The Red Cloud chief., 1881-09-01


Cray men. yes. lots OF 'em. II l
could remember half OF the lunatics that
have haunted this house since l ann
on duty as wa,chman. their stories
would Gil 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 4 general
wav, you know" The speaker was
Alfonso Dunn. who has been a watch
man at the White House for the past
seventeen years.
..In General Grant time" continued
Mr.. Dunn. 1--WE were greatly bothered
by Abraham Joltz. a crazy Dutchman,
who used to present himself when the
gates opened in the morning and spend
the rest of the day in trying TO get ac-
cess TO the PRECEDENT. He was the most
persistent and ~persevering man l ever
saw. He never missed q day, rain or
shine, and always waited patiently at
the door when refused admittance. L
believe he used up half a gross
of visiting cards without ever see
Ing the President. One day he
got By the door somehow. and | met
him up stairs. VIVA, do you think allied
him? Why he believed he was elected
President of the United States, and had
come to give President Grant notice 10
quit. He appeared to be a harmless
lunatic. SO | coaxed him out By telling
him that President Grant would be
ready TO vacate the next day. IL was n
long time before l say him again. but
when he finally made his way 10 the
house again he had not forgotten my
promise. Singularly enough. he a
not noticed the lapse OF time, but spoke
Of the promise as having been made
YESTERDAY. / got him away again quiet
iy, and never saw him again. l think
Il was the next day that his slster-in-iaW
called here and asked me TO get the
President 10 put Joltz into the insane
asylum. She said his disappointment
at not being inaugurated had made him
violent. She knew he owned 2 gun
and she feared that he would cndeavor
to use it TO kill the President who had
usurped his chair. He was sent to The
insane asylum"
Were there any attempts to assas-
sinate President Grant?"
mo. not exactly; but he was never
altogether safe from crazy men,. In his
second term a big, wicked-looking
negro-he was over six foot and built
i'm PROMOTION came to me and asked
me 20 let him see the President. He
was IN evi~l-disposed looking villain and
had a trick of showing you only the
whites OF his eyes. l suspected he was
not all right, and questioned him pretty
closely. While | was talking to him l
noticed that he kept his right hand on
his left breast-pOcket, and l was afraid
he had n revolver there. made an
excuse and got away so as to call OH
Ger kearney. to whom l impaired my
suspicious. The officer, under the pre-
text that he would lead him to the
President. enticed him from the house
and Gagged him in the police station.
Search showed that his left breast
pocket contained a loaded revolver Of
large size. / don't remember his name
or what was done with him."
"Are there many who labor under
the delusion that they have been elected
to the Presidency"
"Oh, yes; two or three every year,
at least. They are generally harmless
and 90 away without giving us much
trouble. Then there's another class OF
lunatics. also humorous. They believe
they own the White House, the Capitol.
the Treasury Department, and all the
other public buildings, and come here
periodically for the keys. We General
ly send them to the Capitol, where they
wander about until they are tired. One
morning a woman who had gone crazy
because of the loss or abduction of her
daughter, came here to accuse Presi-
dent Grant of the crime. After she had
butted her head through two or three
panes of glass we gave her into the
hands of the police"
"Can you remember any other crazy
men?"
mot by name. Well. yes; have you
ever heard of John Biggins? No?
Well, he was a big Irishman, about six
feet four. and rs strong rs a yoke of
oxen. He was a rough-looking chap,
too, and had a hand like a leg of NUT
ton. He was as crazy rs a loon, but
only on one point, and that he never
showed until the occasion required. He
was one of President Grants visitors.
ouc lily TIC CstiiCu, lDOhiilS ID S'bOi a.,
a Judge and as quiet as a lamb, and
asked to see the President. His name
was sent upstairs, and, after waiting
awhile, he was shown into the Presi-
dents reception-room.
"'What can / do for you, Mr.. Big
gins?' asked the President.
President Grant, said higgins. his
greatness breaking out for the first time.
i wish you to understand that don't
want you peeping through the key
hole of my bedroom door any more. If
you do it again I'll shoot you dead, as
sure as my name is higgins
$50 would | if / were you,' replied
President Grant. not a muscle of his
face moving; land l a assure you it
will not occur again
ssThe GOODNESS of the President prob
ably saved his life, for higgins was
armed and desperate. He is now in the
insane asylum Washington Cor. N.
\. World.