The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-09
BROOKs,s ASSAULT ON SUMNER.
The Story as Told by the Only Man Who
Witnessed the Brutal Attack.

The Story as Told by the Only Man Who
Witnessed the Brutal Attack.
w. Y. Loder, Editor Austin. Texas. Dispatch.
In the letter published Wednesday from the
Courier Journal under the above caption, signed
j. r. Lemon, describing the attack on Sumner
by Mr.. Brooks nearly thirty years ago, occurs
the following:
"'He Brooks commenced a series of blows with a
bludgeon upon the Senator'S head by which the lat
ter was stunned, disabled and smitted down, bleed
ing and insensibe, the floor of the Senate cham
ber'
'Our readers will please notice that this is Mr.
Lemons statement-not history. From eyewit-
nesses testimony the facts of the case are about
these: Sumner had viliied the South. and
Senator VIM. Butler from South Carolina most
ton s. Brooks, nephew of Senator Butler
walked up to Sumner and assaulted him with a
small, slim walking cane about the thickness of
ones little finger, and was prevented by those
around from actually delivering more than one
or two blows. The confinement and shysical
suffering was, of course widely exaggerated for
political purposes"
We clip the above from the Fort Worth Ga
zette, and are astonished that such an article
should find a place in that paper The writer of
it is either wilfully ignorant of the truth of his
tory or he has malciously and knowingly per-
verified the truth. The editor of the Dispatch is
the only person who witnessed, from beginning
to end, the assault on Senator Sumner in May
delivered his famous speech, Crime in Kansas,
in which he was very severe on South Carolina
and Senator Butler, Of that State. On the day
of the assault the Senate had adjourned a short
time BEFORE and Senator Sumner was sitting at
his desk, engaged in franking copies of his
speech. We were standing within six or eight
feet of him, when Brooks a large, powerful
man, unobserved by Sumner approached his
seat, in front, and said, ''You have insulted my
native State of South Carolina and my gray
haired relative Judge Butler" and as he said
the last word struck Sumner over the head
with large, heavy walking cane, more than an
inch in diameter at the top He continued to
strike him over the head and shoulders until the
cane was broken into pieces. not over foot Or
eighteen inches remaining in his hand. Sumner
had fallen over his desk on the floor and lay
there bleeding and insensibe when Senator Crit
tenden of Kentucky, who had been at the far end
of the chamber, approached and grasped Brooks
by the arm. Senator Sumner was carried into a
committee room and on our sworn complaint
Brooks was arrested, and afterward, on our testi-
mony, was convicted and fined 5000. Senator
Sumner suffered for years the most excruciating
agony from the effects of this assault and after
being attended by the most eminent physicians
in this country went to France. where in Paris
he underwent a most painful operation. He
never fully recovered, and it is cowardly and
unmanly to intimate that his injuries were ex-
aggerated for political effect. No man at this
late day. with any self-respect, will attempt to
defend or condone the cowardly and brutal as
sault of Brooks on Senator Sumner.