The Life of Andrew Jackson

by Robert V. Remini

“Very well,” Jackson said, rising and walking toward the door, “I adjourn this court ten minutes.” Bean was standing a short distance from the court, in the center of a crowd, cursing and flourishing his weapons and vowing death to all who might attempt to arrest him. Mr. Justice Jackson walked straight toward the man, a pistol in each hand. “Now,” he roared, staring into the eyes of the ruffian, “surrender, you infernal villain, this very instant, or I’ll blow you through.” Bean stared into Jackson’s blazing eyes. Then, as though reading something terrible in those eyes, he quietly surrendered his weapons. “There, judge,” he said, “it’s no use, I give in.” And he surrendered meekly. Several days later while sitting in prison Bean was asked why he gave up to Jackson after holding off an entire posse. “Why,” he said, “when he came up, I looked him in the eye, and I saw shoot, and there wasn’t shoot in nary other eye in the crowd; and so I says to myself, says I, hoss, it’s about time to sing small, and so I did.”