New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-30
THE REV. DIR. HALL SHOT AT.
A MADMAN's FUTILE ATTEMPT TO ASsAS.
SINAIE HIM.

OF THE FIFTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH WITHOUT HARM-THREE Bull
LETS FIRED AT CLOSE RANGE
HIS AssAILANr PROMPTLY
LOCKED UP.
The Rev. DR. John Hall, pastor Of the Fifth
Avenue Presbyterian Church, narrowly escaped
death yesterday at the hands of an assassin.
Three shots were fired at him as he came out of
the church after the morning service. Happily,
all of them missed their mark. John George
Roth, the man who tried to kill DR.. Hall, is one
of those crazed creatures with fanciful grievance
who make weary the lives of public men. lie is
now prisoner in the hands of the police
DR.. Hall, as usual, preached to crowded
congregation yesterday morning. After the service
was over he stopped on his way out of the church
to talk with some Of the elders. The congrega-
ton had gone out and the sexton was about
to close the doors when DIR. Hall bade The
elders ,good-morning and walked out. 1t was
then lust ten minutes to 1 o'clock. The church
stands or the northwest corner of Fifth-ave. and
Fifty-ffth-st 1t has two entrances; one on the
street. and the main one Fifth-ave. 1t was
through the latter that DR.. Hall passed out lie
turned to the left to enter his parsonage, which
adjoins the church on Fifth-ave.
There were few people in the avenue on the
opposite side of the street and Immediately iac-
ing the church stood tall, well-dressed, hhely
built, handsome man, with n flowing beard ana
mustache For nearly half an hour he had paceu
restlessy up and down the sidewalk WIN MS
eyes fixed on the door of the church. AS the faml-
lar figure of Dr. Hall appeared in the church porch
the man stopped in his walk His eyes lit up
with fendish hate. He took step forward
and his hand darted to his right-hand overcoat
pocket. DR.. Hall reached the stoop of his house
and began to mount the steps, and in the same
instant something in the mans hand flashed in
the light and a pistol-shot rang out on the air.
There was cry from the bystanders as DR.. Hall
wheeled around and gazed confuscdly about him
The man who had fired the shot stood still for
an instant as though watching the effect of his
bullet Then he darted across the road until he was
within half dozen yards of DIR. Hall. Again his
right arm was raised in steady aim at the Doctors
FORM and a second shot rang out. DIR. Hall had
seen the man rush toward him, he had seen the
revolver levelled at his head, and realized that
it was he at whom the bullets had been aimed.
THE THIRD SHOT ALSO FAILS.
Instinctivey he darted up the steps of the
stoop The assassin followed close behind him.
DR.. Hall pulled open the storm door and got
His pursuer dragged open the storm door and
standing on the lower step raised his revolver
for the third time and fred This last shot was
at close quarters, and Dr. Hall felt the whizz
Of the bullet as it few past nim and embedded
itself in the wanscotng of the door. As the
third shot was fired, the man wheeled around
and ran down the steps.
1t had all happened with such suddcnness that
every one near the spot was paralyzed with
amazement and horror. The first to recover his
senses was A.. f. Dick Mr.. Dick, who lives al
No. SO West Twenty -second-st, was on his way
home from the Rev. Dr. MacArthurs Calvary
Baptist Church in Fiftyseventhst. He was
walking along the west side of the avenue when
he heard the first shot He saw the man rush
toward Dr. Hall and saw the second shot hrcd
lie saw the man rush up the house steps In pur-
suit Of Dr. Hall, and heard the third shot Then,
as the assassin ran back across the road TO The
east side of the avenue, Mr. Dick, with an effort
as of man suddenly awakened from sleep,
dashed after him. Burton. the sexton, had just
closed the church door behind DIR. Hall when
he too heard the three shots. lie opened the
door and rushed out the sidewalk. lie saw
a man. graspng a smoking revolver, run down
the steps of the parsonage and across the avenue
Mrs William Irwin, relative of DIR. Hall, ran
down the steps Of the parsonage and screamed out
that the man who was running away was the
man who had tried to shoot DIR. Hall. Burton
ran after him. AS the man reached the cufD
Dick and Burton grabbed him by the collar
Two women ran into the church and called to
c. H. Burton that DR.. Hall had been shot. Young
Burton rushed out and came up with his father
and Mr.. Dick just as they laid their hands on
the man. A crowd of nearly hundred persons
surgcd around the prisoner, shouting and gestlcu-
lating The prisoners face. white as II corpse
his ashy lips and his trembling limbs told of the
fear within him. But he looked around with
sneering laugh at the crowd. and, frightened as
he was, carried off the situation with the GOODNESS
of Satan.
THE PRISONERS GOODNESS.
THAT / shall tell in good time to the court"
he answered when Burton asked him why he
had tried to shoot DR.. Hall.
Have you got a pisto?" said Mr.. Dick
NO. replied the man.
His pockets were promptly searched and there
on the right side of the overcoat was found
32-calibre, double-action, fve-chambered revolver
Three chambers had been discharged.
Did you know whom you were shooting? ?"
asked Mr.. Dick.
"Of course | do lie has interfcrcd with me
too long" replied the man.
What has he interfered about ?" asked Mr..
Dick.
That / shall tell tomorrow" was the reply
Policeman John Tappan, of the Twenty-third
Precinct here ebowcd his way through the crowd,
and the prisoner handed over to him and
taken TO the police station
Dr. Hall was unhurt. but each bullet had
found its billet. The first made a crack in
one of the steps of the stoop; the second smashed
the right side of the parlor window, while the
third lodged in the Nainscoting of the door.
The prisoner led into the East Fiftyfirst Street
Police Station followed by an excited crowd To
Captain. Warts the prisoner said . am John
George Roth, forty-seven years old, and came
from Rhensh Prussia in 1871. live at No. 29S