Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-10-05
CRANK AFTER PRESIDENT.
Fight with White House Waterman
supposed Assassin Armed Ar
rested and Locked Up.

stranger, who later gave his name as
Peter Elliott, of Milwaukee, Wis, and
his occupation as a machinist, attempted
to get into the White House this morn
ing at the north portico entrance. He
was stopped by James Ciscle, the door
keeper, and on being told that he could
not see the President became violent.
Ciscle tried to induce him to go away
and an encounter followed in which the
visitor was badly beaten up. The
stranger was armed with a revolver and
knife and used the latter on Ciscle, IN
Aicting wound on his elbow. The
doorkeeper finally succeeded in over
towering him and he was then taken 10
the Emergency Hospital, suffering from
a scalp wound and wound in the hand.
After his injuries had been dressed he
was transferred to the No. l police sta
ton. Besides the revolver and knife
there we're found on his person a num-
Der of bicycle tools. Ciscle's wound
is not serious. Earlier in the day
Elliot had called at the executive Off
ces to see the President, saying that he
had been summoned. He refused
to give his name and when questioned as
to the nature of his errand said that the
President Just wanted to see him for fun.
As he seemed to be harmless he was al
lowed to 90. About an hour later he
called at the White House proper where
the encounter with doorkeeper Ciscle
occurred. The secret service men
ct the executive offices recognized him as
the same stranger who had attempted to
enter the Presidents church, the Grace
Reformed, at 10th and @ streets, n. W.,
during the services yesterday morning
and who was turned away from there by
the ushers. The President was attending
services at the time. AT the police
station Elliott stated that his home was
in Milwaukee and that he had been
stopping at zoe 9th street. He is a
man of small statue, apparently about
40 years of age. 1t is learned that last
week Elliott wrote long letter to the
President in which he stated that
he would call this week to see
him. The letter was exceedingly YER
bose and somewhat incoherent. The
writer enclosed his picture, and Secre-
tary Loeb who opened the letter, showed
the photograph to the doorkeePer and
various special officers on duty at the
White House. When he called at the
White House proper, on his second visit
this morning, Ciscle at once recognized
his features. He asked the man into
the lobby and invited him to take a
chair. Elliott sat quietly for moment,
then suddenly pulled knife and be-
gan to flourish it. Ciscle at once
sprang on him, and assisted by chief
usher Stone, after a severe struggle,
succeeded in oyerpowering him.
Elliott, although man of slight build,
put up hot fight A police van was
summoned and Elliott was placed in it
by Ciscle and Stone. BY this time he
appeared to be subdued, but suddenly,
as the van was about to start for the
police station, he again become violent
and attacked the two men. In the
scrimmage that followed the glass sides
of the van were shattered and Ciscle
thinks that it was the broken glass and
not a knife that inflicted the wound on
his elbow. The President, at the time
of the encounter, was in his offices in
the westwing of the White House and
knew nothing of the affair until it was
all over.
After Elliott had been subdued and
while the van was on its way to the hos
pital, he was thoroughly searched. Con
cealed in his trouser leg was found a
revolver. He also had long pair of
shears. "Great God Me kill the
President? Never. Why he is the
best friend have ia the world" Elliott
stood grasping the bars in cell in the
First precinct station house when he
answered a question as to why he had
attempted the Presidents life. Watery
eyed, unkempt and besmeared with blood
that had flown from the nasty scalp
wound given him by the doorkeeper, his
language that of broken foreigner,
Elliott was type of the anarchist. His
talk was rambling. He did not try to
give the impression that he was insane
but it is the opinion of the doctors who
have seen and talked with him that he
is crazy.
81 came here last Thursday from Balti
more" he said yesterday | met the
President at church. He shook hands
with me and told me to call. | went up
there this morning" "You were sent
away, were you not he was asked.
eyes, | went around the grounds, and
came back. The President is the best
friend I have" he rambled on. "Why
| wrote a piece about him and piece Of
blank verse about the creation. 1t is
the finest thing every written. The
President read them and wanted to
make me his friend. They are trying to
make me marry some one way up in
life. The President wants me to marry
his daughter The royal blood flows in
my veins. | found this out a short time
ago by reading up. The Swedes do not
make good Americans. | make one and
the Swedes are after me. They poison
ed my food in Minneapolis where /
lived and | have been fleeing from them
ever since. | 60 from place to place
looking for some quiet place where / can
hide from my enemies.
In answer to other questions the pris-
oner said he did not belong to any so
cieties and that he carried pistol to
protect him from his enemies whom he
imagines are after him.
The police found satchel in room
in a boarding house on Fifth street oc-
o,,,,;oI h., tio man TIKI I'll - -