Arizona republican., 1901-09-23
WHEN JACKSON WAS SHOT AT.
An Almost Forgotten Attempt to Kill
 the Leonine President

the Leonine President.
 Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse of this city says the New York Sun, has a letter describing the attempt to as | sinate President Jackson. written by Congressman Howell of Steuben coun- ty, to her aunt. Mrs. Frances Came ron. Mrs. Converse's >ather, Thomas Maxwell of CheTnung county. was also a member of congress at that time. 1 Congressman Howell was a witness of the attempt to kill President Jack son. His letter is dated at Washing ton Jan 30 1885 on the evening of the day of the event. This is the letter:
 I have been under a high degree of excitement all the afternoon at n most caring attempt to assassinate the pres ident at the capitol today. We had been attending the funeral of a de- ceased member, Congressman Davis of South Carolina. and the president. as Is usual on such occasions. was present. After the religious services in the hall were concluded the corpse was re- moved from the hal through the TO- fun6a by the grand piazza al the east to the hearse. fol owed by the repre sen ts+!vs. sena o-s pr sident. hea' s of departments and judiciary in process sion.
 As the president came out of the TO- tunda a man advanced toward him from the front and when he approached within two yards presented pistol an1 attempted to discharge it at his breast. It was what Is called a percussion lock which is primed with a little copper cap con aiming percussion or dstonat- ing powder. a material the most com tusibie and constituting a means of firing any weapon with the most fatal cer ain y. This cap explo ed without discharging the pistol which was in stantly dropped by the miscreant and another drawn from his bosom and snappad al the president with a caler- ity that prevented all possible interfer- ence by the bystanders and resistance by him. But he observed the attack and the lion was aroused at once. He raised his cane Uhe only rseapon in his reach) and aimed a blow at the assas- sin. At the same time Captain Gedney seized him and threw him down. MT. Woodbury. who had hold the p-esi- dents arm, immediately assisted and he was disarmed and secured.
 The passions of the president were up and for a few minutes his frown was appalling. He is certainty the most extraordinary man of the ags. No blenching, no timid misgiving even for a moment affected him. He saw the attempt upon his life was calculating. determined purpose and he only thought of resistance. naked and un- armed as he was. Every trace of age had fied-he stood giant in his youth and lowered above all his atte ndants, as the falcon towers above cartridges in her stoop upon the quarry.
 But my dear madam, what an aston ishing instance of the superin tending of nrOVidanna devoted to and so important to our country. The pistols were carefully ex- amined and prove to have been heavily charged with the greatest care and not perceivable why they did not go off. Such an instance of the failure of two such weapons so prepared never oc- cured in the knowledge of any man. They were calculated for the greatest certainty that such weapons admit of and one would have been willing to rely on their fata! fidelity for his life; and yet they failed. Blessed be God for his mercy and that His arm js not shortened that he cannot save.
 The monster was taken before the judge and examined, but no light is thrown upon this mysterious transac- ion It has only transpired that the name of the culprit Is Lawrencs. by trade printer. raised in this city and
 
 fucement to the perpetration of the dreadful crime is und dscoverable Sfrange surmises are afioat. By some It Is regarded as the effect of insanity which receives some counterance from the strange desperation of the attempt hat was so made as to render all hope If escape impossible and also by the c'rcunstance of his stating to the nershall while in his custody on the way to examination in answer to an inruiry why he had made such a ns- farious attempt upon the life of the president that the president had killed His father. when the fact is that his "a her died in this city some years ago which he well knew.
 Others think trat they can discover i7 this daring villany the consumma- ion of the conspiracy which last win |. ter occasioned those lstters to be sent 10 the president threatening him with assassination if he did not restore the government deposits to the hank of the United States. All is excit sment. All mystery and wild contecture I am III so agitated as to be scarcely able To fn1fte single coherent para graph auI my had trembles so as hardly to write legibly, although the act oc- cured at o'clock and it is now mid