, 1874-08-23
Tho Circumstances Attending the Attempt
on tue Life Of President Jackson,
Forty FEARS ago.
A Wing Senator Charged with Being
an Accessory.
Tbs Accused Senator Sends The PrcSi.
dent a Challenge.
Other Interesting Facts.

In glancing over copy Of Now York papt
Of recent date, the name Of Richard Lawrence
banker and broker, IN great, glarinS type, d
| trac:ed my attention. Tho black, staring cal
itals, 20 common. nad usually 80 unsugses1iy
| at ouce rivcted my attention; not that there VI
anything IN the name itself to excite curiosity {
provoke romark, yet it set in motion & troop c
Old memories, aud called forth wonderful
vivid recollec:ious Of one OF the most excitin
events in our potlca. history; for that 81 banks
and broker" by singular coincidence, bore pr
csely the same name AZ the u,sd ASSASSIN vii
made tho first attempt upon the life OF u
American President.
refer to the attempted murder OF Presiden
Jackson by fana.ic named Richard Lawrence
and it il the object Of this article to give al ac
curate, and / hope interesting, history of Al
eyeut which, forty yoars ago, formed tho stap
| of private speculation aud ewspaper-commeut
| PAnTY-B1F1ERsEss.
| Not = few OF my readers will remember tn
iulcnss bitterness which marked the politlca
! coutests OF the JacAsopian period. The assaults
Of TIC Wing press upon tho Democratic lido
| wcre sharp, yindictiye, ard savage, and Viii:
orators made the air heavy with their deuunc;a
tious Of tae Presidential policy. Never, befort
| or since, was lsarty-1aneor 10 lntanse. LII the
| fall Of 1888, ut an immense public meeting it
New YORK City, q man named Henry GnulG
delivered f. violent speech, closing witt
proposition that the Indignant people
| be organized and armed and march in body tc
tho National Capital, aud forco President Jack
son to chaogo lis policy, which policy, he af.
ir1ncd, IVES prolific OF ruin. It is not likely tla,
Mr.. Could ever had any serious intent Of putting
lis absurd project into execution, mud it certain
Iy received no counteuance from his Tlis asao-
catcs Jet 1t served to intensity tho already too
intense bitterness, and tie par:lsaus OF the party
in power profoesed no little alarm at the growing
spirit OF yioIsuce.
4 PRESIDENTIAL Bopx-oUARp.
Therefore, when Congress assembled in De-
cemosr, 1884, Democratic Caucus Was called to
take into consideration the formation Of Body
Guard for the protection of the Executive. l: is
hardly necessary to add, however. that, when Il
knowledge of their intentions CAME to Gen. Jack-
SOD, he sworo ''by the Eternal it should not bo,
and tho project Was heard Of no more.
It was while tLs public mind was engroaeed
with those exciting topics that the events which
shall uarrate took place.
THE ASSASSINATION.
6 In the latter part Of January, 1885. the Hon.
carona, died in Washington. and was, Of
course, buried from the Halls of Congress. An
immense assembly attended the funeral services,
and, after listening to an eloquent address from
the Chaplain. procession was formed, aud, with
tho President, Secretaries, and other officials
leading it, moved through tho Rotunds to tho
East Front OF tho Capitol, down the marble
steps, nlld out upon the Esplanado, tho baad
discours!ng its mou7nful notes al tho mass
moved slowly along. As the head Of tie process
81 1x,t~t =
to move out from tho largo crowd Of epectators
assembled to witness tho proceedings. and dasi,
rapidly across the park until il can,e directly il
the Inc Of march, when it halted. Gen. Jackson
was etill at tho head Ut tho procession. aud soon
came up to whcro tho individual whose eccentric
movements mad been noticed was standing, and.
for moment, they stood face to taco. Tie un-
known man then suddenly
DREW a PISTOL
from under his cloak thrust it into tho very
face OF the President, and pulled tho trigger;
the cap exploded, but the weapon WAS not. DIS
charged. Illn.ing it array, lie drew forth
sccond one. presented it a. before. aud was on
the point Of dlschars'us it, when Capt. Gedney,
= naval officer, WHO happily discovered tho
Generals peril, rushed upon tho Assnssin and
disacmed hln before Lo could carry out his
ul,lsderous purpoee.
Though all this took place at the heal Of tho
procession, aad in full view Of moro tllaa TO- O03
spectators, yet it was done go quickly that 1t
A4o All 0stlY Alu LII Cu4pElL ual DecH E0Cufeu.
bofoio any but those in tie immediate vicinity
knew what had occurred AS soon as the dastardy
act as understood, tho excitement was simply
1SDEsCRtBADLE.
The dead was forgotten the rRnkB OF tho funer-
al cortege were broken, aud, after swayng to
and tro for somo nomauts, like waves Of |
troubled ocean, the excited mass poured forth III
all directions !; some Of tho more excitable |
swarmed around the prisoner, and shouts of |
"a Kill him kill him!" roso from q thousand |
eI>r~1 1&,,. 4{f., n1.
Eioleuco, hastily Withdrew. to avoid possible |
LANCER.
GEORGE ro1SpExTER.
: Unfortunately for bin, ri 1t afterwards |
proved. tho Hon. George poindextar. United
STATES Senator from Mississippi, was among tho
lrst to make prccipitato retreat. lie had been
crippled III q duel q few wears before and when
he crowd began to surge back and firth, he be-
'ame alarmed, and hopbied with NIL possible
speed to Ills carriage, and drove rapidly to his
-csldcuce on Fenusy ylvania avenue.
rO1SpExTEH AND THE PRESIDENT.
Though once tho most intimate aud coniding !
II friends, Pontexter and tho President had
attcrly becono tho bltterest OF enemies. So
utter hnd grown the feud, and violent the
Residential persecution. that tho Scuator mad
tho President to mortal combat. Tho
,eares Of the message was treated with supreme
ontcmpt, aud requested to inform Mr. Poindex-
er ''that tho President Of tho Unted States
ould hold no communication with blackyuard
rho vas in the daily habit OF whipping Ills wife"
To this thrust tho Senator responded by pub
shed card, in which the President WIS de-
onDced as liar and elanderer. The remem-
rance OF this disgraccfu affair Was rot fresh
, the minds OF the public when this daring
tempt ut murder waA made it ls not so
TRANCE. therefore, that, when his enemies re-
aied tho fact of this deadly bitterness and
onltlc1ed lis abrupt flight from the scene as
Don III tho assault was committed, rumnrs began |
} be circulated that Senator poll.lexicr might |
nov f,iy,rH IF