The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-09-07
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~ washington l6bNof klNtb bue lOllOW-
ing account of an affair which created q
great stir at the time il occurred, Lieu
tenant Randolph's attack on President
Jackson in 1833
Lieutenant Robert b. Randolph, of
the navy, on board the frigate Constitu-
tion, Unsupported by Captain Patter-
son, in the year 1923, to assume the du-
ties of acting purser, in the place of
John b. Timberlake, the purser, who,
in fit of drunken delirium, had COM
mitted suicide. Timberlake was the
first husband Of the future Mrs. General
John II. Eaton, nee Peggy O'Neal, who
enjoys the dubious honor of having
caused the dissolution of General Jack
sons first Cabinet. Randolph took
charge of the Office or duties of purser,
and, in his statement of the case, he COM
plains that the survey and inventory re-
quired by the regulations or the law
were not made, and that he was held
accountable for an amount of stores
which were not on hand. After some
years he was found to be defaulter, on
what he insisted was an assumed state
of facts, when he took charge of the
pursership. A court of inquiry was ap-
pointed to investigate his accounts.
Their report exonerated him from an
Intentional misuse of the public prop
erty, but not from the default. They
reported him to be careless or neglect
full, though not dishonorabIe. Other
wise he was an efficient officer, who had
rendered the country valuable service.
On this report General jackson dismiss
ed him from the service, in spite of the
strenuous efforts of influential friends
in his behalf. 1t was to avenge himself
for this injustice, as heregarded it, that
he made the violent assault upon the
President. The friends of General Jack
son were never willing to admit the fact,
but his oppon ents insisted chat Ran
dolph pulled the old hero's nose. That
seems to have been the purpose of the
rufiian, at 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 tri ip of the President, a
portion of his Cabinet, his private secre-
tary, and other friends, down the Poto-
mac to Fredericksburg, in Virginia, to
witness the ceremony of laying the cor
ner-stone of the monument to the
memory of the mother of Wash
ington. The boat stopped at
Alexandria for a few moments, and
while there a number of persons came
on board, and among them Mr.. Ran
dolph, the late lieutenant in the navy,
who had recently been dismissed from
the service. He entered the cabin
where the President was seated and en-
gagged in reading a newspaper. He adj
vanced toward the President as if to ad-
dress him, and seemed to be in the act
fo drawing his glove. "The Presideu," !"
says the account in the Globe, "not
knowing him, and supposing it was
some person about to salute him, and
seeing him at some difficulty in getting
off his glove, stretched out his hand to-
ward him saying, Never mind your
glove, SIR Randolph having then dis
engaged himself from his gloves, thrust
one hand violently into the Presidents
face, and before he could make use OF
the other received blow from gentle
man standing near by him with an um-
brella. Almost at the same time two
other gentlemen in the cabin sprang
upon him, and he was dragged back and
thrown down.
'"The moment he was assaulted
the President seized his cane,
which was lying near him on the table,
and was forcing his way through the
gentlemen who had crowded round
Randolph, insisting that no man should
stand between him and the villain who
had insulted him that he would chas-
tise 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 the deck and the wharf, being
assisted, as is believed, by some ruffiar
confederates, and made his escape. He
stopped for few moments at tavern
in Alexandria, and passed on beyond
the district line. The grand jury, ther
in session, in few minutes found g
presentment against him, and the court
issued bench warrant. A magistrate
had just previously issued warrant
but beforethst officer could arrest him
he was gone"
An eyewitness, writing to the Rich
mond Enquirer, gives some additional
particulars, as follows: "When the
President said, Never mind your glove
sir Randolph said in low tone that hC
came to take his revenge by pulling hii
nose, suiting the action to the word
The President exclaimed in astonish
ment, What, sir What, sir T Ran
dolph on the instant was struck by Mr.
Potter with an umbrella a very sever,
blow, which knocked him against the
berth. Captain Brown seized him and
dragged him with violence from the
President, and Major Donaldson rushed
toward the table in his anxiety
to protect the President 1t was
the work of an instant. The President
exclaimed, seizing his stick, Let nc
man interfere between me and this per
sonal assault am an old man, buf
perfectly capable of defending myself
against, and Furnishing adozen cowardly
assassins.' 1t is said that a persoI
named Thomas approached the Presi
L. A. L