Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-09-11
CRANK AFTER PRESIDENT
Secret Service Men Believe He Was
Bent on Assassination.
HE CARRIED A LOADED REVOLVER.
Seized and Disarmed, the Assallant Openly
Avowed His Purpose To Murder, But Latei
Assumed A Different Air And Pretended
That He Expected To Marry Miss Alice
Rooseyelt-Sent to Insane Asylum.

Oyster Bay (SpeciaD "A demented
man, who was armed with fully load
ed revolver and whom the secret SER
vice operatives believe intended to Stay
President Roosevelt, was arrested here
after making three attempts to get to
the President.
The man is Frank Weilbrenner, the
son of German farmer living at Syos'
set, about five or six miles from Saga
more Hill.
He was arraigned before magistrate
and then turned over to insanity ex'
pertS.
DR.. George A. Stewart and DR.. 1rv'
ing S. Barnes conducted the examin
alton. Weilbrenner was declared by
them to be insane. He was placed i'm.
mediately in the custody OF Sheriff
Johnson, OF Nassau county, and taken
to Mineola on an evening train.
Shortly after 10 o'clock Weilbren'
ner drove to Sycamore Hill i'll bug
gy. AS he approached the house he
was stopped by the secret service opera.
tive on duty. Welbrenner said he had
personal engagement with the Pres
ident and insisted on seeing him. Az
it was long after the hours when visi'
tors are received the officer declined
to permit him to go to the house and
turned him away.
CnOt, oftar Wa;th+apnar retttrned anC
again insisted that he be allowed to see
the President il only for minute. Ihl,
time he was ordered away and warned
not to return.
Just before II o'clock the man re.
turned a third time and demanded OF
the officer that he should be permitted
to see the President at once. The OFF,
GER seized the man and pulled him from
the buggy, believing now that the tel-
low meant some harm.
Weilbrenner was taken by the big
six-foot secret service man to the sta
bic back of the Roosevelt house. Two
stablemen were given revolvers and sat
guard over the captive while an investi-
CATION was made.
The first thing found was fully load
Cd 32-caliber revolver, which Weilbren-
ner left in the buggy. Footprints near
the house aroused the suspicious OF the
secret service man that Weilbrenner
had companions. A telephone message
was sent to Oyster Bay. and the ell
tire squad Of secret service men there
five in number-sprang upon horses
and galloped top-speed to Sycamore
Hill.
A complete search OF the neighbor.
hood failed to produce other develop
mentS.
Weilbrenner talked nationally to the
officers on all matters concerning the
mission on which he desired to see the
President
After midnight he was brought to
Oyster Bay and locked up.
President Roosevelt was aware Of the
trouble. After the man had been turn
ed back the second time, despite his in.
sistence that he had an engagement
with the President, the officer, to make
assurance doubly sure, inquired of the
President about the fellow. Mr. Roose'
welt was in his library, only short dis
lance from the spot where the officer
had stopped Wielbrenner's horse. He
told the officer he had no engagement
with anybody.
When Wheilbrenner returned the third
time and the officer seized him and
drew him out of the vehicle over the
front wheel, the scuffle attracted the
Presidents attention. He appeared al
he door overlooking the driveway from
The veranda, but returned to the library
almost Immediately.
The Weilbrenner incident is the first
serious occurrence OF. the kind during
he Presidents summer sojourn at Sag
amore Hill. 1t has demonstrated COM
pletely, in the opinion Of officials here,
the wisdom of the close and systematic
guard which is maintained at all times
over the President He is exposed fire.
quently, it is true, to assault, but every
care that human agencies can devise
is exercised constantly to insure his
personal safety and immunity from
danger.
Personally he was not perturbed by
the Weibrenner incident, but, al
though the maintenance OF the guard is
often distasteful to him, he thoroughly
realizes the necessity in the circum-
stances of having made as certain as
possible the personal safety of the
President of the United States.