The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-21
SHOT AT JACKSON
GOLD HICKORY. CAME NEAR BE-
ING THE FIRST AssAssTNATED
PREsIpeNr
5 A FACT KNOWN BY VERY FEW
s.ssS & ga.
while Attending Funeral of Con-
gressman Presidsht's Life Was
Attempted by Richard Law
renee, Insane.

z
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln
by John Wilkes Booth, April H. 1866 and
the shooting Off James A. Garfield by
Charles J. Guiteau, July 2, 1881, are clear
ly remembered by millions of our cfti-
zens, and still recalled with grief. TO
the younger people they have become
familiar incidents through frequent pub
LEGATION of the stories of the crimes.
But very few are familiar with an at
tempted assassination of another of our
presidents. On Jan. 30, 1885, one Richard
Lawrence, standing within few feet of
President Andrew jackson, snapped
pistol directly at his breast, and that
failing to fire; he Immediately presented
another pistol and pulled the trigger of
that, but the second weapon likewise
failed to explode.
A member Of congress from South Car
DINA, Warren r. Davis. had died, and the
funeral ceremonies were being held in
the hall Of the house of representatives
at Il o'clock on the day mentioned. The
exercises We're. attended by the president
and the n1embers8Gf his cabinet When
| they were over the members of congress,
/ the presidential party and the large con-
/ course Of citizens moved out through the
| great rotnnda and the eastern door to
| take carriages for the cemetery. While
the foremost members OF the procession
[ were GIILEtiuSsa MARRIAGES TIE spT6SlQenItdl
party halted near the eastern door. The.
/ president had the arm Of Levi Wood
+ bury, the secretary of the treasury, and
upon his other side was Mahfon Dicker-
/ son. the secretary Of the navy. Just at
that moment, while the party was mo-
mentarily halted. the man seized the op-e
porturity. He stepped quickly from the
crowd into the little open space, pre-
| sented his pistol, and those near were
| q
had a percussion lock, and though the
cap exploded clear and loud, it failed to
ignite the powder. Secretary Woodbury.
turned and caught sight of the assailant
Just as he lowered MS hand, and was at
first in some doubt whether the weapon
had not been aimed at himself, but see
/ ing it pointed directly at the president
he turned to see whether Jackson was
injured. He then quickly turned again
to look at the assailapt, and saw him in
the act of raising his arm and pointing
the second pistol at Gen. Jackson. He
thereupon pulled away from Jackson's
arm, sprang toward Lawrence and seized
him by the collar just as the second ex-
plosion occurred Again the cap fired clear
and loud, and again the powder in the
barrel of the weapon failed to ignite.
1t was afterward brought out in the ex-
animation that the weapons had been
originally of the old fintlock pattern,
but the prisoner had had them fitted with
! the percussion lock. which was just then
coming into use, and was considered more
certain than the old-style weapon. Pts
! tolls in those days were loaded from the
muzZle, and a ramrod was used to push
home the charge. In this case it was
found that the weapons had been loaded
some three or four days before, and that
the prisoner had used a lead pencil for
ramrod. 1t was probable this seemingly
Insignificant fact which caused the fail
ure of both the Weapos to fire. The pris-
oner evidently, in both instances, failed
to ram the powder into the tube They
We're tested again and again with some
of the remaining powder and balls and
caps found; on the prisoner, and never:
once; missed FREE ais5s .isff s'sassTss5 ass
About the moment Of the second ex-
pfosion, Mr.. Giilet, member of the
house from New York, a large powerful
man, and Lieut. Gedney, Of the navy j
seized Lawrence, like Mr.. Woodbury., and
he was borne to the floor. Of course the
old war-horse jackson was not the man
to stand still during scene like this. 1
When Secretary Woodbury. sprang away
from him he lifted his cane and attempt
ed to strike his assailant. 1t was hard
work to prevent the president from TAX
ing summary vengeance upon the assas-
sin. Let me goi" he shouted above the
din; i can take care of myself. Let me
get at him. He became calmer in few
minutes, and Twas feFsuaged to go to the
capitol.
At the arraignaaent of the prisoner
which took place at once. he was the
coolest man present. He declined to
make any explan4tion or to cross-exam-
Inc the witnesses Bail was fixed at
si,0Co, and in defau1ta of this he was re-
manded to prison. Francis Scott Key.
the famous author of the ''Star-Spanglea |
Banner" was the district attorney at
that time, and shgsssted that the man
might have aecofnplioas who might come
forward and give bail and then allow him
to escape, but this fea dr. was not realized
Jackson himself Raaped at the con-
clIsion that his. political enemies had
plotted to take hfs life. Some days after
the occurrence he declared to Visitors
at the White house 5aiat the man was a
tool in the hands-ef others. Dark irlsinu-
atoms of the same tenor were prilteds in |
the Globe, the administration organ
Those We're hard years; there was great
distress throughout the country, caused
by the financial disturbances, and Jack |
SON was not the@man to hold generous
estimate of his enemies. For years he
had believed in the bargain and cor
ruption' cry In holding his opponents
capable of conspiracy and assassination
he was going only one step farther. 1t
soon became apparent, however, that the
man had no aceompIiees, and almost no
-e