The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-02-22
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
Of Governor Packard Of Louisiana.


noon to-day, Ill an alteration in his Of |
flee, with ayoung man who is unknown |
TO the police on duty in the State house,
Gov. Packard was shot in the knee |
cap. The party who did the shooting
was fired upon by by-stander aud |
wounded in the arm.
The Times extra has the following |
AT half past IL, in the vicinity of the
Governors room, in st. Louis street,
the State house rang with tho sharp
reports of two pistol shots, fired almost
simultaneously. In an instant there
was intense excitement abroad, aud a
rapid hurryipg of the crowd toward
the Gubernatorial department. Here
it trarspired that Mr.. Packard while
seated in his chair, surrounded by a
half dozen callers, had been suddenly
approached by one of two parties, who,
drawing pistol and leveling it at Mr.
Packard's heart, at almost point blank
range, pulled the trigger. AT that very
instant Packard struck the pistol down
and simultaneously with that move
ment 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 di-
vulge him, or anyi hing about the cause
of the attack Report has it that he
was correspondent for northern pa
per, but now all information is vague,
indeed.
STATEMENT OF AN EYE WITNESS.
Shortly before the occurrence, two
men, one of them man who gave his
N TOc Int
name, from papers found in his posses
sion, is ascertained to be w. III. We'll
don; and one, a 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 demur
about admitting them, when one pro-
claimed himself to be an ex-Federal
officer, and the other discharged SOL
der. They were brought to the head
of the stairs, where Weldon represent
ed that he was the correspondent Of
the Philadelphia Press, and desired to
see the Governor. A card with the
name of Jos. 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 Boardman,
of Caddo, who occupied chair on his
right. Weldon sat down iii vacant
chair Immediately on Mr. Packard's
left and after an instant, somewhat
sharply asked: "When can see you ~
Packard turned and found a pistol
aimed at his head. He immediately
struck it down and the weapon was
discharged, the ball striking him in the
NJ aud ,uG.at,,,.r 81; r.l,t
wound. Packard Immediately dealt
the man blow with his fist, striking
him between the eyes and knocking
him down. Several parties in the rsom
drew their pistols and fired, wounding
the would-be assassin seriously but not
fatally. Of course scene of intense
excitement Immediately followed. The
one-armed man was arrested and con-
veyed to the ofiite of the superintend-
ent of tie police, and Weldon was kept
a close prisoner in the Executive office.
Mr.. Packard was conveyed to his pri-
vate apartment on the second floor of
building, where his wound was dress
ed and examined by DR.. A.W. Smythe
1t is not of serious character. but
might prove so if not carefully tended
and will lame him for several days.
The statement of the man VINO shot
Packard, says that his name is William
Henry Weldon, and that his home is in
Philadelphia. He SAYS. further, that he
has mother and sister there. With
regard to his attempt to kill Packard,
he says there were four others with
him, who were to have assisted him in
the undertaking, but that, when reach
81
refused to go in, and left him to carry
out the intended plan of assassination.
Weldon, if such be his name, is not,
as it turns cut, very seriously hurt.
The ball which struck him, hit him in
the left arm, just below the shoulder,
and seems TO have come out at the ell
bow. 1t was thought at first that he
was killed, but it seems that he was
only stunned and faint from loss of
blood. AT 1890 p. he was so much re-
vined as to converse with those about
him.
The Republican extra, in addition to
the account OF the affair at the State
House this morning, which agrees sub
stautialy with that heretofore tele-
graphed, says of Weldon, that when
told that Gov. Packard had saved his
life, he seemed to break down, saying,
with gulp, did Gov. Packard save
my life? | should like TO see him. Tell
him | want to see him." He wits nice
ly dressed, had a good, intelligent look
ing face, dark hair, and brown mustache
and face clearly shaven. He wore
large and evidently new masonic badge
The man was evidently stranger.
The marks on his clothing indicated
the truth Of his statement concerning
his name, as did also papers in his
pocket, and masonic diploma. The
assassin gained admission to Governor
Pa ckard by representing himself to be
a correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press.
On the person of the assassin was
found letter from Chas. Ii. Scnwartz. |
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, September
20, 1868, recommending William We'll
don as having been a pupil in his
school. Another dated at the same
place, February 16, 1867, recommend
ing Weldon as an energetic business
man, of good moral habits. Another
dated at Cincinnati. April 20, 1S72,rec
ommending W.H.Weldon as an honest
careful business man. and signed by G.
NJ Brown, formerly of Brown & Cole
man, Springfield, Illinois.
PHILADELPHIA, February 15.-ln-
quiries made at the office of the Phil
adelphia Press, disclose the fact that
William ii. Weldon, the person who
gained admission to the Executive
at New Orleans, to-doy, upon
the pretense tnat he was correspond
ent of that journal and then shot Coy.
Packard, has no connection whatever
with the Press, and nothing is known
of him at the office of that paper.