Year: 1875

Washington Letter to Pittsburg Leader.
1 was related very interesting incident
yesterday, which has never been made pub
lie through any of the journals Of the day
If at the time of its occurrence it had been
/ published It would have furnished one of
the sensations of the time. "Double-lead-
ed" type and display headlines would have
been called into play to do honor to the
Importance of the news. This, then, is
nothing more Or less than the history of
an attempted assassination Of President
Grant. The attempt was so very near a
success that had it not been for the pluck
and personal bravery of one man, Gener~
al Grant would long ago have been gath
cred to his fathers, and perhaps the third
term question would never have come up
for discussion.


The truth Of the incident admits Of no
question, and it is a great wonder to me
how such a bit of news never became
known at the time. However, eircum-
stances explain this In a measure


The attempted assassination was made
when Grant was a General Of the army,
short time before he was elected President
of the United States. At the time he oc-
cupied the house lately used by General
Sherman, on / street, between Second and
Third streets.


General Grant came walking along
home one day unaccompanied The neigh
borhood of Massachusetts, avenue and
Sixth street, where the attack was made,
is one of the quietest and most retired por-
tions OF the city. As the General came
along to cross Sixth street, DR.. Charles III.
Bowen, a welI-known phy sician ofthis city,
was standing in front of his office on Mas
sschusetts avenue.


As DR.. Bowen was looking at the GEN.
eral pass by, he saw a man dart out from
behind the bow-window with a revolver
in his hand, shouting out to Grant terri
bic imprecations, and thenhe said, "Hold
on, you Yankee son of q a--P with this
he raised his revolver, and was about to
fire, when DIR. Bowen, who is q very large
and powful man, placed himself between
the would>be assassin and the future
President


The doctor cried out to the man, "What
are you about theref"


The man replied: 81 am after that Yan-
kee son of ~ | am going TO blow his
brains outP'


Inc OOctOr u cOOi-OlOOueu man, VINO
has seen four years during the late war.
said: In order to shoot him, you will have
to shoot me. Come, now, put up that
pistol


The man replied in frenzy: "Stand out
of the way, or will killiyou. too. am
an Alabamian. The war has robbed me
of everyseent l had in the world. I am
going to get even with that man there.
and then don't care what becomes of
me-"


During this parley General Grant slip
ped out briskly, turning his head back
now and then. The Doctor engaged the
man until Grant was around the corneriof
l street Then he went boldly up to the
man, and quickly placing his right finger
under his nose, throwing his head back,
the athletic physician then "let in his left"
as the sporting phrase goes, and the man
tumbled to the ground. He also lost his
revolver in the fall. The Doctor picked
it up, and then said to the man: 'It
would be a good thing for you to get
ont of this town as soon as you can. 1t will
not be good place for you after this"


The man at this ran away. and the doc
tor never saw him afterwards. The re-
volver he still retains as souvenir OF the
attempt upon the life of General Grant