The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-20
SUMMERS FUTILE VICu.
Scared BY . Practical Joke Played by Q
Party Of Humorous Southeruers.
The Doom Which Never Game.

Ex-senator Dawes, Of Massachusetts,,
being in q reminiscent mood the other
evening. related an anecdote Of Charles
sumner that has never found its way
into print. but illustrated a remarkable
Characteristic Of that great statesman.
After he recovered from the effects Of
the attack Of Preston Brooks Mr.. Sum-
ner went to Europe and remained for
several months. Many people predicted
that he would not dare re-
turn to the senate chamber.
and almost everybody was will
ing to concede that II he did he
would make no more speeches on the
slave question, for several southern fire.
eaters had threatened to kill him II he
did. Mr.. Summers intimate friends
were well aware that he. like many other
men Of great intellect, was born a ply
sical coward, and the assault of Brooks
had upset his nerves completely that he
would jump whenever he was startled by
an unexpected sound.
But Mr.. Sumner came back to WASH
ington at the beginning of the next ses-
sion. resumed his seat in the senate. and
although It was notorious that several
rufiians intended to attack him II he did
so, renewed his war against the slave
power. and at the first opportunity de-
livered speech that was even more
radical and merciless than that which
provoked the anger of Preston Brooks.
DAWES SENT FOR.
The night after the delivery Of that
speech Mr. Dawes, who was a represen-
tative from Massachusetts,, was just go
ing to bed when Mr.. Summers butler
rushed into his room at his boarding
house. breathless with excitement, and
said that Mr., Sumner wanted to see him
Immediately. Mr.. Dawes put on his
clothes again. and taking stout hic-
kory which he always carried, went to
Mr.. Summers residence, which was then
on F street between Fourteenth and
Fifteenth, and only few steps from the
treasury. He found the great man in
his library drawing up a memorandum
of instructions to his friends in case he
should be killed, and he coolly Informed
Mr.. Dawes that he expected to die that
night. He had been visited, he said, by
a committee of three, representing the
slave-holding element in the south. who
warned him that his hour was fast ap-
preaching and that the penalty Of his
last speech was likely to be visited upon
him at any time.
II sent for you, Mr.. Dawes" he con-
tinued, with the hope and expectation
that you will summon the representa-
tives from Massachusetts, and remain
with me through the night. Your So
ciety will be consolation, and l should
like to have you witness my death If
am attacked in such a manner that 1t
will be impossible for you to defend and
protect me-"
Mr.. Dawes returned with Mr.. Sumner
while the servants of the household
were sent for the other members of the
delegation. When they arrived Mr.
Sumner repeated to them what he had
said to Mr. Dawes about the warning
he had received and his expectation of
an early death by violence. Then going
to his library he took from the shelves
a history Of Rome, turned to the pages
which relate the story of the assassina-
tion Of Caius and Tiberius Gracious,
the Roman tribunes, who were assassi-
mated because of their efforts in behalf
Of the peasantry of Rome, and solemn
ly announced his intention to die as
they had died, with the same composure
and the same resignation, which he
said was justified by his confidence that
his fate, like theirs, was the penalty of
his devotion to the poor and the op-
pressed. Mr. Sumner put mark In the
book in order that the delegation might
refer to 1t after the expected deed Of
blood was accomplished, laid 1t away on
the shelf in it's proper place, and then
sat down calmly to await the end.
ONLY A JOKE.
The Massachusetts, members remained
with him through the night. One of
them had revolver; the remainder had
no better arms than walking sticks, but
Mr.. Sumner refused to allow them to go
after guns and ammunition, and seemed
rather to cOvet martyrdOm than to
avoid it. The night was long and moth
ing occurred to disturb it's solemnity.
At daylight it was decided that the
guard should be continued, but that the
delegation might go to their homes by
installments to advise their families Of
their safety and change their linen.
One Of the first to leave boarded at
Wizards hotel, which was merely
across the street, and he had not been
gone more than fifteen or twenty min
utes when he returned with an aston
ishing story he had heard in the office
of the hotel about three young south
ern bloods who had called upon Mr.
Sumner the evening before and nearly
frightened him to death with q story
that his assassination was intended.
They had conceived this idea Of prac-
tical joke over their cups. and after
their return from Mr. Summers house
had made the hotel merry with descrip-
tions of the manner in which he re-
ceived their warning. The delegation
shook hands with each other, and con-
graduated Mr.. Sumner that the danger
was not serious, but they We're never
able to convince him that he was the
victim Of a jest.
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