Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-11-30
DR.. HALLS ESCAPE
A Crazy German Fires Three
Shots at Him.
NARROWLY MISSED THE DIVINE.
He Took Deliberate Aim, but His Weak
Eyesight Prevented Murder.

John George Roth, Who Tmagines DR..
Hall Has Ruined His Business. At
tempts to Kill the Preacher He Was
Coming from Church-The Would be
Murderer Arrestsd--stOry of His Hal
lncination.
NEW York, Nov. 30.-Jehn George
Roth, a crazy German of middle age, at
tempted to kill the Rev. John Hall,
d. D., pastor of the Fifth Avenue Pres
byterian Church, after the morning SER
vice yesterday. None of the shots took
effect. The would-be assassin was i'm
mediately arrested and lodged in jail.
Dr. Hall had just reached the steps of
his house when Roth, who was close be-
hind, fired the first shot. The Doct or
turned round, and then, seeing his dan
ger, quickened his pace up the steps.
He had just reached the landing when
the man fired again. The Doctor then
hurriedly opened the door and entered
the house. He was not moment too
soon, for, as the door closed, third
shoG rang out and bullet entered the
easement of the door,
There were but few persons on the
avenue during the shooting and the I'M
usual spectacle they were witnesses of
seemed to paralyze their powers for
time. When DR.. Hall had, however,
safely escaped inside the house, several
gentlemen sprang forward and quickly
disarmed the would-be murderer. He
offered no resistance.
Roth was undoubtedly a man of mo re
than ordinary intelligence before his
misfortunes drove him insane. In his
insanity he has attributed these mis-
fortunes to the Vaccinations of power
full enemies, among whom he counted
the Rev. John Hall.
He has busted himself in writing out
his grievances, real and fancied, and in
his pockets was found a printed CAP
peal to the Public"
After delivering himself of the text:
ooh, Human Justice, tear the bandage
from your eyes and cover your face for
shame" Roth begins:
agents in the service of wealthy and
influential people who do all in their
power to prevent me from rising again
in business are continually watching all
my steps and make it impossi BILE for me
to obtain justice.
Furthermore, day and night 1 am
bodily and mentally tormented; my
prosecutors used to mix my victuals
with some obnoxious fluff, causing me
the seyerest distress; to keep a watch on
me, and to modest me with mean, i'm
moral talk. 1t is conspiracy which was
inaugurated against me in 1879, and
has no equal in human history.
''The most sacred rights of an Ameri-
can citizen who never harmed anybody
are trodden down. My business has
been ruined, and efforts are being made
to ruin my health and drive me mad by
tampering with my meals and drink
The writer then says that through the
Vaccinations of these unseen and I'M
known enemies he was forced to flee the
country and return to Germany. Here
NJ. 81 hall L.. 4
he determined to return to New York
and publish a book exposing the acts of
the conspirators. He worked his way
| back on the steamship Denmark in
1885.
According to his printed circular he
then spent some years in writing hi 8
book and discriminating his allegations
as to the acts OF the conspirators He
processes to have had many interviews
| with Judge Hilton and Mrs. A. T. Stew
art both of whom, he declares, took an
| interest in his case. He also says that
his appeals to the members of Grace
Church and the Fifth Avenue Presbyte-
| rian Church were not futile.
Many of the members were in favor
| of appropriating various sums of money
| for his immediate necessities and to
| produce his book. Others, however,
the appeal says, objected to such appro-
| priation being made. He mentions
Bishop Potter, DR.. Hall, Judge Hilton,
Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. Bowdoin, Trustee B.
B. Sherman, Sexton Gilman and many
| others.
| According to the appeal it was sug-
gested in the first place that he should
receive 81, 500 for the publication of
his book, but certain churchmen OBJ
| jected to this. Then he declares other
meetings were held, at which it was
voted to give him So, 900, $50, 900, $780,
0OO, and finally $500, 900, but there
were always DIRECTORS. of whom the
chief was the Rev. DR.. John Hall.