The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-16
EXCITEMENT Al THE STATE
HOUSE.
Assault on Packard.
An Effort to Mystify the Affair.
The Alleged Assailant in Close
Confinement.

at the time In the hallway leading to
or In rooms adjacent to Packard 3 Office,
were startled by two reports OF pistols
coming from that sanctuary.
A DEMOCRAT reporter, who was In an.
other portion Of the building, In mo.
ment after was In front OF the door lead.
ing into the anteroom OF the Office.
| Around 1t was an excited crowd clam.
oring for admittance, but kept back by
the police. While the excitement was
at its height, Packard, surrounded by a
number Of persons, came out. lie was
very pale, and walked hurriedly
through the crowd, as he moved off ex-
claiming, "Damn him, he got his dose
anyhow"
No one knew what had happened,
and some OF those who came out OF the
room with Packard were surrounded
and questioned, and they stated that an
attempt had been made to assassinate
him. and that his assailant had sue
ceeded In shooting him In the leg, and
had himself been shot and dangerously
wounded; that Packard was seated at
bis desk, and the man drew O pistol,
and rapidly advancing on him, leyeled
1t at him. Packard struck down the
pistol, and simultaneously the man
hred, and the ball entered Packard q
1
| lowing another report, and the man
fell, shot in the left side. just above the
| nipple, by some one OF the parties In
the room.
The DEMOCRAT re porter Immediately
sought admission to the room where
| the affair occurred, and permission to
| enter was peremptorily refused.
Parties coming from the Office were
questioned, and they stated that the
man was In dying condition.
The excitement among the negroes
had increased to q fearful extent, and a
rush to the entrance door was made by
number OF them, but they were met
by the Packard police and forced back.
Col. Loan finally came out OF the room,
and, in response to q question by the
DEMOCRAT reporter, he said
THE MAN WAS DEAD.
With this and the further information
that the man was unknown, and that
Packard's wounds were slight, the re-
porter, after he had again been denied
admittance to the room, left the build
ing.
Returning later, for the purpose OF
obtaining additional particulars, he
found the large door Of the Royal street
large number Of the officers OF the
Packard police force.
On attempting to 60 into the building
he WAS stopped and informed that orders
had been Issued which would not allow
Of his admission. The reporters OF tho
Times and Republican were the only
representatives OF the press Of the city
In whose favor exception was made.
They were permitted free ingress and
egress.
On the streets around the building
fhara w n Inf ha ,rfl
reports regarding the circumstances OF
the affair and the condition Of the prin- |
cipal parties Packard and his alleged
assailant.
After diligent inquiry the DEMOCRAT
reporter succeeded ID obtaining the fol-
lowing
PARTICULARS.
The man came to the building a little
before IL o'clock, accompanied by
another man, and representing himself |
to be an ex-federal officer, having bust
ness OF Importance with Packard, he
and his companion were passed through |
the lines.
On reaching the head of the stairs he |
announced that he was q correspondent |
for a Philadelphia paper, and was ush- |
cred into Packard's Office, his COM
panion remaining outside.
Parties claiming to have been eye |
witnesses of the affair give the follow |
ing statement Of what
OCCURRED
after his entrance:
He seated himself and patiently |
waited for some time for Packard to |
conclude a conversation he was having |
WITH Judge Boarman. Before 1t was
brought TO close, however, he ap-
preached Packard, and, some state,
said: "Say, want to see YOU" and II
he spoke he drew a revolver, and I pla C.
ing it at Packard's head, pulled the
trigger. The cap, however, snapped,
and the pistol did not 60 off. Packard |
jumped to his feet Immediately and
seized the weapon, and scuffie ensued, |
during which the pistol was discharged. |
The scuffle ended by the man being |
knocked down by Packard, fired at by |
one Of the other men in the room. and |
severely beaten and kicked by others. |
Judge Boarman and Mr.. Albert Leon |
ard interfered to prevent the man be- |
ing killed. He was 90 badly hurt, how
ever, that he became insensible, and |
this, coupled with the fact that his
left breast was covered with blood, led |
to the belief and announcement that he
was dead.
The DEMOCRAT reporter did not sue
coed in finding any one who had seen /
the man after the shooting. but learned I
from parties coming from the hotel |
building that it had been authoritative
ly announced in the interior that the |
man was shot but once, and that once |
in the arm, and that the wound was by |
no means dangerous.
It was also stated that the injuries of |
Packard consisted Of mere scratch on
the leg, which scarcely drew blood, and |
a swollen hand, the result OF the severe
blow he had given his assailant.
The public was given to understand, |
through the medium of we'll circulated |
reports, that the man had made state |
ment, giving his name as VIM. Henry |
Weldon, residence in Philadelphia, |
and duplicating four other men-Whose
names were not giyen-in the affair.
The man was placed in close confine- |
ment in the building, and only the most |
lnva1 IF the faif n frll xuara :.