The Washington times., 1903-11-17
EPIDEMIC OF CRANES
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Number in Last Two Months
Largest Ever Known.
DANGER TO THE PRESIDENT
Nearly All Were Armed With Knives
and Pistols to Enforce Their
Crazy Demands.

police of the White House are begin
ming to fear that the supply OF danger
Gus cranks IS inexhaustible. They do
not mind the ordinary kind, of which
there are far more than is generally
realized-in fact. any policeman detail
ed at the White House will tell you
that he has quite a clientele OF harm
less. visionary fellows who are appear
ing at the gates at more or less regular
intervals. and going quietly away when
refused admission. They are known
personally to every man on the force,
and are not molested. The kind OF
crank, however, that keeps the eye Of
the officer or every caller at the Execu-
/ tive Mansion is the lunatic. who wishes
to lay before the President an imagin-
ary grievance. and ofttimes comes arm
ed to enforce his insane demands.
An Epidemic
There has been an epidemic Of this
kind In the past month. 1t was just
over a month ago that Peter Elliott,
as he is known. but whose real name IS
said TO be Petersen, tried to force his
way to the presence Of the President,
] to demand that the latter desist In his
efforts to force him to marry his
daughter, Miss Alice. Elliott was arrest
ed by Policeman James Ciscle, and
| placed in the House Of Detention cab
| by him and Sergeant Perry when he
suddenly drew a revolver from within
his trousers. and sthen ensued des-
perate struggle in which Ciscle's arm
was severely cut by the window of the
cab. before the madman was disarmed.
Created a Fright.
The Significance Of this affair was that
the day before Elliott had been able.
despite the supposed protection of the
Secret Service bodyguard. to approach
directly to the President while at
church, and even shake hands with him.
/ His escapade resulted in stringent or
ders for the better protection of the
President Later Elliott was taken TO
Minneapolis by Agent Marriott, Of the
Board of ChaiFities.
But two days had elapsed when anoth-
er crank appeared at the White House.
This time it was John Decker. of Nor
wich. Conn. who wished TO demand
$4,000 with which to purchase his soul
from the devil who already had posses
sion Of his body.
Decker bore a remarkable letter con-
icerning his troubles. and was armed with
two knives. He was arrested at the
door by Policeman John Jamison-
41l6c III 4ulCE lays.
This was on October T. The very next
day William Doherty. one Of the ''regu-
lar callers. who had always been re-
garded as harmless. appeared at Police
Headquarters in his underclothing, with
his hair and beard soaked in coal oil.
and bearing a letter which he wished to
convey 20 the President Doherty was
an old soldier, and It was thought that
pital would set him up alright, but after
few days there he became much worse,
and is now in the asylum.
Saw Airships-
Edward Tanner was the first OF the
| last trio to achieve distinction. He
appeared at the White House last
Saturday to demand that the Presi-
dent protect him from DR.. Edward Koch,
the eminent German physician. who. he
thought, was pursuing him about the
country IN an airship, discharging shafts
of air at him. Tanner had fed as far
as Honolulu to escape these deadly air
shafts, and had at last decided TO Sc
cure Presidential interference. He left
the home Of his relatives IN Davenport,
Iowa. Cor the express purpose Of seeing
| the President. and was only thwarIed
| by Secret Service Agent Taylor, who
| intercepted him. turned him over 10 the
| police, and in due time he was in the
asylum.
The very next day William E. Lentz.
a ashingtonian. twenty-One years old,
/ who hI already served as an inmate
| of a California asylum. called for the
purpose OF securing Secretary Loeb 5
| job. and protection from an organiZa-
| tion of stenographers who were bent on
his destruction. Policeman Dalrymple
put period TO his ambition. and he is
| at Sc Elizabeth's.
Wanted Protection.
The good sense Of Rabbi Julius T.
Loeb. OF 400 K Street, nipped in the bud
the purpose OF the last desperate crank.
Louis Bronstein. a Turkish Jew. a
tailor in Brooklyn, who. armed with n
| heavy gun and extra charges. wished
| the President TO protect him from a
nephew. who was going to kill him be-
cause Bronstein was &bout to expose a
gang of counterfeiters of which the
| nephew was a member.
/ Robert B. Moseley. a negro. from Bent
/ Creek, Va, came here early in the
month and wandered about the Capitol
until November 6. when he demanded to
/ be shown the Presidents Office. as he
had a message from the Lord to deliver.
I a message which had 10 do with the
appointment OF negroes to office, and OF
warning to the President He is still a
Government charge at st. Elizabeth's.
Next came Elias Dressed, with a suit
against the State OF Massachusetts for
1 some millions of dollars. who had the
good sense to seek the mediation of tho
/