As theyEwere quite IA
tigued, 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.. Lin
coin.