The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-18
TO MURDER MCPHERSON
VIM. B. Van AIKEN Shoots at
the Ex-senator in His
New York Office.
ABOUT BELLE MEADE FARM
The Assailant Blind Man-Sena-
tor Shocked, but Not Injured
by the Shot.

was made today to kill ex-United States
Senator John R. Mcpherson in his Office
in the Aldridge Building, this city. Will
lam B. Van AIKEN, who tried to do it, 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 ar
rested and taken to the Centre Street
Police Court.
Senator Mcpherson, who represented
New Jersey in the Senate of the United
States for about eighteen years, is now
President of the Western Stock Yards
Company. with offices in the Aldridgs
Building. The ex-senator occupies an
inner office, while the outer office is for
his Secretary. 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
tall. well built man about five feet ten
inches in height. The other man was
somewhat smaller. Both men walked
through the secretary's office, past Mr..
Low and into the inner office, where Sena-
tor 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 cannot be yet as
certained, as the Senator, who is sixty
four years old, has not yet quite recov-
cred 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 that he
heard Van AIKEN say something to the
Senator about wanting to settle suit.
Mr.. Low says that both men seem to have
Low says that both men seem to have
an interest in a suit over the large Belle
Meade stock farm in New Jersey
Mr.. Low remembers hearing Senator
Mcpherson tell Van AIKEN that he could
say nothing about the suit and must re-
fer him to his lawyer. After that Mr..
Low took no further notice until a min
ute or so later when the private office
door was suddenly pushed open With a
cry of alarm the ex-senator came quick
ly out into the front Office Cropping his
way, in a fury of blind haste, Van AIKEN
followed His cor,o no ,,;oy, 1,as 80,
ing to guide him through the doorway.
but Van AIKEN hurried ahead, putting his
hands out in front of him to feel his way.
Before Mr.. Low could rise from his feet
Van AIKEN clutched the ex-senator with
his right hand and fumbled with his left
behind his back. Van Aken's companion
at this juneture hurried out of the room.
When Mr.: Low caught Van Aken,s arm
the half-blind man succeeded in pulling
a revolver from his pocket He had
raised it until the muzzle was almost
against the trembling old mans heart.
With quick movement Mr.. Low knocked
the weapon up In doing so he managed
to get his finger caught in the trigger.
Van AIKEN, still clutching the Senator,
who was shouting for assistance, pulled
madly at the pistol, which was now point
ed at the ceiling and rendered harmless
by Mr.. Lows finger in the trigger In
answer to the shouts other tenants came
crowding in. After short struggle, Van
AIKEN was disarmed and overpowered.
Before policeman arrived Van AIKEN
desisted in his struggles and remaineA
quiet. He was taken over to the Centre
Street Police Court. He is a well dress
ed man and gave his address at a Tenth
avenue hotel. this city.
After Senator Mcpherson had some
what recovered from the effects of the
shock he said that he had never before
seen Van AIKEN or his companion.
He has been told. however, that Van
AIKEN had made threats that he would
shoot him at the first opportunity. but
the ex-senator had paid no attention to
the matter. When the men came into
his office and began to talk excitedly
about some suit Senator Mcpherson SAYS
he asked them to leave. Van Aken,s
companion then violently twisted around
the chair Senator Mcpherson was sitting
on until he directly faced Van AIKEN.
AS Senator Mcpherson got up to leave
Van AIKEN made an attempt to hold him.
Then the Senator quickened his gait and
rushed into the front office. where he
was SO nearly shot
When Van AIKEN was arraiasned in the
police court he was held in $1,000 bail on
a charge of attempted felonious assault
The ex-senator appeared against him.
He has recovered somewhat, and was able
to tell a more connected story of the ex-
citing occurrences of the morning
81 now remember Van AIKEN very dis
tinctly," said Mr. Mcpherson, although
I have not seen him for several years He
was once a very wealthy man owned
lot of property in New Jersey and was
a contractor. He built several docks in
this city and New Jersey. He was
Obliged tesmortgage a good deal of his
property. and | bought one of his New
Jersey farms at mortgage sale
never had any direct transaction with the
man; but he came to me afterwards and
claimed that 4 had. .''sss ss