The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-18
Pistol Held Against Aged Sena-
tor McPhersOn's Body
By a Man With Whom He Had
an Alteration.
BUT FOR QUICK ACT
Of His Secretary the New Jer-
sey Ex-senator
Would Probably Have Been
Murdered in His Office.

New York, May 1S.-An attempt was
made today to kill ex-United States
Senator J. 4. Mcpherson in his office in
the Aldridge building, this city. VIM.
B. Van AIKEN, who made the attempt
is partly blind and is said to be inter
ested in a suit in which the senator
is also involved. Van AIKEN had an ac-
complice in the matter whose name is
unknown and who escaped. Van AIKEN
was arrested
Senator Mcpherson, who represented
New Jersey in the senate for about
eighteen years, is now president of the
Western Stock Yards companys, with
offices in the Aldridge building. The
ex-senator occupied an inner office.
while the outer office is for his secre-
tary, Edward f. Low. Both men were
in their usual places about IL o'clock
this morning when two men entered
One was Van AIKEN, a well built man.
The other man was somewhat smaller.
Both men walked through the secre-
tary'S office past Mr. Low and into the
inner office, where Senator Mcpherson
sat Senator Mcpherson was looking
over some papers at his desk and sat
with his back to the door Both men
walked up to him and spoke to him.
Just what they said is not known, as
the senator has not quite recovered
from the shock and cannot yet tell
what really happened. He is so weak
that a nurse always accompanies him
to his office. Mr.. Low, the secretary,
says he heard Van AIKEN say some
thing to the senator about wanting him
to settle suit. Mr.. Low says that
both men seem to have an interest in a
suit over the Belle Meade stock farm.
on the Lehigh railroad in New Jersey.
Mr.. Low remembers hearing Senator
Mcpherson tell Van AIKEN that he could
say nothing about the suit and must
i'm fn n f-
Mr.. Low took no further notice until
a minute or so later the private office
door was suddenly pushed open.
With cry of alarm the aged eX-sen-
ator ran quickly out into the front Of
flee. Cropping his way in a fury of
blind haste, Van AIKEN followed. His
| companion was endeavoring to guide
him through the doorway, but Van Ak
en- hurried ahead, putting his hands out
in front of him to feel his way. Before
Mr.. Low could rise from his seat Van
AIKEN clutched the ex-senator with his
right hand and fumbIed with his left
behind his back.
Van Aken's companion at this juno
ture hurried out of the room. When
Mr.. Low caught Van Aken's arm, the
half blind man had succeeded in pull
ing a revolver from his pocket. He
had raised it until the muzzle was al
most against the trembling old man 8
heart With a quick movement. Mr.
Low knocked the weapon up. In do
ing so he managed to get his finger
caught IN the trigger. van AkeL, sun
clutching, the senator who was shout
ing for assistance, pulled madly at the
pistol, which now was pointing at the
ceiling and rendered harmless by Mr.
Lows finger in the trigger. In an
sWer to the shouts other tenants came
crowding in. After a short struggle
Van AIKEN was disarmed and OverpOw-
cred. Before a policeman arrived, Van
AIKEN desisted from struggling. He
was taken to the Centre street police
court After Senator Mcpherson had
somewhat recovered, he said he had
never seen Van AIKEN or his companion.