Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-16
CARING FOR CRANKS.
Subject of a Discourse by a Wash
ington Presbyterian Minister.
ASYLUMS FOR THEIR BENEFIT
Urged by Man Who Had an Experience
With Hogg, of Homestead.
MEN WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE LIBERTY
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.l

SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.1
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 1j.-Dr. w.
A Bartlett, pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church in this city, is very popular cler'
gvman, who breaches every Sunday to q
large and distinguished congregation, in.
cluding Senators German and Mcmillan,
Judge Harlan and other prominent public
men. In his sermon Sunday morning the
doctor told a crank story, and produced
something of a sensation.
- He was preaching about the cities of ref
uge mentioned in the Bible, where persons
who had unintentionally been guilty OF q
homicide could fee and be safe from moles-
tation This suggested train of thought
in regard to the large number of deaths that
resulted from carelessness, more in number
bv far than was the result of deliberate in
tention. He quoted from the President S
message figures which showed that during
the wear ending June so. 1890, ., 450 rail
road employees had been killed and Q, 800
had been injured, largely as the result OF
carelessness.
Deaths Due to the Order of Cranks.
The speaker referred to the prevalence of
carelessness resulting in a heavy loss OF life,
and then spoke of the deeds of the class OF
people known as cranks. Some provision,
he thought. ought to be made for caring for
such people, and for keeping them where
they could do no harm. He was of the
opinion that Institutions occupying posi-
ton midway in the scale OF punishment for
crime between a penitentiary and an insane
asvlum ought to be established for the re-
ception of people Of this kind.
Eo +ha, of q
on the previous Sabbath with a man of the
crank species. Upon the conclusion of the
services last Sunday morning, he said, a
man came up to him as he stepped from the
pulpit and told him that he wished to speak
to him. He merely glanced at the man.
and seeing other people waiting to speak
to him, said to him that he would see him
presently. The man. however, replied: 81
must speak to you at once.
Hogg. the Homestead Crank.
This remark arrested the DOCTORS atten-
ton instantly, and he realized that he stood
in the presence of a crank. He looked
hastily to see if he carried a dynamite
bomb, and then glanced the man over He
saw a man of medium size, with tuft of
hair standing up prominently from his
head, and features that were rather insight
fcant The man handed him a card, rather
thing like Maurice John Henry Hogg, and
under the name was the word ''bricklayer. "
While the doctor was looking at the card
the man said in hurried way, 81 came
here to see the President. 1 want to see
him specially, on matter of Importance.
But i want it to be understood that all these
people, whether they be Christians or not,
who are following me, have got to stop it.
/ have stood this thing long enough. There
is band of conspirators, and 1t must be
broken up"
The man went on in this strain, and the
doctor said he was not long in reaching the
conclusion that he st ood in the presence not
only of crank but of homicidal crank.
Boss of the Police Not at Church.
He glanced around, thinking that Colonel
Moore, the Major of Police, whose seat was
near the pulpit, might be at hand and he
would turn the man over to him, but
Colonel Moore, as it happened, was not at
church that day. Then he looked in an
other direction, and the man, evidently
divining his intention, without saying an
other word, darted to a side aisle and
pushed his way out of the church as rapidly
as possible.
DIR. Bartlett at the close of the narrative,
stated to the relief of his hearers that he
had seen in the papers few DAYS later a
notice of the arrest of this man-who came
from Homestead, Pa.-for making threats
in regard to the President. President Har-
rison does not attend DR.. Bartlett's church,
as he is a member of its otfshoot, the Church
OF the Covenant