Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-07-19
WASHINGTON LUNATICs.
CRAZY PEOPLE WHO HANG Round THE
WHITE HOUSE,.
New York Herald.l

s.Crazy men, yes, lots OF 'em. II could
remember half of the lupatics that nave
haunted this house since came on duty
as watchman their stories would fill the
biggest newspaper in New York. But you
see there are so many of them that we
don't take the trouble To remember them
only in general way, you know The
speaker was Alfonzo Dunn, who has been
a watchman at the White House for the
past seventeen years. He is small,
pleasant featured man, with DARK, piercing
eyes, and Is a regular standby In these
DAYS for correspondents in search OF
news.
"In General Grants time" continued
Mr.. Dunn, "we were greatly bothered by
| Abraham JoltZ, 4 crazy Dutchman, VINO
used to present himself when the gates
opened in the morning and spend the rest
OF the day in trying 10 get access 10 the
/ President. lie was the most persistent
and persevering man ever saw. lie new
! or missed a day, rain or shine, and always
/ waited patiently at the door when refused
aimittance. believed he used up half 4
| gross of visiting cards without ever seeing
| the President. one day he got by the
door somehow, and met him up stairs.
| Why. he believed he was elected President
/ OF the United States, and had come TO give
President Grant notice 10 quit. lie APP
| pcared 10 be A harmless luuatic, so coax
| ed him out by telling him that President
! Grant would be ready 10 yacate the next
day. was a lOug time before | saw him
again. but when he finally made his way
| ID The house again. lac had not forgotten
INV promise. Singulariy enough, he had
not noticed the lapse OF time, out spoke OF
/ the promise a. having been made yesterday
I / rot him away quietly, and never saw
! him again. think 1t was the next day
that his si~ter-in-law called here aud asked
NE 20 get the President 10 put Joltz into
I the insane asylum. She said his disap-
poiutment at not being inaugurated had
made him violent She knew he owned q
gun. aud she feared ne would endeavOr to
nsc IL 10 XIII the President who had u>urpei
I ni, chair. He was sent 10 the Insane aSy-
I lum.'
Were there any attempts 10 assassinate
I President grant,
NO, not exactly, but he was never alto
gcther safe from crazy men. In has sec
oud term q big, wicked looking negro-he
I was over six feet in height and butt IN
|propprtlon-came 70 me and asked me 70
I let nm sec the President. He was al evii
disposed looking villain, aud had trick
OF showing you only the whites of his eyes.
/ ! suspected he was not all right, aud queS-
/ tioued him pretty closely. While was
/ talking 20 him noticed that he kept his
right baud in his len breast pocket, ana
was afraid he had = revolver there
male au excuse and got away 80 Is ~ call
Officer kearuey, 70 whom / impaired my
suspicious. The officer, under the prctext
/ that he would lead him - the President,
cutlced him from the house aud Gagged him
/ i'm the police station. Search showed that
I his len breast pocket contained loaded
revolver OF large Size. | don't remember
/ hi. name or what was done with him.
/ Are there many who labor under The
/ deIu,ion that they have been elected To the
/ presidency
/ .Oh. We; two or three every year. al
I least. They are generally harmless and 90
away without giving u much trouble.
/ Then there's another class Of lunaticS also
numerous They believe they own the
/ White House. the capitol. the treasury de-
parimcut and all the other pa 1lic hniilins>
/ aul come here periodically for the keys
\ We generally scud them To The cApl'ni'
where they wander about till they are urea.
]
/ because OF the los, OF abduction OF her
daughter, came here 20 accuse President
/ Grant OF the crime. After she had hutted
\ her head through two or three pancS of
class We gave her into the hands OF tue
police 4 very frequent nuisance al the
/ White House i the praying lunauc' haru-
/ less poor devil who has gone crazy on
religion. We had one here the other DAY
/ who ku,elcd on the porch and prayed quite
/ eioqueully for President Glrdcld. They
are generally harmless, and we let thein
have their pray ont 80 long a. they do not
make too much noise.
Can YOU remember any other crazy
men,
Not by name. Well, yes; have you
ever htarC OF John higgins: Well, he
was bic Irishman. about six feet four,
and as >tron. IS yoke OF oxen. tie was
a rough looking chap, too, aud had hand
/ like q lee OF mutton. He was n crazy as
a loon. but only on one point, and that
/ he never showed until the occasion ar
rived He was one OF President Grant ;
visitors. One DAY be called looking as
SOBER a. a Judge and a. quiet a. LAMB
anu asked - see the President. HIS name
was srnt up stairs, AMI after waiting a
while he was shown into the President ;
reception room o..
What can do for you, Mr.. Bisgins: ?
asked the President.
President Grant, said higgins, his era
/ ziue>S breaking out for the hr>t time, i
wish YOU u understand that don't want
you p.cpiu- through the kcyhole OF my
bedroom door aay more. II you do IL
again I'll shoot you dead, A. sure as my
name g., BigginS.
so would ii were YOU replied Pres
iient Grant. not q muscle of his face NOV
ins, and assure you it will not occur
again.
The GOODNESS of the President probably
saved his life. for Biggius was armed aud
desperate. He is now in the insane asy-
lum."
Just ~ this point Secretary Blaine came
down stairs and the Waterman rushed
away 10 open the door for him. Mr..
Walker Blaine. the eldest son and private
secretary OF Secretary Blaine, says that he
was often greatly annoyed by the persist
encv OF Guiteau. He had no possible
claim on the department at home or abroad,
and yet for time he presented himself
almost every day, only 10 be sent away
unsati>fied. Mr.. Blaine thinks he Is more
knave than fool.
Daniel MacNamara, who looks very
much like tramp, visited police headquar-
tiers this afternoon and asked 10 be allowed
to interview Guiteau. He said that by the
mere force of his will he could draw from
the assassin the names of the men who
were in the plot with him. He was exam
ined aud sent 10 an insane asylum.
iCREDIT DUE TO THE SMALL BOY"
General sherman said 10 New York
Herald correspondent day or two ago
In my conversation with you last night
| forgot 10 mention one thing-that is, the