The Daily News Batavia, Genesee Co., NY Wednesday Evening, May 26-1886 THE STORY OF A HERO. The Man Who Saved Secretary SEWARD from Assassination. Major George F. ROBINSON of the U.S. Army, who is at present the guest of Miss Josephine KENYON and her sister, Mrs. T.B. FULLER on State street, played an important part in the great tragedy, which twenty-one years ago shocked the nation, and by his valor saved the life of the honored Secretary of State, Wm. H. SEWARD, from the hand of the Assassin PAYNE. Major ROBINSON carries with him the acknowledgment of his great services to his country, in the form of a gold medal presented by Congress, and also the scars of wounds inflicted by the assassin's knife while the struggle to save the Secretary of War was going on. The medallion is valued at $2,000, and upon invitation of Miss KENYON a number of citizens were invited to view it yesterday at her millinery rooms, No. 70 Main street. The dagger which the assassin used was presented to Major ROBINSON by the government officials, and was also shown. Major ROBINSON was present at different times during the day, and though shrinking from notoriety, several of those who called were favored with a description of the attempt upon Mr. SEWARD's life from the lips of the man whose presence prevented the assassin from carrying out his purpose. The medallion is of coin gold about nine inches in circumference, set in a frame of purple velvet which fits in a case lined with scarlet tufted satin. The case is composed of valuable woods, the following different kinds, French walnut, old ebony, tulip wood, new ebony, rosewood, and American walnut, entering into its construction. The case is nine inches square and three inches deep. The medallion has on its face a likeness of its owner, above which is a twig of laurel, and the following inscription, in relief: To GEORGE F. ROBINSON For His Heroic Conduct on the 14th Day of April, 1865, in Saving the Life of THE HONORABLE WM. H. SEWARD, Then Secretary of State in the United States March 1, 1871. On the reverse is pictured the scene in the room of Secretary SEWARD, representing the Secretary lying in bed and Major ROBINSON engaged in the struggle to disarm the assassin. The actual value of the gold in the medallion is $225. The engraving cost $1,200, the case $70 and other expenses entailed in its production made the actual cost to the government about two thousand dollars. About ten days before the attempt was made to assassinate Secretary SEWARD, he had been thrown from his carriage while driving and his jaw bone and one arm were broken. The injuries confined the Secretary to his bed. The family required the services of nurses and an order was sent to Douglass Hospital from the war department to detail two reliable men to wait upon Mr. SEWARD. Major ROBINSON, who had been in the hospital nearly a year on account of a wound received in the knee, during the operations before Petersburg, and George VOKE, another inmate of the hospital, were sent to the house of the Secretary of State. They took turns sitting up with the Secretary and on the memorable night of April 14th, 1865, Mr. ROBINSON was the Secretary's attendant. He was assisted by Miss Fannie SEWARD, then a young lady in the twenties. The house had been locked up for the night and all the inmates except those in the Secretary's room and a young colored butler, had retired. About 10 o'clock the bell rang and the butler went to the door, the visitor saying he had been sent by Dr. VERDI, Mr. SEWARD's physician, with some medicine and special instructions for administering it, and would like to be shown to the room of the Secretary. The butler, who was an intelligent fellow, was not easily convinced of the truth of the stranger's story, but finally consented to ask Mr. Frederick SEWARD what course to pursue. The butler went up-stairs and PAYNE, for he was the caller, having during the conversation walked into the hall, followed the colored boy up-stairs. Mr. ROBINSON heard voices talking in the hall and a moment later Mr. SEWARD came into the room and approaching his father's bed saw that he was asleep and remarked, "I guess we had better not awaken him." Then he went out into the hall, closing the door after him, and a moment later, Mr. ROBINSON heard a scuffle outside and threw open the door just in time to be face to face with the would be assassin, who struck him a blow in the forehead with his knife, knocking him over so that he fell on his hands as he placed them behind him to break the fall. Miss SEWARD had by this time come to the door and PAYNE gave a lunge with his arm and shoved her out into the hall. Jumping over Mr. ROBINSON he commenced his attack on the helpless Secretary who was lying on the bed near the farthest side from the door, so the assassin had to kneel upon the bed to reach him. When Major ROBINSON regained his feet PAYNE was plying blows with his dagger into the face and neck of Mr. SEWARD. The first thought of Mr. ROBINSON was to knock the assassin down with a chair, but they were all too heavy to lift and he sprang upon the back of PAYNE, intending to place his knee on his back and force him to the floor, but when PAYNE was drawn off the bed ROBINSON's grip was loosened and the murderous assassin striking over his shoulder inflicted a severe wound on his back. Once during the struggle PAYNE aimed a blow at his opponent's breast, but it was warded off and Mr. ROBINSON caught a grip on the sleeve of the assassin's coat that prevented him from using the knife effectively; then he managed to get his thumb under the villain's throat and was backing him out of the room intending to force him over the balusters when Major Augustus SEWARD, another son of the Secretary, entered. The room was faintly lighted by a gas jet turned very low and Maj. SEWARD could hardly distinguish the men and could not therefore be of much service, though he received a terrible gash in the side of the head from the knife of the assassin. In endeavoring to push PAYNE out of the room he was forced against the door sill and this gave him once more a firm foothold and he turned to make his escape. On the stairway was the Secretary's messenger, who had started to call the police, and to pass him PAYNE slid down the stair rail striking a powerful blow at the messenger as he passed him, but inflicting only a flesh wound. PAYNE rushed out of the door, mounted his horse which stood at the curb, and in reaching into his boot for his pistol dropped his dagger which was picked up by the colored butler and afterward given to Major ROBINSON by an order from the Secretary of War, accompanied by a very complimentary letter. The whole affair occupied but a very few moments and during the greater part of the time Major ROBINSON was alone with the assassin who was a finely built, powerful man, much larger than the Major, who at the time weighed only about 115 pounds and was obliged to use a cane in walking, having been off his crutches but a few days. Frederick SEWARD, after announcing that the visitor could not see his father, had been knocked unconscious by blows from the butt end of the assassin's pistol. Major ROBINSON returned immediately to the room of the Secretary and with Miss SEWARD's help lifted him to the bed, he having rolled off to the floor. It was at first thought the wounds in the neck from which the Secretary was bleeding profusely, had proved fatal, but placing his hand on the Secretary's breast Major ROBINSON felt his heart beat, and when lifted on the bed Mr. SEWARD opened his eyes and said: "What have they been doing?" Miss SEWARD and the Major by pressing their fingers over the wounds stanched the flow of blood until the arrival of a surgeon. A few days later the assassin PAYNE, whose right name was said to be POWERS, but whose real patronymic for some reason has never become generally known, was arrested at the house of Mrs. SURATT. He was fully identified by Major ROBINSON, the colored porter and Miss SEWARD, and subsequently executed. Major ROBINSON is now 54 years old. He was born and enlisted in Aristook county, Me. His wife is a cousin of Miss KENYON and Mrs. FULLER. At the time Congress voted him the medal above described, he was also voted $5,000 and was appointed paymaster in the army, with rank of Major. He is now stationed at El Paso, Texas. He is spending to-day with Dr. C.F. RAND, who at that time was the officer in charge at Douglass Hospital. To-morrow he leaves to visit kinsfolk in Maine. ++ DEATH OF J. DORMAN STEELE, PH.D. J. Dorman STEELE, Ph.D., died of angina pectoris last evening at his residence in Elmira. He had been about all day and but a few minutes before his death had been on the lawn. Dr. STEELE had suffered sinking spells frequently and had returned only a few weeks ago from a Florida trip for his health. Dr. STEELE had just passed his fiftieth birthday. He was born at Lima, this State, the son of the late Rev. Allan STEELE, a Methodist minister who was years ago in charge of the M.E. church in Batavia. He was a brother of Mrs. Charles B. PECK of this village. He was captain of company K of the 81st New York regiment during the rebellion and was for several years principal of the Elmira free academy. Since 1872 he had devoted with great energy all his time to the authorship of school text books. In 1870 the title of doctor of philosophy was conferred upon him by the regents of the university of the State of New York State and he was elected president of the State teachers' association in that year. In 1872 he was made fellow of the Geological society of London. He was a very popular man wherever known and took deep interest in educational matters. Dr. STEELE leaves a wife and an adopted son. His stepmother resides in Barre, Orleans county. ++ CONFERENCE ADJOURNS. In the Genesee District Conference in the M.E. church yesterday afternoon the question, "What should be the attitude of the Church and Ministry toward the Industrial and Social Questions of our times?" was discu ssed at considerable length. Sympathy with the laboring classes was expressed but any disposition on their part to terrorize or destroy capital was depracated. The Rev. W. C. WILBOR of Dansville read an essay on "The Supply and Training of Candidates for Ministry in the Genesee Conference." ++ ACCUSED OF ROBBING A BATAVIAN. The trial of Bertie BRUCE, a young man charged with grand larceny, second degree, and receiving stolen property, occupied the Court of sessions in Rochester yesterday. The Herald says: "George D. LAKE, the complainant, is a resident of Batavia. He came to this city a few weeks ago with over $500 in his possession and went on a big spree with James MORGAN, a hack driver, John McCLAFFERTY and the defendant. When LAKE became sober he found that his money was all gone and immediately charged his companions with theft. His memory of what had taken place during his visit to Rochester was very vague. The evidence against young BRUCE was therefore circumstantial, and little even of that. He presented a $20 bill in payment for a bottle of whiskey at BOYD's hotel a few days after his tour about the city with LAKE, but explained that he earned it in Connecticut. The jury found him guilty only on the second count of the indictment, charging him with receiving stolen property, as there was no evidence whatever to show that he had taken the money from LAKE." ++ ADDITIONAL NOTARIES. The commission of eleven new Notaries Public for this county, appointed under the law passed April 27th last, providing for additional notaries, was filed in the County Clerk's office yesterday. The appointees, whose terms expire on March 30, 1888, are as follows: Alexander-Andrew B. HARRINGTON, Batavia-Benjamin F. HARRINGTON, Levant C. McINTYRE, Frederick Moss SHEFFIELD, Charles A. SNELL, Amasa D. WALDO, Bergen-Alexander B. ENOCH, Byron, George W. PRENTICE, Elba-Alva U. WILLIS, Le Roy-Wm. R. CROFOOT, Harry H. FAULKNER. Before taking the oath of office these notaries must pay a fee of $2.50 each to the County Clerk. ++ Louis UEBELE's bakery has been removed temporarily to No. 7 State street, Chittenden's block. Those who find it inconvenient to call at the store may buy goods from the delivery wagon, which runs on all the streets daily. ++ submitted by Linda Schmidt