The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-02-22
New ORLEANS, Feb. 15, 1877.


State House, rang with the sharp repor
of two pistol shots fred almost simulta
neously and in an instant there was in
tense excitement abroad and rapid hur
rying of a crowd toward the Gubernatori
al apartments
There it transpred thatl Mr.. Packard
while surrounded by half dozen callers
had been suddenly approached by one Of
the parties, who, drawing pistol levell-
ed it at Packard's heart at almost point
blank range and pulled the trigger AT that
very instant 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.
Diigent 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 correspond
ent of Northern paper, but now all in
formation is vague.
Statement Of an Eye witness.
Two men, one of them the wounded
man, who gave his name as Joseph Hut
tie, but whose real name from papers
found in his possession is ascertained to
be w. H. 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 demur
about admitting them, when one pro-
claimed himself to be an ex-federal Off
Ger and the other discharged soldier
They were brought to the head of the
stairs where Weldon represented that he
was a correspondent of the Phiadelph
Press and desired to see Governor Pack
ard. 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 Boarman Of
Caddo, who occupied chair on his right,
Weldon sat down in vacant chair i'm
mediately on Mr.. Packard's left, and af-
ter an instant, somewhat sharply asked,
when can / see your
Mr. Packard turned and found pistol
aimed at his head. He Immediately
struck it down and the weapon was dis
charged, the ball striking him in the
right knee cap and inaicting 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
pistols and fired, wounding the would be
assassin seriously, but not fatally. Of
course a scene Of intense excitement i'm
mediately followed. The one armed
man was arrested and conveyed to the
Office of the superintendent of Police,
and Weldon was kept a close prisoner in
the executive office. Mr.. Packard was
conveyed to his private apartmentin the
building where his wound was examined
by DR.. A. w. SmYth. 1t is not ofa seri-
GUS character, but might prove so if not
carefully tended, and will lame him for
several days.
Statement Of the WOuld-be Assassin.
The statement of the man who tried to
kill Packard says his name is VIM. Henry
Weldon, and that his home is in Phila-
delpha. He says further that he has
mother and sisters 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 undertaking, but that when reaching
the door of the State House they refused
to 90 in and left him to carry out the in
tended plan of assassination alone.
Weldon, ifsuch be his name, is not, as
it turns out, 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 elbow. 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 he was SO
much revived as to converse with those
about him.
An extra Republican, in addition to the
account of the affair at the State House |
this morning, which agrees substantially |
with that heretofore telegraphed says of |
Weldon, when told that Governor Pack
ard had saved his life, he seemed to break |
down, saying, "Did Governor Packard |
save my life / should like to see him.
Tell him 1 want to see him." He was
nicely dressed, bad good intelligent face
dark hair and brown moustac6e face
smooth. He wore alarge and evidently
new Masonic badge. The man was evil
IDENTIFY stranger. Marks upon his
clothing indicate the truth of his state
ment concerning his name, as did also
papers in his pocket, and Masonic di-
ploma.
The assassin gained admission to the
Governors parlor by representing him
self to be correspondent of the Phila-
delphia Press, A comrade was arrested,
and is now in custody. Another succeed.
ed in escaping. On the person of the as
sassin was found letter from Chas.
Schwartz, Bethlehem, Pa, Sept. 29th,
1868, recommending VIM. Weldon as
having been pupil in his school. An
other dated at the same place, February
10Th, 1867, recommending Weldon as an
energetic business man of good morals
Another dated Cincinnati, April Goth,
1872, recommending w. H. Weldon as an
honest careful business man, signed T.
M. Brown, formerly of Brown & Coleman
Springfield, Illinois.
Motive Of the WOuld-be Assassin.
There was no blood drawn by the bull
ct said to have been fred at Packard.
The result was only slight bruse.
Weldon ella ms to be the son of a Luther
an Minister in Pennsylvania. Being
asked his motive, he eplied it was only
patriotism. He had been in New Orleans
only twenty-four hours.
Weldon not Connected With the Press.
Philadelphia, February 15-Inquiries
made at the Office of the Philadelphia
Press, disclose the fact that William H.
Weldon, the person who gained adms
SION to the Executive Mansion at New
Orleans to-day, upon the pretense that
he was correspondent of that journal,
and then shot Governor Packard, has no
connection with the Press, and nothing
is known of him at the Office of that pa
per.
Governor Nichols to Make q Full Investigation.
Waob;poto,, ToI 1E M = =,