The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-09-20
TRIED TO KILL JACKSON
An Attempt On "Old Hick-
ory's" Life Described In A
Letter From A Congress
sept. I9 St.

The NeW York Sun says: "NIrs.
Harriet Maxwell Converse, of
this city, has a letter describing
the attempt to assassinate Presi-
dent jackson, written by Con.
gresham Howell, of New York,
to her aunt, Mrs. Frances Came
ron, Congressman Howell was a
witness Of the attempt to kill
President jackson. His letter is
dated at Washington, January
so. 1885. on the evening of the
day of the event. The letter is in
part as follows:
81 have been under a high de
gree Of eXcitment all the afternoon
at a most daring attempt to ass
asSinate the President at the Cap
itol today. We had been attend
ing the funeral Of a deceased
member, Congressman Davis, of
South Caroline, and the President,
as is usual on such occasions.
was present.
= AS the President came out of
the rotunda a man advanced to-
ward him from the front, and
when he approached within two
yards he presented a pistol and
ATTEMPTED to discharge it at the
Presidents breast. 1t was what
is called a percussion lock, which
is primed with a little copper cap
containing percussion or detonat
ing powder, a material the most
combuStible and constituting a
means or firing any weapon with
the most fatal certainty. This cap
exploded without diScharging the
pistol, which was instantly drop
ped by the miscreant and another
drawn from his bosom and snap
ped at the President with a celeri
ty that prevented all possible inter
ference by the bystanders and re
siStance by him.
{" But the President observed
the attack and the lion was arrous-
ed at once. He raised his cane
(the only weapon in his reach)
and aimed a blow at the assassin.
At the same time Captain Gedney
seized the assassin and threw him
down. Mr.. Woodbury., who had
held the Presidents arm, i'm.
mediately assisted and he was dis
armed and secured.
" The passions of the President
were up and for few minutes his
frown was appalling. He is GER
tainly the most extraordinary man
of the age. No blanching, no
timid misgiving even for mo.
ment affected him. He saw the
attempt upon his life was calculat-
ing determined purpose, and he
only thought of resistance, naked
and unarmed as he was. Every
trace of age had tied-he stood
a giant in his youth and lowered
above all his attendants. as the
falcon towers above cartridges In
her swoop upon the quarry.
"'The monster was taken before
the Judge and examined, but no
light is thrown upon the myster-
ious 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; bnt all
inducement to the preparation
of the dreadful crime is undis-
coverable, Strange surmises are
at1oat. BY some it is regarded as
the effect of insanity, which re
celveS some cOuntenance from the
| strange desperation of the at
tempt that was so made as to
render all hope of escape impossi.
BILE, aud also by the circumstance
of his starting to the Marshal
while i'll his custody on the way
to examination in answer to an
inquiry why he had made such q
nefarious attempt upon the life of
the President, that the Presi
dent had killed his father
when the fact is that his father
died in this city some years ago.