Attempted Presidential Assassination

[Loyalist Dave]

January 30, 1835
Richard Lawrence stepped from a crowd of onlookers as President Andrew Jackson left the Capitol Building, and attempted to shoot The President twice, with a pair of caplock pistols. They failed to fire, and Jackson caned the man, and members of Congress (Including the Honorable David Crockett) detained the man.

Lawrence believed he was Richard III and that President Jackson had killed his father. Francis Scott Key prosecuted Lawrence who was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source: The Washington Examiner

LD

 

[StewartLeach]

Surely the cane was made of "Old Hickory"!

Andrew Jackson has long been one of my heroes, for many reasons which we should revisit today.

 

[Zonie]

Except for its historical interest, I'm not quite sure why this topic is in the Handgun Forum?

Perhaps it is here because of the comment about the attempted assassin using a pair of percussion pistols.

By 1835 the percussion system was quite well known and popular. This was especially true on the East coast where the availability of the caps was not a problem.

Colt had designed his first revolver prior to 1832 and of course it was based on the percussion cap system so I think it should be no surprise that an assassin wanting to use the latest technology would choose pistols that were percussion.

In those days, percussion caps were rather unreliable and the producers went to great lengths to try to make them waterproof and more reliable. Andrew Jackson should have been glad they had not fully successful. :grin:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes because he used percussion pistols. I believe that they discovered Lawrence had cleaned and loaded them, but hadn't properly cleaned and cleared the nipples, so the caps when off, but no explosion. The new tech, which luckily for Jackson, Lawrence hadn't mastered.

LD

 

[Wes/Tex]

Since Jackson was already carrying a .60 (plus or minus) ball near his heart, what would a couple more smaller ones matter??!!

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I run a toothpick thru the nipple flash-hole myself before loading the chambers

 

[BillinOregon]

Dave, thank you for this tidbit. I had not heard of it.

 

[Greg Hardy]

From what I recall, after re-capping the pistols, they fired properly. I guess Jackson didn't need secret service.

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

Well, he was implicitley guarded by David Crockett. That's something.

 

[buford87]

And to show his thanks to Davy Crocket Jackson ruined him politically and financaly.................watch yer top knot..............

 

[Vairochana]

From the little I know of Ol' Hickory, if you shot him you would just make him angry.

 

[54ball]

Both did indeed fire after recapping.