South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-02-07
to Assassinate the President.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.

The funeral Of the late lamented
WARREN r. DAVIS, Of South Caroli-
ma, took place yesterday from the Cap
itol, according to previous arrange
ment. The gloom of the day render
ed the occasion yet more gloomy
Neither House Of Congress transacted
business afterwards the Senate add
jourpipg ever TO Monday.
An occurrence took place at the close
Of the ceremony q, the Capitol, which
produced naturally great sensation at
the time, which can be heard by no
one without shuddering, and which, if
the consequence had been equal to the
apparan. purpose, would have signal.
lied the day by a horrible catastrophe.
I'VE were not Witnesses of it, and, in
our account Of it, speak from informa-
lion, but from information entirely to be
relied on.
AS the President Of the u. States,
who was present at the solemn cere.
mony of the funeral, came into the por-
,ico ofahe Capitol, from the Rotundo,
a person stepped forward from The
crowd into the space in front OF the
President, and snapped a pisto! at him,
the percussion.cap Of which exploded
without igniting she charged This
person was struck down by blow
from Lieutenant GEDNEY, Of the Ma.
Wy, who happened to be near he also
received blow promptly aimed at
him by Mr., Secietary WOODBURY.
but, before receiving either blow, snap
ped a second pisto! at the President
The cap Of that lock also exploded
without ignitiag the charge? The
perpetrator of this daring outrage was
Of course Immediately seized and taxi
en- in custody by the Marshal Of the
District, by whom he was carried to
the City Hall, where he underwent an
examination before Chief Justice
GRANGE. His name, it appears. is
RICHARD LAWRENCE, by trade paint
er, resident for two or three years in
the first ward Of this city, and former
Iy Of Georgetown. The gentlemen
whose testimony was taken before the
Judge, were Mr.. Secretary WooDBU-
RY, Mr.. Secretary DIcKERsoN, Mr..
BURD, Representative from Pennsylva-
MIA, Mr.. RANDOLPH, Sergeant at Arms
of the House, Mr.. KrNeMAN, one Of
the Reporters for the National Intelli.
gencer, and Lieutenant GEDNEY. The
pistols, which had been secured by MIR.
BURD, we're Of brass, and, on examina-
ton in court, we're found TO be well
loaded with powder and bali, which
our readers would suppose, hntil the
fact is stated, could hardly have been
possible. How extraordinary 1and o
how fortunate y the failure OF the evil
dent design of this miserable maniacs
(for so he must be considered, under
all the circumstances, against the life
Of the Presidents Wesay ne is a Ena-
MAC, because the act saews hi1m to be
insane, and not because any evidence
of his insanity was produced on his ex'
animation !; though we have heard that
he has been heretofore confined for
acts of violence indicating an unsound
mind.
On his examination, the unhappy
man declined making any explanation
or cross. examining the witnesses. We
have heard no rational motive even
coniectured for his crime.
The offence being a bailabie one,
and excessive bail being forbidden,
bail was demanded to the amount of
thousand dollars, for want Of which the
prisoner was committed for trial, the
Judge intimating that if he had been
able to give bail, sufficient securities
would have been required, in addition,
to insure his good behaviour. lie will
be tried, of course, at the next term of
the court.-Nat. Int.
Since the publication OF Our paper
of Saturday last, information, which
has reached us from various quarters,
leaves no doubt Of the insanity OF Law
RENEE, the unhappy individual who
attempted to discharge two pistols at
the President of the United States, in
the portico Of the Capitol, on Friday.
The persons who know him are not
surprised at the occurrence, and would
hardly have been surprised at any
thing he had done or attempted. He
has, it appears, fancied himself to be
some other person than himself; to
have mistaken his own identity I; or at
least to have misunderstood his rela-
tions with the rest of the world. When
being conducted from the Capitol to
the Marshal's Office, he answered to
the questions as to his motive, that he