Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-30
AN INsANE,s MANS ACT.

Rev. Dr. Hall the Target for a Crazy
 Man's Bullets-Three Shots Fired
 Without EHect-The would-be As-
 sassin Locked Up-The Papers
 Found on His Person.
 NEW YORK, Nov 29.-As Rev. John Hall, pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presby- terian church, was passing from the church to the pastorags adjoining, just after the morning servioe to-day, John G. Bath, a German, forty-ive years of age, stepped from behind a wagon on the opposite side of the avenue and fired three shots in quick succession at the reverend gentleman as he was about ascending the steps of his residence. The first shot struck the stone stoop of the doc. tors house, the second perforated one of the glass panels of the front door and the third fattened itself against the side of the house. The shooter coolly put up the pistol, five-chambered revolver of the pattern known as the "Young America, |" in his pocket, while A. E. Dick, member of Dr. Halls church, and the sexton jump ed upon him and held him until the arriv- al of an officer. Rath made no resistance eA0 "sS eS0 oWoy " oaO 5tiCSt station and locked up.
 Shortly afterward Dr. Hall went to the station and preferred complaint against the prisoner. Rath is heavy, we'll built man, with whiskers and moustache, we'll dressed and looks like @ well-to-do busi- ness man. He said he was real estate dealer. A great crowd was present when the shooting occurred, and for while the most intense excitement prevailed About fifty people followed the officer to the sta tion and saw that the prisoner was safely landed behind the bars. It was an emi- nently respectable and order ly crowd, composed mostly of church-going people, many of whom were members of Dr. Halls church. The pris- oner was evidently not in his right mind. He muttered something about a conspiracy which he imagined existed against him. Two papers found on his person showed the bias of his imagination. One docu- ment was in manuscript and the other was printed, but both were substantially the same. The printed paper was more cir cumstantial in the history of the alleged conspiracy to drive the writer to sui eide or crime. It stated that agents in the hands of wealthy and influential people were doing all in their power to prevent him from rising in business, even watching all his steps and making it impossible for him to obtain justice. His tormentors, too, it is said, mixed obnoxious stuff in his food, thereby causing him intense distress. The con spiracy, the statement declared, was in augurated in 1879, and had no equal in human history. The statement goes on in this sort of style at great length, plainly showing that the authors mind was un- balanced. The document that Dr. Potter, Dr. Hall and Judge Hilton were the chief con spirators and that Mrs. A. T. Stewart was good friend of the prisoner stated after his arrest that Dr. Hall was chief among those conspiring to do him bodily and mental harm. Inquiry at the address given by the prisoner discovered cheap restaurant and lodging house. It is locat- ed in the tenement house quarter and is patronized by very poor people, mostly foreigners. The landlord said Rath had occupied a room for four months, had been in this country twenty years and had acquired fair knowledge of the English language.
 The landlord said that the prisoner had been employed in an incubating establish ment in Brooklyn. Rath often paced his room and talked incoherently. Still he had not thought him dangerous Dr. Hall was seen shortly after the shooting. He manifested no nervousness, but declined to converse upon the topic. He admitted he had known Rsth for some time and had received letters from him, but he declined to say what was the nature of the matter written to him or whether it was replied to. The prisoner was retieent and seemed to be laboring under suppressed excitement. lie paced nervously up and down his cell and paid little attention to his surround ings. He will be arraigned tomorrow. It is said that Rath was a member of Dr. Halls church and had attended at frequent intervals. The last time he was seen there was about year ago. Some years ago the doctor assisted the man financially, but he had seen nothing of him for some time.