Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-30
THE FIRST ATTACK
GOLD HICKoRy,s,, AssktLANr CON-
MiTrED To An ASYLUM,
WHERE HE DIED.
Lawrence Imsg iped Himself King of
England. and Thought jackson
Had usurped Throne.

Lawrence Imagined Himself King of
England. and Thought jackson
Had usurped Throne.
Washington Star.
Il was about 10 years old, said an
old citizen of Washington, when the
attempt was made to kill Andrew
Jackson. The man who attempted TO
shoot him had seen before and saw
him afterward at the Jail which then
stood right back of the court house,
about the line of + street. He was
rather fine looking man, named Rich
ard Lawrence. who was of English
birth and closely connected with one
of the first families of the west end.
He had been regarded as a crazy man,
at least at times by those who knew
him. The family lived irst on Capt.
toll Hill, where his father died several
years before, and he had learned the
painters trade, which he followed at
times.
There had been funeral at the
capltol-that of a representative from
South Carolina named Davis-whieh
President Jackson and several men,
bers of the cabinet attended. aud as
the President and others walked out
OF the east door on to the portieo the
attempt was made to shoot him. Law
renee approached to within six or
eight feet of him with brass pistol
and pulled the trigger. The cap snap
ped. Lieut.. Gedney struck him and
Secretary Woodbury. got in a blow,
while the President made toward him
with uplifted cane. telling the people
who were raining blows on him that he
could settle him. BY some means
Lawrence was enabled to draw sec
ond weapon. and this he also snap
ned. The crowd seized and beat him,
and he was literally trounced from
the top of the steps to the bottom,
Austled into a carriage and driven to
the Jail. Here all violators of the law
and insane people were confined. ana
he was placed in a cell with one OF The
latter unfortunates, who came near
saving the EXPENSE of a trial by Vio-
lently assaultlng him.
THE news OF the assault spread rap
idly. and the hack in which the cul-
prit was driven to Jail was followed
by large crowd.
1.-THE act was first put down as nav
| ing been the work of the Wings, and II
was then charged to disappointed Of
Ace seeker: but when the perpetrator
of the outrage became known the peo-
ple accepted the theory that 1t was the
development Of homicidal tendency
of an insane mind. Nevertheless,
there was much interest In what would
be the outcome A+a-
"The grand jury of the Circuit
Court. presided over by Chief Justice
Cranch, with James s. Morsell ana
Buckner Thurston as his associates, at
| the March term following, found true
bill of Indictment charging Lawrence
with having on the 30th day of Janu-
airy, at the instigation of the devil ana
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
81 remember the trial which follow
ed soon after, April II. lived close
| to the Jail and court house and was
there. The court room was crowded,
some desiring to obtain a view of the
/ prisoner and to witness his actions,
while the lawyers present were all In