The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-02-22
Attempted Assassination.

NEW ORLEANS, February 15.-An
extra of the Times has the following:
SAT half past II o'clock, in the vicini-
ty of the governors room, on St. Louis
street, the State house rang with
sharp report of two pistol shots fired
almost simultaneously, and in an in
slant there was intense excitement
abroad and a rapid hurrying of crowd
toward the guberDatorial apartment.
Here it TRANSFERRED that Mr.. Packard,
while seated in his chair surrounded
by half dozen callers, had been sud-
denly approached by one of the parties
who, drawing his pistol and dwelling
it at Mr.. Packard's heart at almost
point blank range, pulled the trigger.
at that very instant Packard struck
the weapon down, and simultaneously
with that moment the weapon explod-
ed and the shot struck Mr.. Packard in
in 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 or any
thing about him or the cause of the
attack. Report has it that he was a
correspondent for Northern paper,
but all information is vague"
Two men, one of them the wound
ed man, who gave his name as Jos.
Huttle, but whose real name, from
papers found In his possession. is as
certalned to be w. H. Weldon, and 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 admit
ting them, when one proclaimed him.
self to be an OK. Federal officer, and
the other q discharged 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 the Governor
A card, with the name of Joseph Hut
tie, 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 Boarman, of Caddo,
| who occupied chair on his right.
Weldon sat dswn in a vacant chair
Immediately on Mr.. Pdckard's left.
and, after al instant, somewhat sharp
ly asked, "When could I see YOU"
Packard turned and found pistol
aimed at his head. He immediately
struck it down and the weapon was
discharged, the ball striking him in
the right knee cap, inflicting a slight
wound. Packard Immediately dealt
the man blow with his fist, striking
him between the eyes and knocking
him down. Several parties in
the room drew their pistols and fired,
wounding Weldon, the would-be
ASSASSIN, seriously, but not fatally.
OF course a scene or intense excitement
Immediately followed; the other man
was arrested and conveyed to the office
of tho superintendent of police and
Weldon was kept a close prisoner in
| the executive department, where his
wound was examined by DR.. A. W.
Smyth. It's not of a serious chsrac-
Ter, but might prove so If not carefully
teuded and will lame him for several
days. The statement of the man who
tried to kill Packard Is that name Is
VIM. Henry Weldon, and his home is
in Philadelphia, and says further that
he has mother and sisters living
there. With regard TO the attempt to
kill Packard, he says that there were
four Others with him who were to have
assisted him in the undertaking, but
that, when reaching the State house,
they refused TO, leaving him to carry
on, the intended plan of ASSASSINATION
alone. Weldon, il such be his name,
is not, as it turns out, very seriously
hurt. The ball struck him in
the left arm, just. below the shoulder
aud seems to have come out At the ell
bow. It was thought st first that he
was killed, but he was only stunned
and faint from the loss OF blood. At
hali-psst twelve he was 30 much re-
vived as to converse with those about
him.