1914 Musket Assault on Garfield Lucas Webster

## Assassination Attempt

Garfield and Josephina being attacked by a right-wing terrorist as they are being driven away to safety

### Target(s)

Garfield Lucas Webster, Third Prime Minister of the Empire of Chawosauria

### Motivation

Anti-Websterianism caused by Anti-Socialist sentiment

### Result

Colfax was sentenced to death by decapitation via guillotine

On Friday, March 13th, 1914, there was a major attempt on the life of Chawosauria's Prime Minister Garfield Lucas Webster, by a right-wing terrorist, Josiah Levi Colfax. Colfax used his grandfather's Confederate Model 1816 Musket to assassinate Webster because of his rising popular support due to his successful effort to expand social democracy across the entire Empire of Chawosauria.

Josiah Levi Colfax hated Garfield Webster so much because of his expansion of liberalism throughout the early 1910s, Colfax is the grandson of a Confederate who fought in the American Civil War from the State of Alabama and lives also in the Chawosaurian realm.

Colfax, tired of Webster's expansion of socialism, decides to take his grandfather's musket that he used to fight in the American Civil War and goes after Webster. On March 13th, 1914, Webster, who just married Josephina Van Valkenburgh his second cousin once removed from the Netherlands, went out with his new wife for a car ride in a Ford Model T (cars were still new then) to cruise around Chawopolis Park in a still Snowy morning in March. Colfax retrieves information that Webster enjoys car rides every morning with his wife, giving Colfax an opportunity.

The Websters prepare for their morning routines, they ate breakfast and dressed for a car ride in their Ford Model T around Chawopolis Park on a steady snow day on March 13, 1914, to enjoy the Arctic air and weather. The Websters arrived at Chawopolis Park where they greeted with waves by the people at the park, and the Websters waved back to the people. Colfax spotted the Websters' ford and takes his musket and prepares to act. Panic erupts at the park when shots were fired at the Websters mainly to assassinate Garfield, and Garfield, alarmed by the sounds of gunshots and mass panic around the park, tells the driver to drive them to safety, Colfax then chases the Websters and still attempts to shoot them, but he was outrun by the vehicle and pushed off the street by people running at him. Someone steps on Colfax's weapon, damaging it, and he got caught by Chawosaurian police officers. Colfax was arrested.

It was realized that Colfax was the man who shot up the park, trying to target Garfield, and possibly Josephina. After a trial that lasted months, Colfax was sentenced to death by decapitation for threatening the life of Prime Minister Garfield Webster and his wife Josephina. The death sentence was ironically recommended by Garfield Webster himself.

## Criminal

### Died

November 12, 1914 (aged 27)Chawopolis City, Empire of Chawosauria

### Criminal Charges

Threatening the life of the Prime Minister of the Empire of Chawosauria

**Josiah Levi Colfax** was a convicted terrorist who attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Garfield Lucas Webster on March 13, 1914. Colfax was born in Fayette, Alabama, on August 31, 1887. His parents are unknown. Colfax's grandfather was a Confederate soldier and Colfax was a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

### Colfax's Motivation

Colfax was also a Chawosaurian living in the Chawosaurian realm. Colfax expressed deep hatred for Webster because of his sympathy for socialism. Colfax sees Webster's rise to glory when he succeeds in rallying Chawosaurians around socialism and started to bring socialism to power through labor unions and etc.

Webster was at the height of his power in 1914, and Colfax snaps, he takes his grandfather's Confederate musket and goes after Webster.

### Shooting the Websters

Colfax arrives at the Chawopolis Park at 7 AM after getting information that the Websters take their daily morning car rides across this park, so Colfax comes to the park with his musket to wait on Webster. Finally, Garfield Webster and his wife Josephina arrives an hour later to enjoy a car ride through the park, and Colfax spots Webster, Colfax thought Webster was thinner than he imaged, but takes his musket and approaches the Websters in hostility. Colfax fires his musket but misses, the gunshot causes a panic across the park, and it alarmed Webster to tell his driver to escape, Colfax attempts to chase after the Websters and tries to shoot them again, but the bullet instead hits the car. Colfax underestimated the speed of the Websters' Ford Model T, Colfax chases the ford again, only to get knocked off to the side of the road by a person running into him, his musket was stepped on by that same person and other people who were running hysterically, and Colfax was spotted by police officers with the musket, assuming that he caused the panic.

### Arrest, Trial, and Execution

Colfax was arrested for disrupting public peace, threatening the life of the Prime Minister and his family, and negligent endangerment of the public. Colfax was brought into trial on May 4, 1914, and on the day of the sentencing on June 8, 1914, he was sentenced to be beheaded via guillotine for attempting to assassinate Webster for political motivation. What is ironic about his death sentence was that this death sentence was recommended by Webster himself out of pure anger for Colfax for trying to kill him. On November 12th, 1914, Colfax was executed by beheading by the guillotine. Colfax was cremated and his ashes were fanned into the air.

## Aftermath

The assassination attempt on Webster caused sweeping changes to security around the Prime Minister.

### Security Changes

Security around the Prime Minister tightened to strict security protocols to keep Webster and future Prime Ministers safe. The Websters now had to ride around the park with massive security around the park, and the parks having to be closed for the morning until mid-day.

### Escalating Prejudice against American Southerners (1914-2005)

Because Josiah Colfax was from the Southern United States, Webster and the Chawosaurian public's prejudice against the south escalated. Discrimination against American Southerners in Chawosauria becomes a big problem for American Southern communities all across Chawosauria, and hate crimes against American Southern communities in Chawosauria also reached epidemic levels. This nadir relationship between Chawosaurians and the South lasted literally until 2005 over an assassination attempt against a left-wing Prime Minister.

## Reactions

### Garfield Lucas Webster

> *(For the main target of Josiah Colfax, see: Garfield Lucas Webster)*
>
>

The main victim of this tragedy, Webster responded with strong anger against the person who tried to end his life for political motivations. When Webster learned that Colfax was of Southern origin, he hated the Southern United States even more for the rest of his life because a Southerner tried to cut his life short.

Webster, during Colfax's trial, recommended that Colfax should be sentenced to death despite Josephina's attempt to convince Garfield to forgive Colfax, but Garfield lacks the ability to forgive, Webster wouldn't even forgive his own children when they made their own share of mistakes. Garfield prayed for Colfax to face eternal damnation for what he has done to him.

When Colfax was beheaded as Garfield suggested, Garfield celebrated Colfax's execution and wouldn't stop celebrating until Christmas 1914.

### The Media

Colfax's attempt to strike down Webster was big news for the media as a media firestorm erupts.

### The Chawopolis Palace

Josiah Colfax faced universal condemnation from both liberals and conservatives equally.

## Legacy

One of the greatest assaults on Garfield Webster in Chawosaurian history, the assassination attempts glorifies Webster as a man wrongly persecuted for building a democracy that is for the working-class and regular people. Josiah Colfax is widely revered as a villain by the left and as mentally ill by the right.

## See also

* Assassination Attempts on Garfield Lucas Webster