The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-19
SLAYER AFTER AN EX-SENATOR
MCPHERSON Of NEW JERSEY MAR
ROWLY ESCAPES MURDER.

A Man Who Is suing Him For $3.50
900 Tries to shoot Him After De-
manding SettIcment-The Ex-
Senator's Life Saved by His Pri-
Vate Secretary-NlcPhersO Asserts
That the Mans Claim Is Purely
Imaginary and He Believes Him
Insane.
New York, May 1S.-An attempt was
made to-day to kill ex-United States SEN
ator ]. r. Mcpherson in his office in the
Aldridge building in this city.
William b. Van AIKEN, who made the
attempt is partly blind and is said to be
interested in suit, in which the senator
is also involved
Van AIKEN had an accomplice in the
matter, whose name is unknown and who
escaped.
Van AIKEN was arrested. He attempted
to shoot the ex-senator but was prevented
from doing so by his secretary, Edward
f. Low. Van AIKEN was arragned in po-
lice court this afternoon, and remanded
in default of $1,000 bail
Mr. Mcpherson has admitted that he
knew Van AIKEN several years ago ivan
Aken," said Mr. Mcpherson, was once a
very wealthy man, owned a property in
New Jersey and was a contractor. lie
built several docks in this city and New
Jersey. He was obliged to mortgage a
good deal OF his property and bought one
of his Jersey farms at a mortgage SAFE.
never had a direct transaction with the
man, but he came to me afterwards and
claimed that / had entered into an agree
ment with him to run the farm on equal
profit shares. He insisted that l owed
him $2S0,000 and in November last brought
suit in the supreme court. I had the suit
transferred to the United States court
and since that time he has not attempted
to revive the suit. / am inclined to believe
that the man is insane.
Van AIKEN told me this morning that
he was tired out waiting for his lawyer
to settle the case and thought that we
could settle it between US. l told him l
did not want to talk with him and that
he had better go away; if he wanted to
know anything about the case he must go
to my lawyer When had said that, his
accomplice deliberately turned a chair so
that Van AIKEN was exactly oppo-
site me and sat with his knees against
mine. Then Van AIKEN said: VIII you
settle the case? 1 said that 1 would not.
He made a move towards his hip pocket
and 1 got up and went out into my sec
retarys office. If 1t had not been for Mr..
Lows action in the matter l would have
been killed"
Rufus ". Williams, the attorney for
Van AIKEN, said that he would not put in
any defense and the case was set for the
grand jury
Mr.. Mcpherson said that he is very anx-
ious to secure the capture of Van Aken's
companion, who was poorly dressed and
not the sort of looking man whom Van
AIKEN would know intimately.
Van AIKEN, in court, declared that in go
ing to the office of Mr.. Mcpherson he had
no intention to shoot him, but simply
wanted a settlement of the suit.
At the hotel where Van AIKEN lives, it
is said that this was the first day that he
left the house since last fall. He was al
ways looked upon as a respectable busi-
ness man, and was an object of sympathy
on account of his partial blindness. He
has been almost blind for two years. He
is said to have one son and to be a wild
over