The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-06
MAN WHO SAVED SEWARD.

| vote or thanks from congress TOT Mer- itorious act one of the very few per- sons who has @ 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 Uni ted States army lives quietly here with his family among the orange groves and on an avenue of palms.
 At the same moment that Abraham Lincoln was shot to death in Ford's | Theater in Washington, on April IA, 1865, and when, but for a change of plans, General U. s. Grant would doubt less also have been killed, Major Rob- 1nson, unarmed and unprepared. grap- pied with the armed and desperate as- sassin. Lewis Payne, In the darkened sick room of Secretary Seward.
 Major Robinson has studiously avoided through some thirty years in- terviews by newspaper and magazine writers. Last week, however, he per- mitted an interview by a fellow towns man and personal friend. T have never known" said Major Robinson, "how I came to be detailed to act as nurse at the home of Secretary Seward in April, 1865. had been confined to | the hospital for several months by a | gunshot wound in my leg.
 | The evening of April IA was beauti- full and clear. At little before 10 p. m., when the secretary was sleeping easily, the house was closed for the night. Mrs. Seward had gone to her 1 sleeping room. Frederick Seward, sec l ond son of the secretary, had retired. Miss Fannie Seward, daughter, and I l sat in the sick chamber on the third floor. Miss Seward was near the bed. l Her father lay propped up in bed. Just before ten the sound of man was heard down In the hall It was after ward learned that the porter saw tall | young man on horseback dash up to the stone curbing. He claimed to be Dr. | Verdis' assistant, and pushed his way into the house. The first that I knew 1 of the assassin in the house was when | the front door closed. Miss Seward heard the sound of some one coming heavily up the front stairs, and re- | marked upon the carelessness of any one who would so noisily approach a | sick chamber. At the top of the stair way Frederick Seward met the SUD- l posed messenger.
 What is it. asked MT. Seward, in low tone.
 'Dr. Verdis sent me with this medi- cine for Secretary Seward was the mans reply.It must be taken immedi- ately. I am the doctors student, and must tell MT. 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 tiptoed over to the bed where his father lay. He went back and re- marked that he would not disturb the 1 patient at that hour. As he spoke he closed the door behind him. In triee there came the sound of blows, as if one had been struck by rattan. Not a word was spoken. I sprang from my chair, threw open the hall door in time | to see very tall, powerful beardless man about to open 1t himself, and back of him Frederick Seward, covered with | blood from wounds on his head.
 The stranger jumped through the | door at me. I saw knife flash in the feeble gaslight. He dealt me an awful blow on the scalp and forehead I fell backward while blood started down my face and beard. The stranger, | wearing a long light-colored overcoat, a slouch hat and cavalry boots, gave Miss | Seward (who had taken alarm and | started to call for help) 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 Sew ards chest, struck madly and frantical- ly at the head and neck I saw, thou sand times quicker than it takes to tell It. the assassin strike at the secretary s head. and lay open gash in his right cheek and in the side of his neck. I 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- verted the blade. The knife went into the secretary's neck on the side nearest to us as I pulled him from the bed
 Then began a terrific hand hand grapple. The assassin gave me deep cut in the right shoulder as I pulled him backward from the bed. A second later he gave me another cut. In a twinklng he turned on me with the fe- rocity of an enraged tiger while Secre- tary Seward rolled off the further side of the bed. The assassin struck at me several times, once giving me slash in the left shoulder. I clinched my arms about him with my utmost 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 Murder! Mur- derp Although weak from my hospital experience and my use of crutches for six months previous, was naturally a strong young man at the time
 My antagonist vainly tried to raise his hands to beat or stab me. He sud- denly dropped his pistol and tried to push me from him or to throw me. I chung to the man with even greater in- tensity. All l saw was my desperate big antagonist and that knife blade. I grasped the assassin's right wrist. He ceased for a brief second his stabbing tactics and tried to throw me. Then, summoning all my strength, I tried to throw him. My wounded leg gave way } and I partially staggered. The assas- sin made a vain snatch at my throat 'The despair of the moment brought back my full strength, and I tripped the villain somewhat off his feet While