The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-26
F. w. SEWARD DEAD; SON
OF LINCOLN'S SECRETARY
Wounded by ConspiratOr in
Defending Father the Night
President Was Shot.

ArRrRN, April 25-Frederick W.
Seward, former Assistant Secretary OF
state in the Lincoln, johnson and Hayes
administrations. died at his home. Mon
trose. to-day in the elghty-ffth year OF
his age. Only ten days ago he recalled
the episode OF half a century ago when
he attended a Cabinet meeting In place
of his father, the late Secretary Seward.
and discussed with President Lincoln
a reconstruction policy,
That same evening Lincoln went TO
Ford's Theatre. Washington. where he
was assassinated. and young seward. re-
turning to his father. was injured by
another OF the conspirators. Payne. The
latter was apprehended and executed
later
MIR Seward was educated at Union
College. from which he was graduated
In 1Si9 He was honored by the In
stitution with an LII. ID. He was for
ten years editor of the Albany Evening
Journal. quitting the law in New York
city to accept Thurlow Weeds invita-
ton to go to the Albany paper.
While in Albany he made the address
of welcome to the Hungarian patriot
Kossuth. He was founder OF Albany
University and Of the Republican party.
He advised with his father on most OF
the great problems in the momentous pc
Rod from 1855 to 1857.
Frederick w Seward was the last
survivor it is believed. of those who took
an active part in the events of that
tragic night in Washington on April IA,
1865, when President Lincoln was shot
at Fords Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.
lie was nearly killed that night by Lewis
Powell. alias Payne, disbanded Con-
federate soldier OF Florida and CO.
consprator of Booth. Mr. Seward made
a successful effort to save the life OF
his father. William Henry Seward. Lin
coins great Secretary OF state. after
Payne had invaded the Seward home as
part of the murder plot and tried to
fight his way to the Secretary's sickbed
determined to kill him,
Payne attempted to shoot Mr.. Seward
who was an able bodied man of 80 che
was then Assistant Secretary of State),
but the revolver failed to discharge,
whereupon Payne after a vicious fight
dubbed Mr.. Seward with the butt of the
gun, fiacturing his skull Mr.. Seward
was unconscious for several weeks and
his life was despaired Of but his splendid
constitution pulled him through and he
lived fifty years and eleven days after
the attack.
John u. Ncolay and John Hay in their
! history of Abraham Lincoln give this
Interesting account of the assault upon
Mr.. Seward
Booth had done his work efficiently
His principal subordinate. the young
Flordian called Payne, had acted with
equal audacity and cruelty. but not with
equally fatal results He had made a
shambes OF the residence Of the Secre-
tary of state, but among all his mangled
victims there was not one killed.
AT O'Clock that night he received
his final orders from Booth. who placed
In his hands a knife and revolver and
a little package like a prescription and
taught him his lesson. At pre-
cisely the moment when Booth entered
the theatre Payne came on horseback to
the door of Mr. Stewards residence in
Lafayette Square.
Forces Way Into seward Home.
"pismounting. he pret.nd to be a
messenger from the attending physician
and demanded immediate access to the
sickroom of the Secretary, MIR. seward
had been thrown from his carriage a
few days before and his right arm and
Jaw had been fractured. The servant
at the door tried TO prevent Payne from
going up the stairs. but he persisted and
the noise the two men made in mounting
out into the hall.
The Secretary had been very restless
and had with difficulty az last been COM
posed to sleep. Fearing that this re-
sturative sumber might be broken,
Frederick :, ward came out to check the
intruders. He met Payne At the head
Of the stairs and after hearing his story
hade him go Offering himself to take
charge Of the medicinH.
payne seemed for an instant to give
IN his purpose in the face OF this un-
expected obstacle hut suddenly turned
ana rushed furiously upon Frederick
seward. putting a pistol to his head.
II missed fire and he THEN began beat
ing him on the head with il, tearing his
scalp and fraCturirg his skull
"Still struggling. the two came to the
Secretary's room and fell together
through the door Frederick Seward
q. soon became unconscious and remained
so for several weeks. being perhaps the
last man in the civilized world who
learned the strange story Of that night
Payne attacked Sergt g. +. Robin
son, the Secretary's sold!er-nurse, with a