Show TI f1AN WHO SAll 5EWAR Major BoMnsons Detailed Account of the Attack Pomona Cal = Major G F Robinson the onh person on the Pacific coast who has nad a vote oi thanks from t congress foi a mentor a act one of the veiy few person1 i has a cold I medal given by con ic for bravery end one ot but two men who were ever fl < promoted at once from private to major If c in the rimed Stats army lives quietly kil here with ns famIly among the orange groves and on an avenue of palms r At he aTie moment that Abraham Lmccii was shot to death in Fords theater in Washington on April 14 1S63 and when but for a change of plans Ueneral U S Grant would doubtless also hae been killed Major Robinson unarmed and unprepared gi ppjfcd A nh the armed and desperate i assassin Lewis Payne in the darkened r dark-ened sick room of Secretary Seward Major ivobnson has studiously avoided avoid-ed through some 30 years interviews by newspaper and magazine writers Last week however he permitted an interview by a fellow Townsman and a personal friend I 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 I had been confined to the hospital for several months by a gunshot wound in I I my lez The evening of April 14 was beautiful beauti-ful and clear At a little before 10 p m when the secretary was sleeping easily the house was closed for the night Mrs Seward had gone to her steeping room Frederick Seward sec 6 If ofd son of the secretary had retired Miss Fannie Seward a daughter and I sat in the sick chamber on the third I floor Miss Seward was near the bed Her father lay propped up in bed Just before 10 the sound of a man was heard I down in the hall It was afterward learned that the porter saw a tall I young man qn horseback dash up to the stone curbing He claimed to be l > r Verdis assistant and pushed his I way into the house The first that I knew of the assassin in the house was when the front door closed Miss Seward Se-ward heard the sound of someone coming com-ing heavily up the front stairs and remarked re-marked upon the carelessness of anyone any-one who would so noisily approach a sick chamber At the top of the stairway stair-way Frederick Seward met the supposed I sup-posed messenger 4 What is it asked Mr Seward in I a low tone I VDr Verdissent me with this medicine medi-cine for Secretary Seward was the mans reply It must be taken immediately imme-diately I am the doctors student and must tell Mr Seward how and when to I take the medicine I h Frederick answered that he would see if his father was awake Then he J opened the door of the secretarys room j and tiptoed over to the bed where his father lay He went back and remarked I re-marked that he would not disturb the I patient at that hour As he spoke he i L Josed the door behInd him In a trice 1 6 j 1 L i there came the sound of heavy blows as If one had been struck by a rattan Not a word was spoken I sprang from my chair threw open the hall door in time to see a very tall powerful beardless man about to open It himself him-self and back of him Frederick Seward covered with blood from wounds on his headThe The stranger jumped through the door at me I saw a knife flash in the feeble gas light 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 I a long light colored overcoat a slouch hat and cavalry boots gave Miss Seward I Se-ward who had taken alarm and started j I to call for help a thrust that threw her the bedside i aside He pounced upon I The assassin had his now broken nay pistql in his left hand a long heavv i knife in his right He leaned over and 1 across the bed and placing his pistol ion Secretary Sewards chest struck I j p madly and frantically at the head and neck I saw a thousand times quicker I than it takes to tell it the assassin strike at the secretarys head and lay I open a gash in his right cheek and in i the side of his neck I leaped upon the bed beside the stranger front the rear I caught his arm as his right hand gripped the knife for a surer and more I powerful stroke and thus diverted the blade The knife went into the secrex tarys neck on the side nearest to us as i pulled him from the bed I I Then began a terrific handtohand grapple The assassin gave me a deep I cut in the right shoulaer as I pulled him backward from the bed A second later he gave me another cut In a twinkling he turned on me with the ferocity of an enraged tger while Secretary Seward rolled off the further side of the bed The assassin struck at me several times once giving me a slash in the left shoulder I clinched my arms about him with my utmost strength while he was trying to roce me away so that he could use hfs 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 Murder Although i w ak from myhospital experience and my use of crutches for six months previous I was naturally a strong young man at the time My antagonist vainly tried to raise his hands to beat or stab me He suddenly sud-denly dropped his pistol and tried to push me from him or to throw me I clung to the man with even greater intensity in-tensity All I saw was my desperate big antagonist and that knife blade I grasped the assassins right wrist He ceased for a brief second his stabbing tactics and tried to throw me Then summoning all my strength I tiled to throw him My wounded leg gave way and I partially staggered The assassin made a vain snatch at my throat i The despair of the moment brought I i back my full strength and I tripped the villain somewhat off his feet While I I had him in that position I Urged him a few feet across the room toward the hall door When we were about halfway I half-way across the room and In fierce grapple I felt someone taking hold of J me from behind It flashed into my t mind that here was an accom tfce of the murderer Then I saw In tHe dim I Ight that it was Major A H Seward J He had heard his sisters shrieks had sprung out of bed and had come into his fathers room to find as he first thought two drunken soldiers scuffling in the darkness I called to him Hold that jnans hand get that knife but the major reached around me from behind and got his hands on the assassins shoulders shoul-ders so as to push him along through the hall door The assassin came against the woodwork of the door and thereby regained a firm footing As quick as lightning he freed himself from my grasp and gave Major Seward Se-ward several stabs about the head and shoulders He bounded down the stairs Mr Hansel a messenger in the state department was rupning down the stairs to get help The fellow overtook Mr Hansel and gave him a slash down the back Then the assassin went out of the front door like a rocket leaped into his saddle and striking his spurs into his horses flanks was off in the darkness The whole affair occupied probably I not over three minutes When the assassin as-sassin was gone I turned to find Secretary Sec-retary Seward on the carpet at the farther side of the bed His daughter was bending over him The secretary Was bleeding profusely The pool of bloodin which he lay the gapinggash I in his cheek the wound in his neck i and his ghastly pale face all made a dreadful sight We lifted the patient I to his bed and found that his heart still beat although he seemed to be I pulseless Boston Advertiser I a IB = |