Evening star., 1950-11-19
Attacks on Jackson
odd Hickory Shot At During Funeral
And Had His Nose Tweuked on Boat
By John CIoqett Proctor

While President Andrew Jack
IN was in Office several attacks
e made on his life. One was
the afternoon of January 80,
o35, at funeral services for a
Representative from South Caro-
lima in the rotunda. On this par
ticular occasion President Jackson
escaped a great tragedy. The
President, being near the head of
the funeral procession, had
crossed the rotunda and was about
to go out on the portico, when a
man in the crowd aimed a pistol
at the breast of "Old Hickory
from a distance of eight feet. The
cap exploded but the pistol missed
fire. The would-be assassin at
tempted unsuccessfully to fire a
second weapon. when the Presi-
dent rushed at him with uplifted
cane, but a naval lieutenant
knocked the assailant down. The
attack threw Jackson into a tre-
mendous passion. HE fears
nothing" Harriet Martineau re-
corded, "but his temper is not
equal to his courage. Instead of
putting the event calmly aside
and proceeding with the business
Of the hour. it was found neces-
sary to put him in his carriage
and take him home"
TIE r. iclph Case
Another early attempt on the
life of Gen. Andrew Jackson was
made by Robert Beverly Ran.
dolph. He was an eleve Cor pupil
of Washington (now Washington
and Lee) College, the son of q
soldier of the Revolution, anc
through the influence of Decatur
had obtained in 1910 a midship-
mans position in the Navy. He
was an officer on the Constitution
when she captured the Guerrero
and served under Decatur in the
United States when she captured
the Macedonian. In 1914, wher
with Decatur on the President
she was captured and carried into
Bermuda.
While prisoner of war on parole
there an invective against Decatur
and the American Navy, in the
Royal Gazette, attracted his at
tention, and he met the editor or
one of the principal resorts of the
place and beat him with a cane
He escaped arrest, being concealed
by American sympathizers, anc
removed from Bermuda in a small
vessel which landed him in Rhode
Island. On his return he wa:
promoted to a lieutenancy, ant
was complimented with a sword b!
the General Assembly of Virginia
He was an officer on the Con
stitution frigate in 1928 when it
purser, John B. Timberlake. com
mitted suicide.
Purser Undertakes Office wa
assigned to 1t. Randolph ant
when the cruise was over and tn
accounts settled, a balance of 81,
900 was found due by the ship t.
the Treasury of the United States
1t became a question whether tn
deficit took place under the deat
purser or the living lieutenant. I
under Purser Timberlake, Mrs
Eaton'S estate was responsible
The matter continued unsettled
for several years. but in 1882 {
court of inquiry was convened b!
Mr.. Woodbury., then Secretary o.
the Navy, which declared tha
there was nothing in the case af.
fecting the integrity of 1t. Ran
dolph, but that he was legally re.
sponsible to make good the deficit
Randolph declined to pay ane
demanded a court-martial. Tht
President Immediately promul'
gated an order, dated April 18
1898, dismissing Randolph from
the service, saying "the facts O.
the investigation prove him to b.
unworthy to the naval service o
the Republic, and an unfit asso
ciate for those sons of chivalry
integrity and honor who adorl
our Navy"
Attack on the Sydney
Randolph published on the 6tl
of May a vindication of his con
duct. On that day he was il
Alexandria, the guest of Rober
Randolph, his uncle. Presiden
Jackson was expected to pass tn
town that day, on his way t.
Fredericksburg, Va, to lay tn
cornerstone of monument t,
Mary, the mother of Washington
He arrived there on the steamel
Sydney, which, according to tht
postal arrangements in those days
waited at the wharf while ths
mail carriers took the Northern
incoming mail to the post Office