The Butte inter mountain., 1901-10-19
ATTACK ON OLD HICKORY.
Attempted Assassination of President
jackson Recalled.


Attempted Assassination of President
Jackson Recalled.
II was about Is years DID," said an old
citizen Of Washington. hen the attempt
was made to kill Andrew Jackson, but
was not at the capitol at the time. The
man who attempted to shoot him had
seen before, and saw him afterward at
the Jail, which then stood right back Of
the courthouse about the line of Il street.
"He was rather a fine looking man
named Richard Lawrence, who was of
English birth and closely connected with
one of the first families Of the West
End. He had been regarded as crazy
man, at least at times, by those who
knew him. The family lived first on
Capitol Hill, where his father died sew
eral years before, and he had learned
the painters trade, which he followed
at times.
There had been funral at the cap
itol-that of a representative from South
Carolina named Davis-which President
Jackson and several member Of the cab
met attended. and as the president and
others walked out of the east door on
to the portico the attempt was made to
shoot him.
Lawrence approached to within six or
eight feet of him with a brass pistol and
! pulled the trigger. The cap snapped.
Lieutenant Gedney struck him and Sec
| retary Woodbury. got in blow. while
| the president made toward him with up
lifted cane telling the people who were
raining blows on him that he could set
tie him.
"By some me ans Lawrence was enabled
to draw a second weapon, and this he
also snapped. The crowd seized and beat
him, and he was literally trounced from
the top of the steps to the bottom,
hustled into carriage and driven to the
Jail.
"Iere all violators Of the law and in
sane people were confined, and he was
placed in cell with one OF the latter
unfortunates. who came near saving the
expense of trial by violently assaulting
him.
''The news Of the assault spread rapid
ly, and the hack in which the curprlt
was driven to Jail was followed by
large crowd.
"The act was first put down as having
| been the work Of the wings, and it was
then changed to a disappointed office
seeker: but when the perpetrator of the
outrage became known the people ac-
certed the theory that it was the devel-
opment of homicidal tendency in an in>
sane mind Nevertheless, there was
much interest in what would be the out
come.
"The grand jury of the circuit court.
presided over by Chief Justice Cranch.
with James S. MOrsell and Buckner
Thurston as his associates. at the March
term following found true bill Of in
dictment, charging Lawrence with hav-
ing on the 3Oth day of January at the
instigation of the devil and not having
the fear of God before him. committed
| an assault and battery with intent to kill
| 'on one Andrew Jackson. then and there
| in the peace of God
II remember the trial. which followed
soon after, April II. I lived close to the
Jail and court house, and was there.
The courtroom was crowded. some de-
string to obtain a view of the prisoner
and to witness his actions, while the
LAWYERS present were all interested in
the legal conduct of the case.
''The prisoner frequently interrupted
| the proceedings. The gifted Francis
| Scott Key author of The Star Spangled
Banner was district attorney at the
time and presented the case to the court
| in a short address. The prisoner had
Messrs. w. L. and j. +. Brent as his
counsel the latter, on account OF the con-
duct Of the prisoner having similar eX-
perience to that Of Guiteau's counsel.
Lawrence excitedly inquired at intervals:
who the HI is General Jackson What
has the state to do with it,? I'm king
| Notwithstanding the Interruptions
the trial proceeded, and Secretaries
Woodbury. and Dickerson. Lieutenant
Gedney and others testified to the act.
while Drs Causin. Hunt. Lowell, Sewall,
Rohrer. Worthington and Magruder gave
testimony sustaining the plea of in
sanity.
"It was clear that he had shown symp-
toms of insanity for some time. and had
the idea that the crown of Great Britain
was his-that he was king of this coun-
try. and General Jackson. besides usurp-
ing the place. had killed his father. and
was keeping him ont Of the money and
position.
"a verdict Of not guilty by reason of
insanity ended the trial, and the prisoner
was sent back to Jail until his friends
arranged for his confinement in an in
sane asylum. He died an inmate of the
Institution several years afterwards. -
San Francisco Examiner.