Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-14
SENATOR BECK.


Reporter.
CourierJournal Tuesday.
The Hon. James B Beck arrived
in the city yesterday morning and
was speedily found by a Courier
Journal reporter.
Mr.. Beck" said the reporter,
sc you are just from Washington, and
the people generally would like to
hear from you directly as to the att
tempt on the Presidents lite
& have been suffering during the
forenoon" said Mr.. Beck, "and am
hardly equal to an interview, but l
will tell you briefly all I know"
Where were you on the morning
of the assassination ~
II was about six hundred yards
from the spot where the shot was
fired. I was driving to the ticket
Office to buy my tickets home, and
driving down Ninth street, just past
the Patent Office, when a colored
man who knew me, ran out and said,
8 The President has been shot, /
made some skeptical remark, when,
looking down the street, I saw
mounted men flying in every dirsc-
ton. I ordered the driver to go as
fast as possible to the depot, and we
arrived there while the President
was yet lying on the floor. The
crowd was already immense, and ms
creasing every moment, and very
much excited. Quite number gath
cred about me, and the disposition to
lynch the murderer seemed TO be
general. I demonstrated with this
sentiment, saying that would not be
sufficient explation of SO monstrous
a or me-a crime against the whole
nation and civilization itself A
young man came up to me and said ::
Mr.. Beck. I knew this last night I
said: MY God! can it be a con-
spiracy?' He said: 4 don't know,
but 1 knew this would happen last
night, and disappeared. lam glad
1 did not recognize that young man.
I suppose he was excited and was
beside himself"
When was the last time you saw
the President before he was wound
ed?"
Son Thursday afternoon. We
passed quite little while together.
He was unusually kind, buoyant and
happy. His desire was TO do all he
could for some constituents Of nine,
in whose interest I called. He began
to talk of his wlfe's illness and the
happiness he expected to have dnr>
ing his holiday. His eyes filed as
he talked, and, when we parted, he
gave me one of his left-handed blows
on the shoulder, which I told hun I
would carry home as love lick.
"Did you see him after the shoot
ing?
mo, but I called at the White
House that evening and gave a pre-
scription which l am sure was of
service. / told Secretary Lincoln
that, in my belief, if Mrs. Garfield
would kill him-his mind was solely
engaged about her-and / begged
that Mrs. Blaine-who is the bravest
woman in the world, and a woman
of brains as well as nerve-should
meet her and prepare her. This
was done. Mrs. Garfield showed
herself a woman of courage, and al
went we'll. One smile from his wife
was worth more to the halt-dyine
President than all the doctors. F"
"You think the President viii
recover?"
Il think he will His only danger
now is too speedy removal. If they
will leave him alone he viii
recover. If any attempt, prematurely
to charge his position, be may have
a relapse. Everything has been il
his favor. He is a boy in heal h ane
heart, and a good, Christian man
who does not fear to die. He feel'
that he has run a career, wrongine
no man, and he is ready to go. Blu
he don't want to go, and is full o.
cheer and hope. l believe, therefore
he will get we'll"
"What of the Vice-President 2"
"He is not bad man. He is soft
hearted and has suffered not little
The reports have not been exagger.
ated. He is really a kind, good man
and, as I saw hum, he was over
whelmed, and the last thing he want
ed was the Presidency"
"Do you tLink there was con.
spiracy?"
Il do not believe there was, but
know nothing about it.
what about the failure of the
Democrats to elect president of thu
Senate ?"
"They had no chance. The Vice
President never vacated the chair.
"But did he not offer to do so I!
1.-The facts are these: The Repub
licans agreed to 60 into an election
if the Democrats would elect Sena.
tor Hrrris, of Tennessee. Tn
Democrats, who have high regart
for Senator Harris, and Senator Har
ris, who is an unselfsh Democrat, re
fused to accept the Office thus ten
dered by the Republicans. Their
was, consequently, no election. Tha
is all.