Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-09
Washingtuu gentinel.
From Benions Thirty Years View"
ATTEMPTED Assassination of Gen. Jackso


dent, with some members Of his cabinet, at
tended the funeral ceremonies Of Warren K.
Davis, esq, in the hall of the House of Repre-
sentatives, of which body Mr.. Davis had been
member from the State of South Carolina
The procession had moved out with the body,
and its front had reached the foot of the broad
steps of the eastern portico, when the Presi-
dent, with Mr.. Woodbury., Secretary OF the
Treasury, and Mr.. Mahlon Dickerson, Secre-
tary of the Navy, were issuing from the door Of
the great rotunda, which opens upon the porti-
co. At that instant, person stepped from the
crowd into the little open space in front OF the
President, levelled pistol at him, at the dis
lance Of about eight feet, and attempted to
fire. 1t was percussion lock, and the cap
exploded, without firing the powder in the
barrel. The explosion of the cap was so loud
that many persons thought the pistol had fired;
heard it at the foot of the steps, far from the
place, and great crowd between. Instantly
the person dropped the pistol which had missed
fire, took another which he held ready cooked
1t, and pulled the trigger. 1t was also pur
cussion lock, and the cap exploded without
firing the powder in the barrel. The President
instantly rushed upon him with his uplifted
cane; the man shrunk back; Mr.. Woodbury.
aimed blow at him Lieutenant Gedney, OF
the navy, knocked him down he was secured
by the bystanders, who delivered him to the
officers Of justice for judicial examination.
The examination took place before the chief
justice of the District of Columbia, Mr.. Cranch,
by whom he was committed, in default of bail.
His name was ascertained to be Richard Law
renee, an Englishman by birth and house
painter by trade, at present out of employment,
melancholy and irascible. The pistols were
examined and found to be well loaded and
fired, afterwards, without fail, carrying their
bullets true, and driving them through inch
boards at thirty feet distance; nor could any
reason be found for the two failures at the door
Of the rotunda. On his examination, the pris-
oner seemed to be at his ease, as if uncon-
scious OF having done wrong-refusing to cross
examine the witnesses who testified against
him, or to give any explanation Of his conduct
The idea of an unsound mind strongly i'm
pressed itself upon the public opinion, the
Marshal of the District invited two of the most
respectable physicians of the city dr. Caussin
and DIR. Thomas Sewell to visit him and ex
anime into his mental condition. They did so,
and the following is the report made upon the
case:
"The undersigned, having been requested
by the Marshal of the District of Columbia to
visit Richard Lawrence, now confined in the
Jail of the county of Washington, for an at
tempt to assassinate the President Of the uni
ted States, with view to ascertain, as far as
practicable, the present condition of his bodily
health and state of mind, and believing that a
detail of the examination will be more satisfac.
tory than an abstract opinion on the subject
we therefore give the following statement: On
entering his room, we engaged in free CONVEX
sation with him, in which he participated, ap-
parently, in the most artless and unreserved
manner. The first interrogatory propounded
was as to his age-which question alone he
sportively declined answering. We then in
quired into the condition of his health for sew
eral years past-to which he replied that it had
been uniformly good, and that he had never
labored under any mental arrangement; nor
did he admit the existence Of any Of those
symptoms of physical arrangement which usu-
ally attsod mental alienation. He said he was
born in England, and came 10 this country
when twelve or thirteen years of age, and that
his father died in this District about six or
eight years since; that his father was Pro
testant and his mother a Methodist, and that
he was not professor Of any religion, but
sometimes read the Bible, and occasionally at.
tended church. He stated that he was a
painter by trade, and had followed that occupa.
ton ID the present time; but, of late, could not
ind steady mployment-which had caused
much pecuniary embarrassment with him; that
he had been generally temperate in his habits,
using ardent spirits moderately when at work I;
but, for the last three or four weeks had not
taken any; that he had never gambled, and, in
other respects, had led regular, sober life.
upon being Intercepted as to the crcum-
stances connected with the attempted assassi.
nation, he said that he had been celebrating
on 1t for some time past, and that he had called
at the Presidents house about week previous
to the attempt and being conducted to the
Presidents apartment by the porter, found him
in conversation with a member of Congress,
whom he believed to have been Mr.. Suther-
land, of Pennsylvania that he stated TO the
President that he wanted money to take him
TO England, and that he must give him check
on the bank, and the President remarked, that
he was too much engaged to attend to him
he must call another time, for Mr.. Dibble was
in waiting for an interview. When asked
about the pistols which he had used, he stated
that has father left him pair but not being
alike, about four years since he exchanged
one for another, which exactly matched the
best Of the pair; those we're both flint locks,
which he recently had altered TO percussion
locks, by q Mr.. Boteler; that he had been fire.
quently in the habit of loading and firing those
postols at marks, and that he had never known
them to fail going off on any other occasion,
and that, at the distance Of ten yards, the ball
always passed through an inch plank He
also stated that he had loaded those pistols
three or four days previous, with ordinary care,
for the purpose attempted; but that he used a
pencil instead Of ramrod, and that during
that period, they were at all times carried in
his pocket; and when asked why they failed
to explode he replied he knew no cause. When
asked wny he went to the Capitol on that day,
he replied that he expected that the President
would be there. He also stated that he was
10 the rotunds when the President arrived
and on being asked why he did not then at.
tempt TO shoot him, he replied that he did no,
wish TO interfere with the funeral ceremony
and therefore waited till it was over. He also
observed that he did not enter the hall but
looked through window from lobby, and
saw the President seated with members Of
Congress, and he then returned TO the rotunda
and waited till the President again entered it
and then passed through and took his position
in the east portico, about two yards from the