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

The assassination Of Abraham Lincoln
by John Wilkes Booth, April IA, 1866, and
the shooting Thames A Garfield by
Charles J. Guiteau, July 2, 1881, are clear
Iy remembered by millions of our citi-
zens, and still recalled with grief TO
the younger people they have become
familiar incidents through frequent pub
lication of the stories of the crimes
But very few are familiar with an at
tempted assassination of another of our
presidents. On Jan, 3d. 1885, one Richard
Lawrence, standing within a 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 n1enberS3Gf 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 retunda and the eastern door to
take carriages forSSthe cemetery. While
the foremost members OF the procession
were entering carriages the presidential
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 Mahlon Diclser-
son, the secretary Of the navy. Just at
that moment, while the party was mo-
mentarily halted. the man seized the op-
porturity. He stepped quickly from the
crowd into the little open space, pre-
sented his pistol, and those near were
startled by a sharp report. The weapon
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 mis- 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 f1intlock 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. It was probable this seemingly.
Insignificant fact which caused the fail
IRE of both the Weapos to fire. The pris-
oner evidently in both instances, failed
to ram the powder into the tube They
were tested again and. again with some
of the remaining powder and balls and
caps found on the prisoner, and never
once missed firesdaiss IN ,7.iil<stia az
About the moment of the second ex-
plosion, Mr.. Giilet, member of the
house from New York, a large powerful
man, and Lieut. Gedney, CT the navy, 4
seized Lawrence, like Mr. Woodbury., and 4
he was borne to the floor. Of course the
old War-horse Jackson was not the man
to stand still during a scene like this.
When Secretary Woodbury. sprang away
from him he lifted his cane and attempt
ed to strike his assailant It 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 a few
minutes, and was f,eFsuaged to go to the
capitol gYs
At the arraignaaent of. the prisoner,
which took place at once, he was the
coolest man present. He declined to
make any. explanation or to cross-exam-
inc the witnesses Bail was fixed at
$i,0O0, and in default of this he was re-
manded to prison. Francis Scott Key.
the famous author of the .Star-Spangled
Banner was the district attorney at
that time, and Suggested that the man
might have aecofhplices who might come
forward and give bail and then allow him
to escape, but this feaf was not realized
Jackson himsek ikaaped at the CON
clusion that his political enemies had
plotted to take hfs life. Some days after
the occurrence he declared TO visitors
at the White hose. 5aIat the man was
tool in the hands-ef others. Dark insinu-
auons of the same tenor were printed; in
the Globe, the administration organ.
Those were 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 ana assassination
he was going only one step farther. 1t
soon became apparent, however. that the
man had no accomp1iees; and almost no