The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-10-15
4ooTING AT ANDREW JACKSON
Guiteau of 1885. Who Attempted to Kill
Old Hickory

iGuiteau of 1885. Who Attempted to Kill
I'll Old Hickory
ION E'nton's Tiity Years IN hc l. S. Senate
On Friday. the Both of JANUARY. the
resident. with some members of his
lhinet. attended the funeral ceremonies
! Warren II. Davis, Esq. in the hall Of
pc House of Representatives. The pro-
fSsion had moved out with the body.
nd its front had reached the foot of the
road steps of the eastern pnrtico. when
he President. with Mr.. Woodbury.. Sec
1.tary of the Treasury. and Mr.. VI dillon
1ickCrSon. Secretary Of the Navy. were
Suing from the door of the great rn-
ilntla. which opens upon the portic".
t that instant a person stepped from
ne crowd into the little open space in
|"nt of the President. levclcd a pistol at
i'm. at the distance oi about eight feet.
nj attempted tn fire. II WIS Il p"rcus
on lock. and the cap exploited without
ing the powder in the barrel. The
,plo>ion of the cap WAS so loud tina,
ANY persons thought the pistol had
ed | heard it at the foot of the steps.
r. from the place. and Il great crowd
T. ntween. Instantly the person dropped
.e pistol which had missed fire, took
!lothcr which he held ready cooked i'll
e left hand. concealed by Il cloak. lev
so percussion lock. and the cap ex-
oded without firing the powder in the
ariel. The President immcdiatelyru
o"n him with his upliited cane: the man
.nrank back: Nj. Woodbury. aimed
p!ow at him; Lieutenant Gedncv Of tn.
Navy knocked him down; he was secure,
by the by>tanlers, who delivered him t.
The officers of justice for Judicial exami-
latinn. This took place before tie chic
justice of the district. Mr. Cranch, b,
whom he was committed in default ot
nail. His name WAS asccrtaincd To b.
.ticard Lawrence, an Eurli>lman h,
nth. and hou>e-painter by trade. al
present out of employment. melhncho!!
md irascible. The pistols We're examined
md found to be we'll loaded and fired
afterwards without fail. carryingsthei,
'ulletS true, aud driving them through
nch boards at thirty feet distance: mon
'nuld any reason be found for the tw"
ailureS at the door OF the rotunda. On
lis cyaminati,S the prisoner seemed t.
" at his ease, as if unconscious of hay
ng done anything wrnn@-reiusing t"
examine the witness who testiiie,
,yain>t him, or to give any eXplauatio"
" his conduct. The idea of the unsound
mind strongly impreSSiny itself upon the
,nblic opinion, the marshal OF the dis
.rict invited two of the must respectable
of the city-Dr. Caus>in ana
Dr.. Thomas Sewell--to visit him ana
.xamine into his mental condition. The
lid so, and the following i, the report
which they made upon the case:
Upon being interrogatcd as to the
circumstances connected with the at
assassination, Llwrence said he
lad been deliberating upon it for som.
time past. and that he had called at tn,
Presidents house about week previous
20 make the attempt, and being con-
iucted to the President = apartment by
the porter. found him in crnversatio"
With Il member of Congress- whom he
believed to have been Mr.. Sutherland a.
pennsylvania; that he stated to the Presi-
lent that he wanted money to take hini
England. and that he mast give him
| check on the bank, and the President
o attend to him-he must call another
lime. for Mr.. Dibbh. WIS in waiting fol
IN interview. When asked about the
,stols which he had used. he stated his
Ather had left him pair. but not being
like. about fuur years since he exchanged
ne for another. which exactly matched
he best OF the pair: these were but flint
ocks, which he recently had altered TO
percussion locks by II Mr.. Buteler: that
otding and firing those pistols at marks
md that he had never known them to
all going off upon any other occasion.
.ntl that, at the distance Of ten yards.
he bail always passed through an incl,
blank. When asked why he went to the
,apitol on that day. he replied that he
expected the President would he there.
Ie also stated that he WAS in the rntunda
when the President arrived, and an be-
NJ asked why he dill nat attempt to
,,uot him. he replicl that no did not
wish to inter ere with the funeral cere.
n,ny and. therefore. waited until it WIS
ver. He also observed that he did not
inter- the hall. bl,t looked through Il win
wv from lobby, and saw the Press
lent seated with members of Congress,
N he then returned tot he rotIInda. and
waited until the President again entered
t. and then passed through ana ,oh his
POSITION in the east pnriicn. about two
ards from the door. drew his pistols
rom his inside coat ,rkrt. cooked them
nd held one III caca hand. concealed 10y
lis coat, lest he should alarm the Specta-
'ors-and states. that as so0n as the one
n the right hand missed fire he immodi
tely dropped or exchanged it. and at
ampted to fire the second before he was
cized; he furth stated that lie aimed
.,ch pistol at the President $ heart. and
attended,. if the first pistol has! gone of.
nd the President had fallen. tn have
defended himself with the second. if de
enSe had been necessary. On being
'Sked if he did not expect to have been
lilled on the spot had he killed the Pres g
lent, he replied he did not: and that he
,ad no doubt but that he would have
'ten protected by tho spectators. lie
vas frequently questioned whether he
lad any friends present, from whom he
expected protection. To this he replied,