Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-02-22
Assassination.

Times has the following: At half past
eleven, III the vicinity of the Cover
nor's room on St. Louis street, the
State House rang with the sharp re-
port of two pistol shots, fired almost
simultaneously and in an instant there
was intense excitement abroad and a
rapid hurrying Of the crowd toward
the GubernatoriaT apartment. Here
it transpired that Mr.. Packard, while
seated in his chair surrounded by a
half dozen golfers, had been approach
ed by one of the parties, who, drawing
a pistol and leveling it at Mr.. Pack
ards heart at almost point blank
range, pulled the trigger.
At that very instant Packard struck
the weapon down, end simultaneously
with that movement the weapon ex-
ploded and the shot struck Mr.. Pack
ard in the knee. At that instant Mr..
Packard closed with the man and threw
him to the floor.
Diligsnt inquiry failed to divulge the
name of the man, anything abont him,
or anything about the cause of the at
tack The report has it that he was
correspondent for Northern.
$40 P. M.--Statement of an eye
witness: Shortly before the occurrence
two men, one of them the wounded
man, who gave his name as Joseph
Muttle, but whose real name, from pa
pers found in his possession, is ascer-
tanned to be w. I'll. Weldon, and a
slim, one armed man, who gave no
name, walked to the door of the State
Capitol and asked to see Mr.. Packard,
There was some demur about admitting
them, when one proclaimed himself to
be an ex-Federal officer and the other
discharged soldier. They were
brought to the head of the stairs,
where Weldon represented that he was
a correspondent of the Philadelphia
! Presses and desised to see Gov. Pack
ard and the name of s'Joseph Huttle'
was sent in. but the one armed man
| declined to enter
Mr.. Weldon reached the executive
office where he found Mr.. Packard,
seated at his desk, talking to Judge
Boardman, Of Colorado, who occupied
chair on his right Mr.. Weldon sat
down in a vacant chair. Immediately
on Mr. Packard's left, and after an in.
ssant, somewhat sharply asked, When
can | see you?' 90
Mf Packard turned and found pis
tol aimed at his head He immediate.
ly struck it down and the weapon was
discharged, the ball striking him in
the right knee cap and inficting a
slight wound.
Packard Immediately dealt the man
a blow with his fist, striking him be-
tween the eyes and knocking him
dowd. Several parties in the room
drew their pistols and fired, woundine
the would be-assassin seriously but moi
fatally.
Of course a scene of intense excite
ment Immediately followed. The one
armed man was arrested and conveyed
to the Office of the Superintendent Of
Police, and Weldon was kept close
prisoner in the executive office, Mr.
Packard was conveyed to his private
apartment on the second floor of The
building, where his wound was exam
med by DIR. A. w. Smythe. 1t is no
of serious character, but might prove
SO if not carefully tended for severa
days,
Statement Of she man who tried t,
kill Packard. He srys that his mann
is William Henry Weldon and tina
his home IS ia Philadelphia. He say
further that he has mother and sis
ters living there.
With regard to his attempt to xii
Packard be says that there
| WERE FOUR OTHERS
with him who were to have assiste,
him in the undertaking, but that whel
reaching the door Of the State House
they refused to go in, and left him t
carry out the intended plan of assassi
nation alone.
Weldon. if such be his name, is no
as it turns out very seriously hurt
The ball which struck HIM hit him il
the left arm, just below the choulde
and seems to have come out at the el
bow. 1t was thought at first that h
was killed, but it seems that he wa
E only stunned and faint from loss O
blood. At half-past II he was g
much revived as to converse with thos
about hisn,