Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-27
JUDGE PAGES VERSION.
He Tells the story Below of HIS Attempt
ed Assassination.

Since the last term of the court, in the pas
would be the ground of any upleasantness
SO far as / know, between myself and parties in
Austin. have attended to my law business
strictly, and have had no sort of difficulty with
any parties whatever. There have been threats
made by parties in Austin, as | am creaibly
informed, that they would shoot me. There
| have been remarks made and statements
made frequently by the friends of these
parties that I should be shot. but l have
| never had the least apprehension that should
| ever be injured except that it should be by
some cowardly assassin who should sJeal on
| me unawares.
Ny friends have cautioned me repeatedly,
| and | have endeavored to be reasonably pru.
dent as to exposing myself to danger, but I
haye never modified my business or habits to
avoid il. Parties Immediately after the
last term of court in this county threatened
that they would fix me sooner or LATER but
these parties have hardly been seen by me
for the last two or three months. Recently
have taken hardly any precautions as to dan
ger, not so much as ought to have done, as
noon went to Taopi to attend law suit.
The suit was settled and disposed of, and
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 neighbor's, Mr.. Matthews, for my
little boy, and drove home quite fast. When
drove home it was about as dark, as it was
hfterward; assisted in putting up the horse;
went from the barn to the house at once;
stopped q moment on the way,
in plain sight, went into The house, sat down
in my dining-room and drank q cup of tea.
Nj. Sake, a neighbor, and Ia friend of his
called to see me while / was drinking the tea.
Nc sat with our backs in the direction
of the side of the house whence this shot
VS. fired. Mr.. Sake got up to leave. Went
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 fired.
After be had left, Immediately passed into
the sitting room, took q 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. 1t 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 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
were about 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 lime for them to come
from The depot which is two miles away, I'M
less hey came with horse, as ! drove very
fast More than this, am satisfied that they
saw Mr.. Sake and his friend who were here
and lew when they left. They could have
s.oo,i ten rods away and seen them pass the
bay window without being seen them
sely"s They could have been watch
ing me when I went out with alr.
Sake. The weapon, in my judgTle'. wa .
double barrelled snot gun, muzzle loader,
charged with large, perhaps double shot
tipcg5ilet, and ball think both barrels were
fired simultaneously. The shot struck me in
the left side OF the back of the head and neck,
apparently the most dangerous wound being
on tie side of the head. Part only Of the shot
hsYe been taken out. There were six or eight
shcts entered my head and neck. The shots eX-
tra;l I'd were about double B shot. There
We've threats made prior to the last term Of
cert, and at that time. There is no
dosht at all that it was the Intention to blow
ny brains out, and the only thing that pre-
prevented it was the wire screen that scat
terrd the shot, the heavy sash had turned
then little ont of their course the nerv-
0s1-sS5s 1-'tsc1 81 titS iiaSti WiiO 'rt,On tiiO
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 I 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
a conspiracy to destroy me. Of which the i'm
peachment trial was a part than have
that am still alive, and that the attempted
orders of the abettors of that conspiracy, no
fair minded man who has lived in Austin for
the past FIVE years can have any doubt about