Elias Nason, The Life and Times of Charles Sumner: His Boyhood, Education and Public Career.

[222] Preston S. Brooks, a nephew of Mr. Butler, and member of the House from South Carolina, then entered the chamber, and remained until the friends of Mr. Sumner had retired. He had with him a gold-headed, hollow, gutta-percha cane. Coming directly up in front of Mr. Sumner's desk, and addressing to him a short remark, he suddenly struck him with his heavy cane, opening a long and fearful gash upon the back part of his head. In quick succession Brooks repeated his murderous blows until Mr. Sumner, rising, wrenched the desk from the floor, to which it was firmly screwed, and, under the fiendish pounding, which continued until the cane was shivered in pieces, fell forward, bleeding and insensible as a dead man, on the floor now covered with his blood. “Do you want the pieces of your cane, Mr. Brooks?” said a page of the Senate, picking up the bloody fragments.

“Only the gold head,” replied the assailant, deliberately thrusting it into his coat-pocket.

“The next time, kill him, Brooks,” said Keitt, who stood in the doorway with a pistol. “Come, let us go and take a drink.” They did so; and Bright, Douglas, Edmundson, leaving the wounded man weltering in blood, immediately followed them.

Of the senators present, John J. Crittenden of Kentucky only proffered aid, and condemned the