Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-06
EXAGGERATED ROMORS
Stories Set Aaoat Regarding
White House Incident.
ELLIOTT'S RECORD
INSANE MAN KNOWN TO POLICE
IN MINNEAPOLIS.
Transferred to st. Elizabeth's Hospital
and Efforts Made to. Secure
Additional Information.

Many wild rumors were afloat yesterday
| concerning the visit of the crank, Peter
| Elliott, or Petersen, to the White House.
| These rumors reached other cities, and pas
| sengers on, moving railroad trains were
| told the President had been assassinated.
| Others heard that the stranger had merely
| fired shots at the President. Much excite
| ment was occasioned in some quarters by
the exaggerated reports, and everybody
| was anxious to get the facts. Some sur
| prise was expressed last night at the fail
| ure of the officers in the White House TO
search the man before sending him away
to be locked up. The exhibition in the
White House was enough to convince those
who came in contact with him that he was
insane. and his being allowed to depart
without being searched and disarmed came
near resulting in the death of one of the
policemen who had charge of him.
Maj Sylvester was at his office when
news of the arrest came and he took i'm
mediate steps to ascertain something of
the mans history. Soon after ElliottS
valise was obtained by Detective Pari1am
and taken to police headquarters a mes
sage sent to Edward j. Conroy, chief
of police of Minneapolis. asking for infor-
nation relating to Elliott
His Record in Minneapolis.
Late in the night response was received
at police headquarters in which Chief Con-
roy said:
Peter Elliott for three months and until
about three weeks ago lived In the family
OF A. E. Anderson, 400 10th avenue south,
since moved to 1912 Bloomington. Left on
bicycle, leaving effects behind. About Au-
gust 10 he told Mrs Anderson President
Roosevelt was coming to see him in a few
days. He was thought to be demented and
ordered away. No such firm here as the
one mentioned. Elliott crazed in trying to
perfect perpetual motion machine. Nels
Voc I'M ~
avenue SOUTH has pictures of the inven-
ton. Has no known relatives here. Kept
bicycle shop on Central avenue six years.
Friends hare think he is the same man
who wrote letters and said he was gong
to marry Roosevelts daughter"
Elliott was examined early in the af-
ternoen by Drs. Marbury and Vale, police
surgeons, who pronounced him insane 1T
was upon the certificate they" furnished
Sanitary Officer Frank that the latter COM
mtted Elliott to st. BzabetRs Hospital
for the Insane, as stated in Ehe Star or
yesterday. Precinct Detective Clifford
Grant of the first precinct was assigned by
Lieut. Amiss to take the insane man to the
asylum. and about $50 o'clock the officer
went to the cell and took charge of the
prisoner for the purpose of removing him
to the big building beyond the Eastern
branch. Handouts We're placed on his
wrist and he was escorted to the street.
where an ambulance was in waiting.
Demands Speedy Trial.
Elliott hesitated a moment and read the
sign on the side of the vehicle: "Police Am
buiance."
where am I going?" he asked the Off
Ger who had charge of him.
Just going over to the Jail to be cared
for until morning." said the officer, who
did not want to excite the man in his GUS
tody
II want an immediate hearing" Elliott
told him. Il am anxious to have my trial
soon as possible. | to get back
to Minneapolis
AS the vehicle passed along the streets
through the rain Elliott conversed with the
detective about his case and his prospects
of returning to Minneapolis in the near
future.
THANK God. I wrote to my two best
friends Sunday" said the prisoner, and l
know they will see that l am righted. It's
all a mistake
The prisoner declared he had no idea of
harming anybody and said he went to the
White House to see the President just as
any other citizen would have done.
II can't understand it, he said. "In the
morning l am free man and in the even
Ing am prisoner.
Showed Signs of Fright.
After the ambulance had passed over the
bridge and nearing the asylum the
man in custody showed signs of fright. His
conduct indicated to the mind of the Off
Ger that he thought he was going to be
clutching the officer with his manacled
hands, repeated the inquiry as to where he
was being taken. In a few minutes the
ambulance reached the asylum, and the
driver was told to go to Howard Hail.
where dangerous lunaticS are kept. The
handouts were removed when the prisoner
and officer had reached the corridor of the
building and two keepers at once disap-
peared with Elliott, emitting the questions
usual upon the arrival of an inmate.
Visited in HE Coll
During the afternoon, between the time
the prisoner reached the police station and
the time of his departure for the asylum,
scores of newspaper reporters and others
saw him and asked him all sorts of ques-
tons. Before coming to the city Elliott
had corresponded with one of the repre-
sentativeS of Minneapolis paper. He
had been attracted to Prof. Langley's air
ship by publications In a Minneapolis paper
and his communication was sent here for
the purpose of getting an opportunity to
ride in the ship on it's first voyage
Two secret service detectives were among
those who called. Detective Foster was
one of them, and he questioned the man
closely concerning his residence in Mime
apolis and elsewhere and referred to a
statement that he had lived in Paterson,
N. J. Elliott denied that he had ever lived
there, or that he had any connection with
the anarchists in that city His effects
were gone over a number of times by the
police, but nothing of value was found
The scissors and knife taken from him.
as well as the revolver, will probably find
their way to the cabinet of curios at po-
lice headuarters. Newspaper, clippings the
man had on him showed that he had ap-
parently been watching President Roose-
VeltS movements.
Attended Presidents Church.
The statement made by Elliott to a Star
reporter yesterday that he saw the Presi-
dent at church Sunday and shook hands
with him is borne out by Statements of the