Graham guardian., 1901-03-01
JAcKsoN's LIFE KENAcED.
KNOsasHt wAIeA 10 Vow AImoss veR-
gOttsm was First AttsmDt A9aanst
eAa Lafa OF a Pwosiaena.


On March. 30, 1895, Gen. Jaclnozs
wes attending the funeral OF Wares
r. Davis. a member Of congress from
South Carolina, at the capitol, and
while walking in procession TO take
carriage on the east front Of the
capitol he was approached by mEB
named Richard Lawrence, who pre-
sented pistol within a few feet Of
him. The cap exploded, but did NOS
ignite the charge. L&wrence threw
the piutol away and drew another,
which also missed Are. Gen. jackson
was on the arm of Mr.. Woodbury., sec.
retary OF the treasury, but pursued
the assassin with raised cane. Lieut..
Gedney, of the navy, Knocked Law
renee down and the friends Of the
president tried 10 restrain him, but
he said: LET me go, gentlemen; I
am not afraid. They can't kill me.
can protect myself"
Lawrence was arrested, seya the
Washington Post, and arraignea be-
fore Judge Cranch, and committed.
At the trial he behaved pretty much
a. Guiteau did, interrupting the pro
ceedings and talking all the tins,
until the judge ordered him TO be re-
moved from the courtroom. A com
mission was appointed to examine
into his condition of mind, and DR..
CGuSin and DIR. Sewel reported him
OF unsound mind He VIVA committed
70 an insane asylum, where he lived
for many ysaT~ There waa an at
tempt made to involve some political
adversarieS of Gen. jackson in this
attempt on his life, but the examin-
alton and trial revealed nothing but
that II was the act of mailman.
Gen. Jackson's escape from death
was providential. The pistols were
loaded very heavily, and after the ar
rest of Lawrence were fred, the caps
exploding and igniting the powder
readily in the pistol and sending the
balls through several inches of plank.
IL was stated that Gen. Jackson said
at the time that he knew where the
sttempt originated.
In May, 1888, when jackson was on
his way TO fredericksburg to lay the
corner stone of the monument to the
mother Of Washington, he was seated
in the cabin of the steamboat behind
q table with Mrs. Thurston, the wife
OF Judge Thurston, his private sec
retary, Maj. Donaldson and Capt.
Broome, of the marine corps. The
general was reading and smoking his
favorite pipe.
When the boat reached Alexandra
large number of citizens came
aboard 10 pay their respects to the
president, and With them was Ran
dolph, who had been an Officer in the
navy. from which, for some reason, he
had been Dismissed and was seeking
restoration.
He advanced toward the president
as IL TO address him, when he sud
denly put out his hand toward the
face OF the president as though he in
sonded slapping him in the face.
Capt. Brooms sieEed him and drew
hira away, whom Randolph's friends
hurried him out of the cabin. The
president was 20 confined in the seat
behind the table that he could not
rise. When it became known on the
boat that an attempt had been made
70 pull the presidents nose, for that
was the intention of Randolph, the
excitement was intense. and many Of
the crowd started in pursuit of Ran
dOlph. He was caught some distance
from the boat, but was rescued his
friends. Randolph had made threats
against the president. and the old
gentleman said that he had known
IL was Randolph he w,uld have cssu
prepared 70 defend himself.