The Shasta courier., 1865-04-29
Attempt to Assassinate President jackson.

The recent sad event calls to mind the
only other similar attempt recorded in au
thentc history. Vague suspicious and ru.
mors were rife at the time of the occurrences,
that Harrison and Taylor died of poison,
and 1t Is known that Buchanan narrowly es-
capped death by arsenic, at the commencement
OF his term, but whether or not he was the
int nded victim, is not positively known.
The, attempt on the life of jackson was
maze on the 3Oth January. 1885, 1t occur
red in the public streets in broad day, and
amid throng of people, and was not char
acterized by those cowardly, secret, snake.
like accessories which send chill to the
heart in connection with the fearful act of
the assassin Booth. Benton, in his Thirty
Years View," thus refers to the affair.
= AT that instant person slipped from
the crowd into the little open space in front
of the President, leyeled a pistol ut him, at
the distance of about eight feet, and attempt
ed to fire. 1t was percussion lock, and the
cap exploded. without firing the powder in
the barrel. The explosion of the cap was SC
loud that many persons thought the pistol
had fired. heard t..at the foot of the steps
far from the place, aud a great crowd be
tween. Instantly the person dropped the pis
tol which had missed fire. took another
which he held ready cooked in the left hand
concealed by cloak-leveled it-and pulled
the trigger. 1t was also a percussion lock
and the cap exploded without firing the pow
der in the barrel. The President instantly
rushed upon him with his uplfted cane the
man shrunk back Mr.. Woodbury. aimed q
blow It him Lieutenant Gedney of the Navy
knocked him down; he was secured by ii t
bystanders, who delivered him to tie officers
of justice for judicial examination. The ex.
animation took place before the chief of the
district. Mr. Cranch, by whom he was com
mitted in default of bail. His name was
ascertained to be Richard Lawrence. an
Englishman by birth, and house painter by
trade, at present out of employment, melan-
choly and irascibe. The pistols were ex
amined, and found to be we'll loaded and
fred afterwards without fail, carrying their
bullets true, and driving 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 pri.
soner seemed to be at his ease, as if uncon-
scious of having done anything wrong-re.
fusing to cross examine the witnesses who
testified against him, or to give any explana
tlOt vi HIS COuuuCt uC lucu ul du uuSOuuu
mind strongly impressing itself upon the pub.
lie opinion, the marshal of the district invited
two of the most respectable physicians of the
city (Dr Caussin and DR.. Thomas Sewel)
to visit him and examine into. his mental con.
dition."
He was examined aud pronounced sane.
He gave as his reason for the act that he dis.
approved the course of the. President in Veto
ing the United States Bank Bill; and that
he hoped by killing him to improve the con-
ditiJn of the working classes. For some rea-
s,n, perhaps public policy, he was never
brought to trial; but, according to the hsto-
rian, "the circums tance made a deep impres.
sion upon the public feeling. and irresistibly
carried many minds to the belief in super
intending Providence, manifested in the ex-
traordinary case of two pistols in succession =
80 we'll loaded. so cody handled, and which
afterwards fred with such readiness, force
and precsion-m missing fire, each in its turn
when leveled at the Prsident's heart" Alas !!
that in the later case, the bullet was ''too
nearly, deadly aimed to err. Bee.