Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-02-05
-VCuRURG, FEB. 5. 1885.
TO ASSASSlNATE THE
AAA PRESIDENT.

y helonps, will re)o'ce NV ."o "''s :, =.
y. h.ye escaped the foul STAN Oh me lu'ae' N
ny, Magistrate, whatever may nave DC" IT.
To-, which instigated the oeeo. ee'"' =
motives .a,svcr and we orc especially ~gratihed
-'!sa"' .o-,hst political feelings had nothing TO
10 WI" The National Iateliigencer, Jan. 81.
~" "oral Of the late lamented Warren r. Da
g. Carolina, took place yesterday from the
VS. .ocord;ng to previous arrangement. The
eap'o,, ,he day rendered the occasion yet more
sloo"o' Neither house of Congress transacted
g'oo"I. ~ferwarJs the Senate adjourned over 10
Monday. oot ,I,co At the close of the cere-
N" a. tho Capitol, which produced naturally a
"0'!,.at;on at the time, which can oc heafd
gsa"''s.o without shuddering, and which, II the
oya,.nce had been equal to the apparent pnr'
e'"''t .o,,d have signalized the day by a horrible
pose, woa'u nav
catastrophe. ~ ..,a il , ar.
= !, sneak from information, bat from intor-
nation entirely to be relied on
A, the President of the United S;"tes, who
....s,, a, the solemn ceremony Of the fune-
,I came into the portico Of the Capitol from the
n ~, n person stepped forward from the crowd
Nv. no s,ace in font of the President, AMI snap
..d y pistol al him, the percussion cap OF which
.,olojed without ignlting the charge! rms per
. WAS struck down by u blow from Lieutenant
GeJney, of the Navy who happened to be near
he also received a blow promptly aimed al h'moy
N, Secretary Woo bury: but before receiving e'
,lr blow, saappeda sccond pistol al the president.
Tt, Gao of that lock also srpl dcd rtfhont asnt-
ting Tie charge! The perpctraioro OF TINS caring
salf.ge was Of course immediately se'2su aho
,,k., in custody by the Marshal of the district, by
.-:al - tho Civ Hal. .Where he
n0d,r vent an examination before Chief Justice
c,.ocb. His name, it appears, Is Richard aaA-
,,nce. by trade a painter, u resident Tor two or
,h,,. wears in the first ward of this city, and for
mpav ri GEORGETOWN. The gcntlemeh whose tes-
,imonv was taken before the Judge, were MIR. Sec
,etsrv Woodbury., Mr.. Dickerson, Mr.. Burd, Rep
r.sentativc from Pennsylvania, Mr.. Randolph,
S,,pennt at Arms Of the House, MIR. Kingman.
one of the Reporters for the National lnieii'Senoer,
and Lieutenant Gedncy. The pistols which had
hecn secured by Mr.. Burd, were found TO be well
had d with powd r and ball, which our readers
would suppose, until the fact IS stated, could hard
" have been 20 81 lie. How extraordinary (and
0how fortunate y the failure of the evident design
of this miserable maniac, (for so he must be consid-
cred, under all the circumstances,) against the LIE
of tho President We say he Is a maniac, be-
Cause the act shows him TO be insane, ard no. be
cause any evidence of insanity was produced on
his examination though We have heard that ne has
been heretofore confined for acts of violence midi
eating an uasound mind.
On his examination, the unhappy man declined
making any explanation or cross-exarining the
witnesses We have heard no rational motive even
conlectured for his crime,
The offence being a Lailable one, and excessive
bail heing forbidden, bail was demanded TO the
amount of a thousand dollars, for want OF which the
prisoner was COMMITTEES for trial, the Judge Intici1'
lis tina, if he had b en- able 10 give bail, sufficient
securities would have been required, in addition, 10
insure his good behaviour. He VIII be tired, Of
course, at the next term f,he court.
From tie Globe If jan. 81. =
While the President was at the CorroI yester-
day, in attendance on The funeral of the Hon Var
r.n X. Dapis, from South Carolina, Richard Law
renee. a painter. residing in this city, attempted to
shoo, him. Col, Lane, of Indiana, informed US
tha, he saw this ind vldual enter the hall OF the
House during the delivery Of line funeral sermon.
Before its close, ne had taken his stand on the ems
Tern portico, near one of the columns. The Presi-
dent, with the Secretary of The Treasury on his lett
am, on retiring from the Rotunda 10 reach ms car
mage at the steps of the portico, advanced towards
the spot where Lawrence stood, who had his pistol
concealed under his coat, and when he aPProached
within two yards and a half of hlm, the assassin
extended his arm and ,evelled the pIsto' al ms
breast. The percussion cap exploded wilma NOISE
50 great that several witnesses supposed the pis'o.
had fired. On the instant the assassin cropped
the pistol from his right hand, and taking anoIfef
ready cooked from his left, presented ana snapped
sat the President, who a the moment mad ra'sea
his stick, and was rushing upon HIM. Mr.. Wool
bury and Lieutenant Gedney at the same instant
- $500. hEo..rl
laid hold of the man, who gave way through
the crowd and was at last knocked down. Inc
President pressed after him until he saw he was
secured.
We attended the examining court Immediately
after the event. The Secretary Of tho Treasury,
the Secretary of the Navy. Col. Burd OF the
House, Mr.. Kingman, and Lieutenant Gedney, all
Of whom Witnessed the act, were examined, and
gave a more minute detail of the circumstances a
hore stated.
Mr. Randolph, the Sergeant of the House, who
blended the Marshal to conduct the prisoner TO the
City Hall for examination, gave in testimony that
the prisoner, when asked by the Marshal what mo-
i've he had to make his horrid attempt, stated that
's President had killed his father. Ills father was
an Englishman who died many years ago IN this
wy The son himself was apprcniiccd afterwards
oa Mr. Clarke, with whom he lived three years.
MT Clark, when called upon, said, that ne was a
young man Of excellent habits, sober and induSfri-
" That he had seen HIM very frequently an"
was well acquainted with him since hc had lett his
'a''iy, and had heard nothing to his dlsadvantage'
ua"i OF late, he was informed that he was quar-
.s'sotse aTong his friends, and had treated one oil
hi, sisters badly.
ne Total absence of any personel motive on the
paa Of The prisoner to commi, the deed he attempt
Nv ~ mas suggested the idea that he must TIC insane
."efe was; however, no evidence given IN the eS-
s"'hh.'on TO authorize the superstition, although