The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-07-22
RANDOLPH'S ATTACK ON PRESIDENT
JACKSON.
The Nose-Pullins Affair in 1893.

The Nose = Pulling Affair in 1898.
WASHINGTON, July st is fact
not cre(litable to the civilization OF
Virginia that one Of her sons, who
belonged to a First Family, set the ex-
ample of making a VIOLENT assault upon
the President of the United States.
This national disgrace occurred Om
board a Potomac steamer ut Alexandria
on May 6, 1888.
Lieut.. Robert B.: Randolph of the
navy, on board the frigate Constitution
was appointed by Capt. Patterson, in
in the year 1928, to assume the duties
of Acting Purser in place Of John b.
Timberlake, the Purser who, in a fit
of drunken delirium, had committed
suicide. Timbcrlake was the first hus-
band Of the future Mrs. Gen. John FL.
Eaton, nee Peggy O'Neale, who enjoys
the dubious honor of having caused
the dissolution of Gen. Jackson's first
Cabinet. Randolph took charge
Of the Office or duties of Purser;
and, in his statement of the case, he
complains that the survey and inven-
tory required by the regulations or the
law were not made, and that he was
held accountable for an amount of
stores which werc not on hand. After
some years he was found to be defauI-
ter, on what he insisted was an assum-
ed state of. facts, when~he took charge
OF the Pursefship. A court of inquiry
was appointed to investigate his ac-
counts. Their report exonerated him
from an intentional misuse Of the pub
lie property, but not from the default.
They reported him to be careless or
neglected., though not dishonorable.
Otherwise he was an efficient officer,
who had rendered the country valua-
bic service. On this report Gen. Jack
son dismissed him from the service, in
spite of the strenuous efforts of infiuen-
tiai friends in his behalf 1t was to
avenge himself for this injustice, as he
regarded it, that he made the violent
assault upon the President. The
friends of Gen. Jackson were never
willing to admit tho fact, but his oppo-
hents insisted that Randolph pulled
the old herO's nose. That seems to
have been the purpose of the ruffian,
ut any rate and the blood upon the
Generals face would seem to prove
that the attempt was successful.
The opportunity for this outrage was
furnished by trip of the President, Il
portion of his Cabinet, his private sec
rotary, and other friends, down the
Potomac to Fredericksburg, in Vir-
ginia, to witness the ceremony of lay
ing the corner stone Of the monument
to the memory Of the mother of WASH
ington. The boat stopped at Alexan-
uria for few moments, and while
there 4 number of persons came on
board, and among them Mr.. Randolph,
the late Lieutenant in the navy, who
had recently been dismissed from the
service. He entered tho cabin where
tho President was seated and engaged
in reading Il newspaper. He advanced
toward the President as If to address
him aud seemed to be in the act 0,
drawing his glove.
ssThe President, Says the account III
the Globe, ssnot knowing him, and su D.
posing it was some person about to
salute him, and seeing him at some
difficulty in getting off his glove,
stretched out his hand toward him say
ing. 'Never mind your glove, sir
Randolph having then disengagetl
himself from his gloves, thrust one
hand violently into the Presidents
face, and before he could mako use of
the other received a blow from gen
tfeman standing near by him with an
umbrella. Almost ut the same time
two other gentlemen in tho cabin
sprang upon him, and he was dragged
back and thrown down.
"The moment he was assaulted tho
President seized his cane, which was
laying near him on the table, and was
forcing his way through the gentlemen
who had crowded round Randolph, i'll
sisting that no man should stand be-
tween him and the villain who had in
suited him; that he would chastise
him himself. Randolph by this time
had been borne toward the door of the
cabin, and pushed through it to the
deck. He made his way through the
crowd on tho deck and the wharf, be-
ing assisted AS is believed, by some
rutian confederates, and made his
escape. He stopped for few
moments Mt a tavern in Alexandria,
and passed on beyond the District line
The Grand Jury, then in session, in n
few minutes found prcsentment
against him, and the Court issued a
n bench warrant. A magistrate hat
just previously issued Il warrant, but
before the officers could arrest him
he was gomez
An eyewitness, writing to the Rich
mond Enquirer, gives some additional
particulars, as follows: "When the
President said, sNcver mind your
glove, sir Randolph said in low
tono that he came to take his revenge