Evening star., 1903-10-07
OF THE crank VARIETY
Stranger Arrested at the
White Hodse Today.
DEM $750,O00
LETTER In POSSESSION ADDRESS
ED TO TIE PREs1DEIT.
Said He Wanted to Engage in Warfare
Against the Devil AIncoher-
- oIs.. q -
ent Statements.

Another caller at the White House has
ccme to grief. The latest of the so-called
crank variety to make his appearance was
John Decker, forty7four years old, who ar
rived here lastrnight from Norwich, Conn.
He reached the, White House, about $50
O'Clock this morning and demanded the
sum of $75O.O00 for the parpose Of engaging
in warfare against fhe devil of the Indians.
or the evil spirit.
Il became nervous over the tugging at
me- said the man to a Star reporter later
In the day. land now am going through
an ordeal"
Every effort imaginable was made to
keep the affair secret. Police officials de-
clared they were ignorant of an arrest hav-
ing been made, and White House officials
only admitted that something out Of the
ordinary had happened a long time after
the man had been arrested: 1t Is said an
order had been issued ito the members OF
the police force to keep such matters quiet
This order was the outcome of the arrest
and notoriety given Peter Elliott: Decker
was even more anxious to have his arrest
kept quiet than were the police. The order
mentioned had been issued, 1t is stated, by
direction of the White House officials.
Decker was inside the White House when
Policeman JamiSoH arrested him. and he
went to the third precinct station In a cab
without offering any resistance At the
station he gave, UP without objection what
money he had, u cents; two small knives,
an inhaler and watch, but he made
strenuous objection .tos. giving up a paper
he had prepared before coming here.
Letter to-the President.
The letter read as follows:
'Mr. President: 81 r-5
Il am in trouble with the Devil. the Ser
pent over the Indians and Paradise, the
Americans he has come down on me with
vengeance and revenge. and deNoured me
up. and took my body. and stand and
he's after me, i have taken the affair In
experience. Talent and Boldness and have
been in experience; many years, and got
him rounded up and cornered and l am
blocked and can't get through. must have
money, he says they rkilled all my indians,
taint rite-i have nauthfng to do with it, l
am inocent, + shall fight. 4 shall do my
duty, he also sayS Got you and lot or
outher fellars. and fJxot some of them to.
he says. I believe in the Rites and Welfare
Of man. a free government, the republican
party, a protective tarin and the like.
got to have money. Experience demon
strates it. 1 must haze 1t. vice versa. A
and with the people, Equality, l must
have money got to have s75OOOO to fight
it out, 1 got to have the money, got to
fight, 1 got to do my duty, my life is in
danger, must Nave It.
1.-The rites Of man."
He was compSlIed to surrender this pa
per, and later In the day 1t was shown the
police surgeons)Wtho examined him.
zone Of the Smart Men"
I'm one of the smart men of the world"
Decker told star reporter ''but some peo-
pie will call me a crank. can't overcome
the devil wfth6bHate nl153hey; and thought a
conversation, WITH & the : President would
bring me the money. Don't put this in tho
paper. please, .dor I don't want my people,
to know whereof am. 1t Will just bring my
brothers here and IT'S not their business.
My brother Charlie lives in Bridgeport, and
have brother In Ellioktewn, Pa :. @
Decker said he had made a, full study! OF
the matter. and hes knew, what he was
talking about.
"The devil of the Indians Is holding ma
down", he said. &C HE Is doing 1t with his
win and l can't overcome him without.
money. He takes my body and torments 1t
and knows; that his overthrow will mean
war against the Indians Messiah, and
tffafs why he is holding me down so tight"
He said he understood that cranks fre-'
quently call at the White House and cause
annoy ance, but; he insisted. he is not one
of them. While on his way here on the
'sColonia1 Express,s. he said, he saw q copy
of Boston paper giving an account Of the
arrest of Peter Elliott. The paper, he said,
was given him by A':ehild ina playful way.
and he accidentally ga W the account OF Ell
'dott's arrest.
The case was referred to Sanitary officer
Frank, who directed two of the police sur
geons to examine him. Decker will prob
ably reach the asylum. this afternoon. He
is fairly we'll dressed and gave his Occupa-
ton as that Of a gunsmith.