The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-03
(From the Boston Advertiser. }

ABOUT the Night of Terror-Consented
at Last.
From the Boston Adversiser)
Pomona, Cal, July 2O.-Major G. f.
Robinson, the only person on the Pacific
coast who has had vote of thanks from
Congress for meritorious act one of the
very few persons who has a gold medal
given by Congress for bravery, and one
of but two men who were ever promoted
at once from private to Major in the
United States Army, lives quietly here
with his family among the orange groves
and on an avenue of palms.
AT the same moment Abraham Lincoln
was shot to death in Ford's Theatre in
Washington, on April IA, 1865, and when
Grant would doubtless also have been
killed, Major Robinson, unarmed and
unprepared. grappled with the armed and
desperate assassin, Lewis Payne, in the
darkened sick room of Secretary Seward
Major Robinson has studiously avoided
though some thirty years interviews by
newspaper and magazine writers. Last
week, however, he permitted an inter-
view by fellow townsman and person
al friend. 81 have never KNOWN said
Major Robinson, chow / came to be de-
tailed to act as nurse at the home of Sec
rotary Seward in April, 1866. 1 had been
confined to the hospital for several
months by a gunshot wound in my leg.
1.-The evening of April IA was beauti-
full and clear. AT little before 10 .. M,
when the Secretary was sleeping easily,
the house was closed for the night. Mrs,
Seward had gone to her sleeping room.
Frederick Seward, second son of the Sec
rotary, had retired. Miss Fannie Seward,
a daugh7s', and sat in the sick cham
Der on the third floor Miss Seward was
near the bed. Her father lay propped up
in bed. just before 10 the sound of
man was heard down in the hall 1t was
afterward learned that the porter saw
tall young man on horseback dash I'D to
the stone ourbing. He claimed to be Dr.
verdls's assistant, and pushed his way
into the house. The first that knew of
the assassin in the house was when the
front door closed. Miss SEWARD heard
the sound IF some one coming heavily up
the front stairs, and remarked upon the
carelessness of anyone who would so nois-
lily approach sick chamber. At the top
of the stairway Frederick Seward met the
supposed messenger.
''What is it?'' said Mr.. Seward in
low tone.
g DR.. Verdis sent me with this medi-
cine for Secretary Seward, was the man 8
reply. 1t must be taken Immediately
l am the doctors student, and must tell
Mr.. Seward how and when to take the
medicine
" Frederick answered that he would see
if his father was awake. Then he opened
the door of the Secretary's room and tip
toed over to the bed where his father lay.
He went back and remarked that he
would not disturb the patient at that
hour. AS he spoke he closed the door be-
hind him. In trice there came the
sound of blows, as if one had been struck
| by rattan. Not word was spoken. I
| sprang from my chair, threw open the
hall door in time to see a very tall pow
| erful, beardleSS man about to open it
himself, and back of him Frederick Sew
| ard, covered with blood from wounds on
| his head.
"The stranger jumped through the door
| at me. 1 saw knife flash in the feeble
gaslight He dealt me an awful blow on
the scalp and forehead. fell backward
while blood started down my face and
beard. The stranger, wearing a long
| light-colored oyercoat SLOUGH hat, and
| cavalry boots, gave Miss Seward (who
had taken alarm and started to call for
help) a thrust that threw her aside. He
bounced upon the bedside. The assassin
had his now broken navy pistol in his
left hand and long, heavy knife in his
right. He leaned over and across the
bed, and, placing his pistol on Secretary
| Stewards chest, struck madly and franti-
| cally at the head and neck. 1 saw, a
| thousand times quicker than it takes to
| tell it, the assassin strike at the Secre-
tary's head, and lay open cash in his
right cheek and in the side Of his neck.
| leaped upon the bed beside the stranger
| from the rear, caught his arm as his
right hand gripped the knife for a surer
| and more powerful stroke, and thus di-
verified the blade. The knife went into
| the Secretary's neck on the side nearest
to us as pulled him from the bed.
'Then began a terrific hand-to hand
grapple. The assassin gave me a deep cut
i'll the right shoulder as l pulled him
backward from the bed. A second later
he gave me another cut. In twinkling
he turned on me with the ferocity of an
enraged tiger, while Secretary Seward
rolled off the further side of the bed. The
| assassin struck at me several times, once
giving me slash in the left shoulder l
clinched my arms about him with my ut
most strength, while he was trying to
force me away so that he could use his
arms either to thrust his bloody knife
into me or to beat me into insensibility
by blows with his big pistol. Meanwhile
Miss Seward had pushed up the window
in the sick room and had screamed Muir.
derl Murderl' Although weak from my
hospital experience and my use Of
clutches for six months previous, was
naturally strong young man at the
time.
My antagonist vainly tried to raise his
hands to beat or stab me. He suddenly
dropped his pistol and tried to push me
from him or to throw me. / chung to
the man with even greater intensity. All
L saw was my desperate big antagonist
and that knife blade. grasped the as
sassin's right wrist. He ceased for q
brief second his stabbing tactics and tried
too throw me. Then sum-
moning all my strength, l tried to
throw him. My wounded leg gave way
and l partially staggered. The assassin