The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-09-02
Attempt to Assassinate Judge Page of Aus
tin. MINI.

attempt TO Assasslnate Judge Page Of Aus
tin, MINI.
A telegram FROM Austin, Mower county,
MINI of August oath, says: Last night be-
tween and 9 O'Clock while ex Judge Sher-
man Page was sitting in his house, holding
his child, some one shot at him through the
back of the head and neck, making a serious
wound, but not necessarily fatal. There is no
clue as yet to the person that fred the shot,
but it is hoped he will be caught and made an
example OF. Court meets next month, and as
he is engaged in some important calls it is
thought some one Of his enemies thought to
get rid OF him in that way, but they failed.
The Judge came from Taopi on the 7:2o train,
got in his buggy and drove home. He lives
about mile from town.
Judge Page has furnished the following
statement for publication:
Since the last term of the court, in the past
would be the ground of any upleasantness,
so far as know, between myself and parties in
Austin. I have attended to my law business
strictly, and have had ne sort of difficulty with
any, parties whatever. There have been threats
made by parties in Austin, as l am credibly
have been remarks made and statements
made frequently by the friends OF these
parties that I should be shot. but have
never had the least apprehension that should
ever be injured except that it should be by
some cowardly assassin who should steal on
me unaWares.
My friends have cautioned me repeatedly,
and have endeavored to be reasonably pru.
dent as to exposing myself to danger, but
have never modified my business or habits to
avoid it. Parties Immediately after the
last term OF court in this county threatened
these parties have hardly been seen by me
for the last two or three months. Recently I
have taken hardly any precautions as to dan
ger, not 80 much as ought to have done, as
this seems to show. Yesterday after
noon went to Taopi to attend law suit
returned to Austin on the evening freight
train, arriving here at 7:20. My horse and
buggy were at the depot I drove to my
Office, got My mail without stopping,
called at neighbours, Mr.. Matthew'S, for my
little boy, and drove home quite fast. When
I drove home it was about as dark, as it was
afterward; assisted in putting up the horse;
went from the barn to the house at once;
stopped moment on the way,
in plain sight, went into the house, sat down
in my dining room and drank cup of tea.
MI: Sake, neighbor, and IA friend of bis
called to see me while was drinking the tea.
We sat with our backs in the direction
of the side of the house whence this shot
was fired. Mr.. Sake got up to leave. Went
to the door and l went with him to
tell him he could pass around the house to-
ward the road, and he went around the house,
past the bay window, where the shot was fred.
After he had left Immediately passed into
the sitting room, took seat by the table,
my left side toward the window. Did not
notice that the curtains were up. Took
up the Minneapolis Tribune which lay on
the table and commenced reading and within
five minutes from the time sat down the
shot was fred.
heard the crash through the bay window
and felt the blow. It stunned me, but jumped
to my feet and cried out to my wife who
was just coming into the room from the
dining-room, that I was shot. When the shot
was fired, as my wife said, it was exactly 8.
There is the best evidence to my mind that
the person or persons engaged in the affair
WereabOut the premises before arrived home.
In the first place there was hardly time for
them to come from town here after left
town; there was not time for them to come
from the depot which is two miles away, IN
less they came with horse, as l drove very
saw Mr.. Sake and his friend who were here
and knew when they left. They could have
stood ten rods away and seen them pass the
bay window without being seen them
selves. They could have been watch
ing me when went out with Mr..
Sake: me weapon, in my Judgment was
charged with large, perhaps double shot
duckshot, and a ball. think both barrels were
fred simultaneously. The shot struck me in
the left side OF the back of the head and neck,
apparently the most dangerous wound being
on the side of the head. Part only of the shot
have been taken out. There were six or eight
shots entered nv head and neck The shots ex
tract ed were about double B shot. There
were threats made prior to the last term of
court and at that time. There is no
doubt at all that it was the intention to blow
my brains out, and the only thing that pre-
prevented it was the wire screen that scat
tered the shot, the heavy sash had turned
them little out Of their course, the nerv-
business, probably the man who took the
aim, and the table whsch diverted from its
course directly towards my body, the bullet
was caused to glance SO that it went
through three thicknesses of the stove
pipe before it buried itself in the wall. fully
believe this method of attack had been deter
mined upon before hand. for have habitually
with my family sat by that table in the
same way to read just before retiring at night,
and last night was the first time for month
or more that had been there alone. have
no more doubt that this is the elimination of
conspiracy to destroy me, of which the i'm
parchment trial was part than I have
that am still alive, and that the attempted
assassination last night was part and parcel
OF the conspiracy, and that it was under the
orders OF the abettOrs of that conspiracy, no
fair-minded man who has lived in Austin for
the past i've years can have any doubt about
it at all.
Pennsylvania Mines.
The superintendent of the Delaware
& Hudson company and Penn Coal COM