Lynchburg Virginian

TRIAL OF LAWRENCE

The trial of Richard Lawrence, for an attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, took place in Washington on the 10th inst., before the Circuit Court—present, Judges Cranch, Morsell and Thruston. The National Intelligencer says, "his appearance was that of a man perfectly at his ease, and collected; but there is an appearance about his eyes, certainly indicative of mania; and an evident assumption of kingly dignity in his demeanor and the expression of his countenance." The evidence, connected with the circumstances of his attempt to shoot the President, does not vary from the narrative given at the time; and the testimony of the physicians (Doctors Hall, Bohrer, Causin, Lowell, Worthington and Sewall) concurs, with a single exception, in pronouncing that the act was superinduced by mental alienation. That exception is Dr. Causin, who, while he would not take upon himself the responsibility of asserting that he was not so far insane as not to be conscious of the turpitude of his attempt, and therefore amenable to the laws, expressed the opinion that it was rather the effect of false imagination and morbid delusion than insanity—a nice distinction, we imagine, to any but metaphysical minds. We do not deem it necessary to copy the trial at length—Suffice it to say that the jury found a verdict of "Not Guilty, having been under the influence of insanity at the time he committed the act." The Court then ordered that Lawrence should be remanded, and be made as comfortable, and treated as well as his situation would permit, until some provision could be made to prevent his doing further mischief. During the trial, Lawrence several times interrupted the proceedings, by rising, in great excitement, and demanding to know by what authority he, who was a King, was thus detained and prosecuted—denying the power of the Court to try him, &c. So ends this comico-tragico affair!