The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-04-07
How an Attempt Was Made to Assassin.
ate Ben. Wade.

General J. S. Brisbin, in the PEiladel-
phia Press, gives the following account
of an attempt to assassinate Ben. Wade:
1t is not generally known that an at
tempt was made to assassinate Mr.. Wade
in Washington during the war about
the 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 par
lor with Mr.. Wade, sprang to her feet
and said to her husband:
my God! Frank, fear they have
killed Mr.. Sumner"
Wade, with the people of the house,
hurried to the spot and found Mr.. Sum-
ner calm but very pale and weak. He
said man standing on the outer edge OF
the pavement had fired at him with q
pistol, the ball passing close in front of
his face and apparently hitting the wall.
The assassin then ran up an alley and dis
appeared. The wall of the adjoining
house was examined, and the ball was
found sticking between two bricks and
completely fattened out by its force. No
trace of the assassin could be found and
nothing was ever heard Of him.
A few days after this occurrence
man 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 O house owned by Mrs.
Barrett. Mr.. Colfa8 lived in the house
with Mr.. Wade, and both occupied
rooms on the second floor. The man
pushed his way into Mr.. Wade's sitting
room 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 suspicion. Ask
ing to be excused for moment, the old
Senator went into an adjoining room,
where he and his wife slept, and took
pistol from the drawer ofa bureau. Hold
ing the pistol under his dressing-gown
Wade returned to the sitting-room, and
confronting the assassin said:
"Now, sir, I am ready for you.
Where are the papers you wish me to
read?"
Drawing a package from his breast
the man handed it to Mr.. Wade with
one hand, while with the other he
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 mani"
The assassin turned very pale, and at
the command of Mr.. Wade held up his
hands.
"Now, about face" roared Wade.
The assassin turned his back, and
Wade, placing the muzzle of the pistol
against the back of his head, said:
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 remember Mrs.
Barrett's house will recollect the front
door is reached by ascending a pair Of
winding stairs. Just as the assassin set
his foot on the top stair Wade gave him
a kick and push that sent him sprawl
ing TO the bottom, and he fell headlong
on the pavement. Then, closing the
door with bang, the old man left the
fellow to gather himself up and get
away rs best he could. Returning to
his room, rs coolly as if nothing had
happened, Wade put up his pistol, and
it was three or four days before the
family learned anything about the
occurrence.
On opening the petition it was found
to be an illiterate, long, ram bling affair,
badly written, wretchedly spelled and
amounting to nothing. Wade said it
was evidently the intention of the assas-
sin 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 moment he entered the
room felt and knew what the fellow had
come for.