Evening star., 1923-09-02
BY c. q. WRIGHT.

TT occurred on the mail steamer at
Alexandria, Va-at Alexandria,
where Washington was wont to
worship, and where, in 1914, the
British sentries paced the wharf while
the warehouses We're being emptied
of one hundred thousand dollars
worth of cotton and tobacco and four.
A monument was to be erected to
the memory of the mother of Wash
ington, at Fredericksburg. President
Andrew Jackson was invited to pre-
side and speak at the ceremony of
the laying of the corner stone, on
May 6, 1888. and, accordingly, he, to-
gether with three members OF MS
cabinet, the marshal of the Dlstrict
of Columbia and a number of proml-
nent guests. boarded the mail steamer
sydney at 10 o'clock on the morning
of Nav and proceeded down the Po-
tomac.
AS was her custom, the boat stop
ned at Alexandria for mail, freight
and passengers 1t being known that
the President would be aboard that
trip, a large crowd had gathered on
the wharf to see him, and as soon as
the gangplank was lowered numbers
of people rushed on board and to the
saloon deck, where, in the CABIN, the
President, who had not been well Tor
some time, sat reading newspaper,
with his tall, taseled cane on the
table beside him. He remained seated
while a number of ladies and gentle
shook
hands with him. and was so seated,
having picked up the paper again,
when a stranger, handsome. middle
aged and "of nervous or timid man
ner." entered and hurriedly pulled at
his gloves as he approached the
President. who, not knowing him,
cordially reached out his hand and
said: Never mind your glove, sir"
supposing him to be preparing to
shake hands in welcome and friendly
greeting. But the eager stranger
quickly put aside the cordially prof
fered hand, thrust his right hand into
the Chief Magistrates face and pulled
his nose.
Instantly Jackson's secretary (prob-
ably Col. Lewis) and several others
were upon him. He was knocked
down and very roughly handled, but,
'strange to say. he managed to escape
from the fiery Jackson and his de-
voted friends, as we'll as from the
many loyal citizens on board the boat
and on the wharf. mounted a waiting
horse there and CROSSED over into
Virginia" alexandria was still
part Of the District of Columbia).
The three cabinet ministers and the
marshal of the District had gone up
to the top deck as the boat was land
ing, so there was some confusion as
to how to proceed to capture the per-
SON who had committed this outrage
and how to handle his case when he
was captured.
Needless to say, excitement ran
high. The President seized his big
cane and asserted that he would
avenge himself, as he angrily elbowed
his way through his friends, who re-
strained him with difficulty. How the
man ever got clear of the boat and
away was mystery.
1t turned out that one man present
knew the assailant. Capt. Broome
recognized him as being Lieut.. r. B.
Randolph, late of the United States
Navy. 1t was at the period when
there was bitter feud between
Jackson and Calhoun, and Buel says
that jackson did. however. suspect
that Randolph, If not directly insti-
gated, had been unduly wrought upon
by Calhoun, who was his friend, and
who had tried to get him reinstated
in the Navy, from which he had been
He was hone other than the Lieut..