, 1880-06-07
A Reminiscence Of Old Times.

General J. s. Brisbin, in the Phila-
delphia Pyess, gives the following ac-
count of ar attempt to assassinate Ben.
Wade: 1t is not generally known that
an attempt was made to assassiHate Mr..
Wade in Washington during the war,
about tie same time that an attack was
made on Charles Summers life. 1t
was about nine o'clock at night, and
Mr.. Sumner had just quilted Mr..
Wade's door when a pistol shot was
heard in the street. Mrs.. Wade, who
was sitting in the parlor with Mr..
Wade, sprang to her feet and said to
her husband:
Ny God Frank, l fear they have
killed Mr.. Summer"
Wade, with the people of the house,
hurried to the spot and found Mr..
Sumner calm, but very pale and weak.
He said that man standing on the
outer edge of the pavement had fired
at him with a pistol, the ball passing
close in front of his face and apparently
hitting the wall. Tho assassla then
ran up an alley and disappeared. The
wall of the adjoining. house was ex-
amine@, and the ball was found stick
ing between tive bricks and completely
fattsned out by its force. No trace of
the assassin could be found, ard moth
ing was ever heard of him.
A few days after this occurrence q
nan called on Mr.. Wade about eight
o'clock in the evening and pretended
he had important business with the
Senator and some papers to show him.
Mr.. Wade at this time lived on Four
and a-half street, in house owned by
Mrs. Barrett. Mr. Cslfax lived in the
house with Mr. Wade, and both oc-
cupisd rooms on the second floor. The
man pushed his way into Mr.. Wade's
sitting rsem and asked him if he
would read petition. Mr.. Wade was
alone at the time, and something in the
mans face or manner aroused his sus-
picien. Asking to be excused for a
moment, the old Senator went into an
adjoining room, where he and his wife
slept, and took u pistol from the
drawer of bureau. Holding the pis-
tol under his dressing gown Wade re-
turned to the sitting room, and con-
fronting the assassin, said:
L
Where are the papers you wished me-
t9 read?"
Drawing package from his breast
the man handed it to Mr.. Wade with
one hand, while with the other be
grasped the handle of large knife.
Quick as thought Wade saw it, and
cooking the pistol. placed it under the
mans nose and said .:
"Draw that knife, or attempt to
draw it, and you are dead man."
The assassin turned very pale, and at
the command of Mr.. Wade held up
his hands.
"Now, about face - roarsd Wade.
The assassin turned back, and Wade,
placing the muzzle of the pistol against
the back of ibis head, said i:
Forward, march,"
In this way he marched the fellow
out of the room, down the stairs, along
the hall, and, opening the street door,
bid him depart. Those who re-
member Mrs. Barrett's house will
recollect the freAt door is reached
by ascending pair of winding
stairs. just as the assassin set his foot
Ou tHu tOp StaII W aue gave Aiui hlch
and push that sent him sprawling to
the bottom, and lie fell headlong on
the pavement. Then, closing the door
with bang, the old man left the fell
low to gather himself up and get away
as best he could. Returning to his
room, as coolly as if nothing had hap
pened, Wade put up his pistol, and it
was three or four days before the
family learned anything about the oc
currence.
On opening the petition it was
found to be an illitsrate, long, ramb-
ling affair, badly written, wrstchedly
spelled and amounting to nothing.
Wade said it was evidently the inten-
ton of the assassin to stab him to death
while he was reading and his attention
fixed on the paper. He said he could
not tell what made him suspect the
man, but he did so, and from the mo-
ment he entered the room felt and
knew what the fellow had come for.