Year: 1865

a cloak on, which covered his arms


Presenting a pistol full at The breast o.
the President, he pulled the trigger
The cap exploded with loud report
but the pistol missed fire. The man in
stantly dropped the pistol, and took an
other, which he had in his left hand
cooked, aud concealed under his cloak
This also he attempted to fire, but the
cap exploded without discbarging the
pistol This double failure was very re-
markable, since the pistols were found tc
be in perfect order and properly loaded
and when provided with other caps new
er missed fire, though the experiment
was repeated twenty times.


AS soon as General Jackson perceived
the mans object, all the warrior wa.
reused within him, and he rushed upon
the assassin with uplifted cane and blaz'
ing eye. The man shrunk back from
the blow and attempted to escape. A
young naval officer, who was standing
near, knocked him down, and he was i'm.
mediately secured and taken to prison
The President, who during his recent
war upon the Bank of the United States
had often been vaguely threatened with
assassination, jumped to the conclusion
that this attempt was promoted by his
political enemies. Possessed with this
idea, be was so transported with fury,
that his friends, seeing the impossibility
Of his taking part in the remaining So
lemnities of the funeral, hurried him into
bis carriage, and had him driven rapidly
home to the White House-a distance
Of two miles. He continued to protest
that the assassin was only tool in the
hands of his enemies; and he even went
so far as to name one distinguished mem.
Der of Congress as the head of the con-
spiracy.


The prisoner was Immediately examin-
ed. He gave his name as Richard Law
renee; by birth English, though a resi-
dent of the United States from boyhood ;
by trade, a house painter; age, about
twenty-five. He appeared utterly un-
concerned as to his crime and its conse-
qnences; and, though freely acknowledge
ing that he had attempted 10 kill the
President, refused to make any explana-
ton as to his motives. The impression
made upon the court was, that he was
either a madman or a most GINNING
disOombler, and, accordingly. the marsh
al of the district requested two of the
leading physicians of Washington to ex-
anime him privately and report upon his
mental condition. To these gentlemen
the prisoner was sufficiently communi-
cative.


The examination Of this man has al
ways struck me as being very curious
chapter in the natural history OF insanity.
Insane he certainly was, but insane only
in some parts of his mind. In the very
act of attempting 20 kill the President,
he was influenced by a regard for the
safety of others, and even by respect
for the proprieties OF the OCCASION
When asked why he did not fire at the
President before the ceremony began, at
a certain moment when he had an excel
lent opportunity, he replied, that he did
not wish to interrupt the funeral, and
therefore determined to wait till it was
over. The following passage of the
physicians report reveals a strange
blending Of sanity and insanity in the
same brain:


He further stated that he aimed each
pistol at the Presidents heart, and ins
tended, if the first pistol had gone of,
and the President had fallen, to have
defended himself with the second, if de-
fence had been necessary. On being
asked if he did not expect to have been
killed on the spot, if he had killed the
President, he replied he did not; and
that he had no doubt but that he would
have been protected by the SPECTATORS
He was frequently questioned whether
he had any friends present, from whom
he expected protection. To this he re-
piled, that he never had mentioned his
intention to any one, and that no one in
particular knew his design; but that he
presumed it was generally known that he
intended TO put the President out of the
way. He further stated, thai when the
President arrived at the door, near which
he stood, finding him supported on the
left by Mr.. Woodbury., and observing
many persons in his rear, and being him
self rather to the light of the President,
in order to avoid woundiug Mr.. Wood
bury, and those in the rear, he stepped
a little to bis own right, so that should
the ball pass through the body of the
President, it would be received by the
door frame, or stone wall. On being
asked if he felt no trepidation during the
attempt, he replied, not the slightest, un.
til he found that the second pistol had
missed fire. Then observing that the
President was advancing upon him, with
an uplifted cane, he feared that it con-
tanned a sword, which might have been
thrust through him before he could have
been protected by the crowd. And when
interrogated as to the motive which in
duced him to attempt the assassination
of the President, be replied, that be had
been told that the President had caused
his loss Of occupation, and the consequent
want OF money, and be believed that to
put him out of the way, was the only
remedy for this evil


From statements Of this nature be
would ramble into pure madness, saying
that his family had been wrongfully de-
priyed of the throne of England, which
he expected to regain; that be looked
.,-o, tbs President of the United States