The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-09
How Brooks Assaulted Charles Sumner in the
United States Senate.

Brooks was a member Of the house of
representatives, the latter alone had
the power 70 arrest, try and punish
him.
The committee OF i4s esCgation cap
pointed by the house reported res5Iu-
tons of expulsion against Brooks and
/ ce1sure against keitt. = EeresOlution
to eXpel Brooks received. after tTo-
lent debate, 12I votes, and there we're
ninety-five votes in the negative, a
/ tWo-thirds vote being required TO ex-
/ pei member the resolution failed The
/ resolution of censure passed. Mr. Hoff-
/ man of Maryland was the only south
/ ern member who voted to expel
! Brooks
: Brooks, however, stung by the re
/ Duke conveyed by the vote Of a ma
. JOrity OF the house, made a speech Of
/ coarse defiance ia which he said: IF
l desired to kill the senator from Mas
sachusetts. why did I not do it? You
all admit that l had it in my power.
Let me tell you, that expressly to pre-
vent taking life I used an ordinary
cane presented by a friend in Balti-
more. ] went to the senate deliberate
ly. l hesitated whether / should use
a hOrseWhip or a cOWhide but know
ing that the strength Of the senator
from Massachusetts was superior to
mine l thought he might wrest il
from me. If he had I might have done
what / should have regretted for the
remainder of my life A voice: He
would have killed himtO Ten DAYS
ago, foreseeing what the action of the
mousse would be. my resignation was
put into the hands of the governor Of
south Carolina. And now. Mr.. Sneak
er ] announce to you and TO the house.
! am no longer a member of the thirty
fourth congress"
Returning home 70 South Carolina
Brooks was feted and feasted and made
the recipient of every possible mark
OF honor and admiring gratitude. An
election was soon held to fiji the va
eaney caused by his resignation and
ne was elected by unanimous vote.
once more. namely. on the Sth Of jan
uary, 1891. he made a characteristic
speech on the floor Of congress againsr
the prohibition of Slavery in Nebraska.
But his career was suddenly terminal
ed, on the 2Ith of the same month. His
sickness was briefindammation of the
tEroat-and he died in terrible main. In
the intensity of his sunerings from
stranguiation he endeavored to tear
open his throat that he might re,
breath. He was but IS years old and
left a widow and four children. HIS
frame was pronounced by the under
taker the largest for which he had ever
been called on to furnish coffin.
q 3 q
Another exciting scene i'm the senate
was in 1880. At the conclusion Of a
violent debate. Senator Benton of Mis-
souri, barred his breast to Senator Foote
o. Mississippi and dared him to shoot.
The exciting incident arose out of the
bitter ante-bellum debates Foote had
Deen remOrselesSiy attacking the mo-
uFes and deeds of the northern Seua-
tors in their policy toward the south.
this debate became very heated in
April On September II Senator Ben (
ton claimed that d certain newspaper 1
article had been supervised and ap-
proved by Senator Foote This article +
represented to be report of the re- 4
marks INDUCED in by the Mississippi 4
senator personal to the senator from
Missouri
In the midst of this debate Senator
FoOte interrupted the senator from
Missouri and for 1.-The time had the
floor. While he was making some ref /
erenCe to Benton. the latter walked /
excitedly toward him The report of /
the affair is explicit in stating that
senator Benton was una armed He
made no sign of being about To make !
an assault. but his angry face alarmed /
the senator from Mississippi.
Senator FOOte started to rim away
ana Senator Benton increased his
speed. As Benton came after him.
Foote hurried along and drew a five
cnambered revolver as he ran. Ben
ton was in full chase. He did not see
the weapon, but was apparently very
anxious TO OveTtake FOote Senator
Dodge of Wisconsin reached Benton
and begged him for Gods sake to do
nothing which would compromise hiu
with the senate. Benton was finally
persuaded TO turn and retrace his steps. ]