Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-04-27
The Attempt 10 take the Lille Of
General jackson.


Now that an assassin has deprived the ma
ton Of its Chief Magistrate, the following &C.
count Of an attempt upon the life Of General
Jackson, during his second term, viii be
found interesting. We extract il from the
htst volume OF Colonel Benton's Thirty
Years VieiO ,s ari.I
On Friday, the 20ih of Jansary, 1885, the
Pfesdept, With some members Of bis Cabinet,
attended the funeral ceremonies of Warren
r. Davis, Esq in the hall Of the House Of
Representatives, Of which body Mr. Davis
had beep member from the State Of South
Carolina. The procession had moved out
With the body, aud its front had re Achsd the
foot of the broad steps of the eastern por,i.
co, when the President, with Mr.. Woodbury.,
Secretary Of the Treasury, aud Mr.. Mahion
pickerson, Secretary Of the Navy, we're issu.
ing rom the door Of the great rotnnda,
which opens upon the portieo. At that
instant person stepped from the
crowd into the little open space .in
front of the President leveled a pis.
tol at him at the distance of about eight
feet, and attempted to FIRE. II was a per
cussion lock, and the cap exploded, without
firing the powder in the barrel. The sxplo-
sion OF the cap was so loud that many thought
The pistol was fred. heard il at the foot OF
the steps, far from the place, and a gres,
crowd between, Instantly the person dropped
the pistol which had missed FIRE, took another
which be held ready cooked in the left band,
concealed by cloak, lsveled it, and pulled
the trigger, II was also percussion lock,
and the cap exploded without firing the pow
der 10 the barrel. The President instantly
.'1shed upon him with his uplifted cane; the
man shrunk back; Mr.. Woodbury. aimed
hid,ry a. a. ~.
knocked him down; he was secu.ed by the by.
ISLANDERS, who delivered him to the officers Of
Justice for Judicial examination The exami.
nation took place before the Chief Justice Of
THE District, Mr. Crshch, BY whom be was
committed in default Of bail
His name was asceriained to be Richard
Lawrence, an Englishmsn BY birth, and house.
painter by trade, at present out OF employ.
rnent, melancholy, and irascible. The pistols
were examined and found to be we'll loaded
aud fred afterward, 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 retunda. On his examination the
prisoner seemed TO be at his ease, as IL an
conscious Of having done any thirg wrong
refusing to cross-exAmine the witnesses who
testified against him, or TO give any explana.
ton of his conduct. The idea OF 40 unsound
mind strongly impressing itself upon public
opinion, the Marshal Of the District iayited
two Of the most respectable physicians OF the
city (Dr. Caussin and Dr. Thomas Sewell) TO
visit him and examine into his mealal condi.
ton. They did so, and the following s the
report which they made upon the case;
/ We omit the report Of the physicians,
which is to the effect that Lawrence was OF a
morbid, melancholy disposition, who had been
induced to believe that the financial condi-
ton fthe countryw was owing to General Jack,
sons veto Of the bank and bis war on the
currency that if he was once out Of the way,
no matter who might be his successor, bust.
ness would improve, and money become
plenty.
II is clearly to be seen, from this medical
examination Of the man, that this attempted
assassination Of the President was one of
those cases Of which history presents many
instances-a diseased mind acted upon BY
general outcry against public man. Law
renee was in the particular condition TO be
acted upon by what be heard against General
Jackson--a workman out OF employment.
needy, idle, mentally morbid, and with
reason enough to argue regularly from false
premises He heard the President accused
of breaking up the labor OF the country and
believed it---of making money scarce and
he believed it--of producing the distress
and believed it--of being .iyrant and be-
lieved it--of being an obstacle 10 all relief
and believed it And comi0g to q regular
conclusion from ell these beliefs, be at
tempted TO do what he believed the state of
things required him TO do--taks the life Of
the man whom be considered the whole cause
OF his own and the general ealsmity--Rnd the
fOle obstacle 20 his oWH and the general hap.
piness. Ballucination of mind was evident;
aud the wretched victim of q dreadful dslu.
sion was afterward treated as insane, and ne ".
er brought to trial Bat the eircumstanees
made deep impression upon the public feel.
ing, and irresistibly carried many minds to
the belief in A-superinisndinE Providence,
manifested iH the extraordinary case OF two
pistols in succession--so well loaded, 50 cooly
handled, and which sftsrward fred with such
reedldess, fercs, and preeissiou--mi Kissing ere,
each in its turn, when lSVelsd eight feet at the
Presidents heart.