St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-30
4 New York German Lunatie
Fires at DR.. John Hall
Three Times.
None Of the Leaden Pellets
Take Effect in the DOM
inie'S Person.
Written Evidence in the
Zany's Pockets Of His
Mental Alteration.
He Imagined That DR.. Hall
Headed a Conspiracy
Against Him.

Hall, pastor of the Fifth Avenue Pres
hyterian church, was passing from the
church to the parsonage adjoining, just
after the close of the morning service
today, a man named John G. Rath, a
German. fOrty-fve years old, stepped
from behind a wagon on the opposite
side of the avenue and fired three shots
in quick succession at the reverend gen.
tleman, as he was about ascending the
steps of his residence. The first shot
struck the stone stoop of the doctors
house, the second perforated one of the
glass panels of the front door. and the
third flattened itself against the
side of the house. The shooter cOOllY
put the pistol, five-c hambered revolver,
in his pocket, while A. E. Dick, men,
Der of DR.. Halls church, and the sex
ton, jumped upon him and held him
until the arrival of an officer. He made
no resistance whatever and was led
away to the Fifty-first street station
house and locked up. Shortly afterward
DR.. Hall went to the police station and
preferred a complaint against the
prisoner. Rath is heavy, well-built
dressed and has the appearance of
well-tO-do business man. He gave his
business as that OF 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 station and saw that
the prisoner was safely landed be-
hind the bars. 1t was an eminently
respectable crowd. composed mostly of
church people, many of whom were
members of Dr.. Halls church. Hence,
there was no riot, attempt at rescue, or
threats Of lynchlng. The prisoner was
evidently not in his right mind. He
muttered about conspiracy which he
imagined existed against him, and pa
pers found on his person showed the
bias of his imaginings. There were two
of these dOcume hts, one i'll manuscript
and the other printed, but both were sub
Stantlally the same. The printed paper
was more circumStantial in the history
of the alleged conspiracy to drive the
writer to suicide or crime. 1t stated
that agents in the hands of wealthy and
influential people were doing all in their
power to prevent him from rising in
business, were watching all of his steps
tain Justice. His tormentors, too, he
said. mixed his food with obnoxious
stuff, thereby causing him immense dis
tresS. The conspiracy, the statement
says, was inaugurated in 1879, and has
no equal in human history. The
statement goes on in this sort
of style at great length, all
of which shows that the author
was man of unbalanced mind. The
document indicates that DR.. Hall, DR..
Potter and Judge Hilton were the chief
conspirators; Mrs. A. L. Stewart was,
it was animated, good friend of his.
The prisoner stated, after his arrest,
that DR.. Hall was
Chief Among Those COnspiring
to do him bodily and mental harm; this.
in explanation of his actions. Inquiry
at the address gwen discovered a cheap
restaurant and lodging house, Andrew
Greener, proprietor. Ii is located in the
tenement house quarter of the city, and
is patroniZed by a transient class of
very poor people, mostly foreigners.
The landlord said that Rath had occu-
pied room there for about four months;
had been in this country twenty years.
and had acquired fair knowledge of
the English language. Greener also said
that Rath had lately been employed in
ali luCuDdIiuS cSldDllSIlbChJ III DlOOh-
Ign. He had noticed certain peculiari-
ties in Rath's conduct which seemed to
indicate that he was mentally unbal-
anced. He often paced his room at
night and talked 1ncOherently. Still,
he had not thought he was a dangerous
man. DR.. Hall was seen at his home
shortly after the shooting. He mani
ested no apparent nervousness i'll COLI
sequence of his narrow escape, but
he declined positively to converse
upon the topic. He admitted
that he had known Rath for
some time and had received letters
from him. but he declTSN TO say what
was the nature of the matter written to
him or whether 1t was replied TO. 1t is
not known whether any threats have
been conveyed or not. The prisoner
was reticent, and though outwardly
calm, seemed to be laboring under sup
| pressed excitement. He paced merry
| ously up and down his cell and paid lit
tie attention to his surroundings. The
| police declined to permit the reporters
| to talk with the prisoner. He will be
arraigneG in the Yorkville police court