Evening star., 1901-09-21

An Almost Forgotten Attempt to XIII
the LeOnine President.

From the New York Sun.
Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse of this
city has letter describing the attempt to
asSassinate President Jackson, written by
Representative Howell of Steuben county
to her aunt, Mrs. Frances Cameron. Mrs.
Converses father, Thomas Maxwell Of
Chemung county, was also member OF
Congress at that time.
Representative Howell was a witness of
the attempt to kill President Jackson. His
letter is dated at Washington. January 80,
1888. the evening of the day of the
event. This Is the letter:
Il have been under high degree of Cx-
element all the afternoon at a most dar-
ing attempt to assassinate the President at
the Capitol today. We had been attending
the funeral of deceased member, Con-
gresham Davis of South Carolina, and the
President. as is usual on such ocaslons.
was present. After the religious services
I'm the hall were concluded the corpse was
removed from the hall through the rotunda
by the grand piazza at the east to the
hearse, followed by the representatives,
senators, President, heads of departments
and judiciary in procession
LAS the President came out Of the rotunda
a man advanced toward him from the front
and when he approa ched within two yards
presented a pistol and attempted to dis
charge it at mis- breast. 1t was what is
called a percussion lock, which Is primed
with little copper cap containing percus-
sion or detonating powder, a material the
most combustible and constituting means
of firing any weapon with the most fatal
certainty. This cap exploded without dis
charging the pistol. which was instantly
propped by the miscreant and another
drawn from his bosom and snapped at the
President with celebrity that prevented all
possible Interference by the bystanders and
resistance by him. But he observed the at
tack and the lion was aroused at once. He
rails 10 ha n
reach) and aimed blow at the assassin
At the same time Capt. Gedney seized MIN
and threw him down. Mr.. Woodbury., who
had hold the Presidents arm, Immediately
assisted and he was disarmed and secured
The passions Of the President were up
and for few minutes his frown was ap-
palling. He Is certainly the most extraor-
binary man of the age. No blenching, no
tested him. He saw the attempt upon his
life was calculating, determined purpose,
and he only thought of resistance. naked
and unarmed as he was. Every trace OF
age had fed-he stood giant in his youth
and lowered above all his attendants, as
the falcon towers above partridges in her
Stoop upon the quarry.
But, my dear madam what an astonish-
ing instance of the superinteding care OF
Providence over life so long devoted to
and so important to our country. The pis-
tolls were carefully examined and prove to
have been heavily charged with the great
est 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 fatal
fidelity for his life, and yet they failed.
Blessed be God for His mercy and that
His arm Is not shortened that he cannot
save
1.-The monster was taken before the judge
and examined. but no light is thrown upon
this mysterious transaction. 1t has only
tranSpired that the name of the culprit Is
Lawrence. by trade a printer raised in this
city and hitherto OF good character, but all
Inducements to the preparation OF the
dreadful crime Is undiscoverable. Strange
surmiseS are afioat. By some it is regarded
as the effect of insanity. which receives
some countenance from the strange des-
peration OF the attempt that was so made
as to render all hope of escape impossible
and also by the circumstance of his stat
ing to the marshal while In his custody on
the way to examination in answer to an In
uuiry why he had made such a nefarious
attempt upon the life Of the President that
the President had killed his father, when
the fact is that his father died in this city
some years ago. which he we'll knew
Others think that they can discover in
this daring villainy the consummation OF
the conspiracy which last winter OCCASION
ed those letters to be sent to the President
eatening him with assassination If he
did not restore the government deposits to
the Bank of the United States. All is ex-
element All is mystery and wild conjec-
ture Time alone can solve the mystery.
I am still so agitated as to scarcely able
to indite a single coherent paragraph, and
my hand trembles so as hardly to write
Iepibly although the act occurred at 2
n clock and 1t Is now midnight. But l will
dismiss this unpleasant subject II possible" !"