The Portland daily press., 1893-11-01
A Crank Demanded Cash in a New
York Police Station.
SUPT. BYRNES RECENTLY ASKED
TO REPAIR A BRAIN.

Cranks-The Case of the Man Who
Annoyed Mary Anderson and Finally
Shot an Insanity Expert--Edwin
Goulds Crank Only Wanted to Talk
Business.
New York, October 31.-With long
bladed knife and a keen edged razor in
his pocket, demented Swede walked in
to the East 35th street station house to-
day, and coolly told Sergeant Fogan to
hand over $4,000 right away, as he was in
reduced circumstances. The visitor was
arrested and disarmed. He said his
name was John Greitholz, and that he
had no home. This afternoon he was
committed to the care Of the commits
sioners of charities and correction for
examination as to his sanity.
Magnolia Andrews, the man who was
arrested yesterday for annoying Edwin
Gould at his Office in the Western Union
building, was arraigned before Justice
MARITIME in the Tombs court this morn
ing. In answer to questions, Andrews
said he was not aware he was doing
wrong in calling on Mr.. Gould. ''I came
from Kansas City week ago to see if 1
could not get better position than I
had sthere. l called on Mr.. Gould be-
cause knew him in the West year go
and asked him to give me position, and
he said he would look the matter up.
So, after waiting year, thought I
would ask him about it. In the city
| where / came from we are privileged to
talk business with all persons" Justice
MARITIME held Andrews for examination
as to his sanity.
Superintendent Byrnes said yesterday
| that the law under which cranks are
| dealt with is not stringent enough. He
instanced the case Of Dougherty. the
mad lover of Mary Anderson, who was
allowed to escape from Flatbush lunatic
| asylum and came back with a gun and
killed one of the doctors. ''Then," he
said. s'there is the case of Louis Armand.
| who persistently annoyed Mrs. Charles
B. Alexander of 4 West Fifty. eighth
street in 1891. Mrs. Alexander was for
| merly Miss Harriet Crocker. and lived in
| San Francisco. Armand was teacher
| in languages, and was engaged to teach
Miss Croker French. He was finally
discharged, and Miss Crocker was mar
ried. Armand followed her to this city,
| persisted in declaring his love to her
through the mails, and annoyed her to
such an extent that he was finally arrest
| ed. Experts pronounced him insane, but
his lawyer succeeded in getting him a
trial before jury. The jury declared
weeks later found him hanging around
MI. Alexander's house and again arrest
| ed him. He was sent to the asylum and
is there yet. Cranks should not be al
lowed to run around loose. had more
| trouble with cranks Immediately after
| the bomb was fired in Russell Sage's Of
| fee than ever before. Every time that
some hing of the sort occurs it stimu-
| lates them.''
| A short time ago man hung around
| police headquarters all day making in
| quiries as to Mr.. Byrne's movements.
| The superintendent had him brought in
and questioned him. The man said he
wanted Mr.. Byrnes to cut his head off
and reorganize his brain.
''Ever had your head cut off before, -
asked the superintendent
''Yes,'' was the reply, ''bht I know
you won't hurt me-"
'.All right" said the superintendent,
"Take him back into the execution
room.''
The man went willingly to the detec-
tive office, and was arrested. His name
was Fitzsimmons. He was brass work
er and lived in Newark.
Frederick T.. Mathes, the victim of the
murderous crank, Thomas Bradley,
whose shooting in the new postal tele-
graph building was told this morning,
was reported to be doing we'll at Cham
bers street hospital this morning. The
operation of laparotomy was performed
last evening by DR.. Simpson at the hos
pital. 1t is thought that unless peritoni-
It's sets in he will eventually recover
John O'Donnell, a crank, stood on the
Harlem bridge tonight and, brandishing
revolver, yelled, Captain Brooks owes
me $4,000 and mean to have it. He
borrowed it ~ years ago to speculate
with" The crank was taken in charge
by the police.
A crank was arrested in this city
today while trying to persuade an
italian fruit vender that an apple was
part of the moon. The man said he had
been selected to kill Mayor Harrison, but
having sold his soul to General Russell,
of New Haven, Conn, and acting under
the latter's order, he had stopped in New
York to kill the Cuban consul, in order
that the island could be annexed to the
United States. He waited too long. and
Prendergast was told to go ahead.