Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-02-22
Governor Packard Shot.

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Governor Packard Shot.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. About
noon to-day, in an alteration in his
office with man WhoiB unknown to the
police on duty in the State House, Gov.
Packard was shot in the knee-cap. The
man who did the shooting was fred
upon by a bystander and wounded in
the arms. 4tmes has the fol-
lowing:
At half past IL O'Clock this morning
the vicinity Of the Governors room, in
st. Louis street State House, rang with
the sharp reports Of two pistol shots,
fred almost simultaneously, and in an
instant there was intense excitement
abroad, and rapid hurrying Of a crowd
toward the gubernatoria. apartment.
Here it TRANSFERRED that Mr.. Packard,
while seated in his chair, surrounded by
half dozen callers, had been suddenly
approached by one of the parties, who
drawing pistol and levellin9 it at Mr..
Packard's heart at almost point blank
range, pulled the trigger. At that very
instant Mr.. Packard struck the weapon
down, and simultaneously with that
movement the weapon exploded and
the shot struck Mr.. Packard in the knee.
At that instant Mr.. Packard closed with
the man and threw him to the floor.
Diligent inquiry failed to divulge the
name Of the man, anything about him,
or anything about the cause of the
attack. Report has it that he was a
correspondent for Northern paper.
The following is the statement Of eye
witness OF the occurrence
Two men, one of them the wounded
man, who gave his name as Joseph
Huttle, but whose real name, from
papers found in his possession is ascer-
tanned to be W. III. Weldon, and slim
one-armed man, who gave no name,
called at the door of the State. Capitol
and asked to see Mr.. Packard. There
was some demtir about admitting them,
when one proclaimed himself to be an
ex-Federal officer, and the other dis
charged soldier They were brought to
the head Of the stairs, where Weldon
represented that he was correspondent
Of the Philadelphia Press and desired to
see Gov. Packard. The name of Joseph
Huttle was. sent in, but the one-armed
man declined to enter, Weldon reached
the Executive Office, where he found
Mr.. Packard seated at his desk talking
to Judge Boreman Of Caddo, who
occupied chair on his right. Weldon
sat down in a vacant chair Immediately
on Mr.. Packard's left, and after an
instant somewhat sharply asked, s'When
can see you?'' Mr.. Packard turned
and saw pistol at his head. He
Immediately Struck it down, and the
weapon was discharged, the ball striking
him in the right knee cap, making a
slight wound. Mr.. Packard Immediate
ly dealt the man a blow with his fist,
striking him between the eyes and
knocking him down. Several persons
in the room drew their pistols and fred,
wounding the would-be assassin serious
ly, but not fatally. or course a scene
of intense excitement Immediately fol-
lowed. The one-armed man was arrested
and taken to the Office of the Superin-
tendent Of Police, and Weldon was
kept close prisoner IN the Executive
office. M. Packard was taken to his
private apartment on the second floor
of the building, where bis wound was
examined by DR.. w. A. Smythe. Il is
not Of a serious character, but might
prove so if not carefully tended, and
viii lame him for several days.
The man who shot Packard says that
his name ia William Henry Weldon, and
that his home is in Philadelphia. He
says, further, that he has mother ana
sister living there. With regard to his
attempt to kill Packard, he says that
there were four Others with him who
were to have assisted him in the under
taking, bat that upon reaching the door
Of the State House they refused to go
in, and left him to earry'out the intended
plan of assassination alone. Weldon is
not very seriously hurt. The ball
struck him in the left arm Just below the
shoulder, and seems to have come out
at the elbow. 1t was thought at first
that he was killed, but it seems he was
only stunned and faint from loss Of
blood. At haE-past twelve he was SO
much revived as to be able to converse
with those about him. ~. 81. ~
The Evening Times has the follow
ing At one O'Clock Times reporter
was admitted to the room of Weldon
He seems very comfortably fixed. He
occupies an ilnproyised cot, and APP
parently has every attention paid to
him. He says that while coming over
here on the cars he conceived the idea
Of killing Packard, thinking that it would
be popular act. He is not very clear
in his mind yet, and does not talk coher-
emily or commercially. He acts very
much like a man who has been under
the influence Of strong drugs. He said
to a policeman who was in his room Oh
Friday morning that he was sorry for
what be had done, and that be had been
drinking poisoned liquor ofsome kind
before he came to the State House. He
does not remember the name Of the
man Joseph HuttelD who accompanied
him to the State House, and remarked
that it seemed curious that Huttell
should have allowed him to use his
(Huttell's) name when asking admission
to Mr.. Packard's Office. It seems that
he did use Hutten's name, although
published reports have it that he gave
! the name Of Hutton. Mr.. Drr,ry asked
him about the third man at the door and
to the question he said: ''Why he
pushed in the door, did be not ~ -
BAD WHISKY AND ls
Mr.. Drury says that he got some
points from him which he wishes to
investigate, and if they prove to be as
stated by Weldon he viii be induced to
the belief that Weldon attempted the
assassination under the influence Of
strong drink or drug of some kind
With reference to the wound OF Weldon
DR.. Smythe says that the ball entered
about two inches above the elbow and
came out about three inches below