St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-15

found the assassin on the floor In the
grasp of one of the attendants. Scarce
knowing who he was or why he should
he held, Mai, Seward attempted to hold
him. The man was strong and desper
ate, and he threw off those Who inter
tered with him, ran down the stairs,
mounted his horse that was standing at
the door, ana rode off along Vermont
avenue toward the north. He was
captured few days afterward,
and when the c0nspirators in
the Lincoln assassination were exc.
cuted, Lewis Payne, the man who had
attempted to cut the throat OF Secretary
of State Seward. who had fractured the
skull of Frederick Seward, and who had
severely injured the attendants who
had stood in the way of his murderous
object, was among those who suffered
the death penalty.
Following the attack upon the secre-
tary of state in 1865, when the officials
of the war department were inspired
with alarm lest another attempt
should be made by disappointed
friends of the "lost cause" to re-
cover by rash means the losses OF the
rebellion, military guard was set at
the door of the Seward house. With
tilN INlith hVo
from day co day and from hour to hour.
Department commanders changed, but
the order for the maintenance of the
guard at Mr.. Stewards door, issued by
disciplinarian of the sternest kind, was
allowed to remain, no one caring to as
sumo the responsibility for discontinue
ing the precautiOn that soon became
unnecessary.
10 1869. four years after the aSsassina-
ton of Lincoln, some one hlEh enough
in official station to be free from the
fear of disastrous consequences, men
toned to some one influential with the
secretary of war that there was a SOL
der constantly pacing up and down in
front of the Seward house, and he was
curious to know why he was there. In
quiry was at once made, when it
was found that the sentry was
there in obedience to the order
made April II, Immediately after the
attempted assassination Of Mr., Seward,
and that the order was being carried
out in precisely the same manner III
1863 that it had in the spring of 1865.
The order was reScinded. the guard dis
appeared and the Washington police
have since afforded the building all the
protection that has been necessary.
pOOI uIuNI no OS L ANpi
dent Harrison as secretary of state, and
while he was living at the Hotel Nor
mandie, Mr.. Blaine looked at the
old Seward building, that had
then been vacant for some time,
the commissary of subsistence having
been provided with quarters in the
newly completed part of the state, war
and navy department. building. 1t was
regarded as an expression of confidence
in his own longevity, as well as in the
intrinsic value and attractiveness Of TIE
property. that MIR. Blaine made lea
of the building for ten years, at about
$1,000 a year, with the understanding
that he was to bear the expense Of all
the repairs that he considered it neces-
Sary to make to render the house habit
able.
Extensive plans were made for alter
ing the interior, and in perfecting these
plans Walker Blaine was as deeply in
tereSted as his father. On the main
floor, the one at the top of the first flight
of steps. the two parlOrS of Mr.. Stewards
time were thrown into one, the dividing
line marked by graceful arch. In
these rooms, as in those above and be-
tow, the taste of Mrs. Blaine was ex-
pressed in the color employed in paint
ing the walls and in the hangings and
upholstery. BY the use of much money
in good hands it was converted from a
musty, cherries official barn into one of
the most attractive homes in Washing
ton.
1t was only on New Years day that
the house was thrown open to all the
friends of the secretary who chose to
call upon him. Scarce had the fact
been published before the family was
afflicted by the death at Augusta of Mrs.
Blaine's sister, Miss Stanwood. A few
days later came the news from the far
West Of the death of one of Mr.. Blaine's
brothers. Then, in the very beginning
of a winter for which a programme of
the utmost attractiveness had been ar
ranged, and a taste of which had al
ready been enjoyed by those intimate
with the family of the secretary, Walker
Blaine was carried away by what
the household evidently regarded as a
trouble much less serious than it turned
out to be. The extent to which the
character of his malady was miSunder-
stood was revealed in the report given
out by President HARRISON, who had
called at the eouSe twenty minutes be-
fore MIR. Blaine's death. and come away
with the information that he was in a
much more promising condition than he
had been all day,as he was "in a profuse
perspiration."
An hour later he was cold in death,
and another chapter had been added to
the history of house of calamities.