Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-19
NAN INSANE. ON RELIGION
Arson B, Ely Imagines Himself Appointed
Reform Agent Of God,
ARRESTED AFTER FWt-BLoCK CHASE
Condemns Roosevelt. Washington
Morals, Rails Against Catholicism
and Threatens chief of Police
Donahue with Death.

Suffering with Il violent form OF religious
fana ticism, Arson d. Eby of iO7 North
Nineteenth street was arrested yesterday
afternoon by Patrolman Shields and DE
tective Drunmy and booked at the city
jail on "a charge of insanity Eby's case
is one of the worst of the kind to be te-
corded by the police for many years.
Ebys hallucinaton is that he believes
he is an agent of God and empowered with
authority to perform a certain work ia
Omaha in particular and the United States
In general. For several days he flooded
the newspaper offices with incendiaiy
messages in which he conder'ued the
president, threatened the life of Chief of
Police Donahue and rallied against CetLol
icism He was kept under surveillance,
and as soon as his screeds became of IL
dangerous character he was taken into
custody. lest he might do some harm in
his diseased state Of mind.
Though wildly incoherent I'm text AMI
dangerous in character. Eby's communica-
tions are neatly written and dramatically
correct. From 1894 to 1895 he taught i'm The
Hazard school in Florence precinct and
now claims his father is teaching school
at Crab Tree. Ore. Ely Is IS years of age
and single and for some time worked az
trucker in the local freight houses
From God Almighty.
His letters arc signed Isaac Bushong,
agent for God, through Arson ID. Eby
From God Almighty" Explaining this
strange superscription, he said:
Isaac Bushong is a man nlanged from
on high. This means by God in a way.
which is to show this world that aero
sraphy is only In the hands of said Isaac
Bushong. Now. Bushong can see all things
on this earth. Eby is to write how near
he ztlN 10 iG "a nd he At
through God Science is to read the Bible
from the first chapter OF Genesis to Reeve
lation. Then science shall tell its story to
Ely. and Eby, through Bushong and God
will declare the truth. one word more
This earth must search for Isaac Busnong
Amen From God. most High, through An
son ID. Eby.
Eby declared he was merely an instru-
ment which recorded the messages trans
mitted from Bushong by "aerogra ply"
Chief Donahue called on Eby in the cell
room yesterday afternoon The prisoner
Immediately recognized the chief and said:
Now. chief. | hope YOU won't think there
is anything between us personally, but I
have to do these things, as there is n
higher power which commands me-
Condemns Washington Morals.
Eby rushed into the office Of an army
officer at the Department of the Missouri
headquarters and handed him a bunch of
his communications. saying he had a COM
mand that the documents he forwarded to
Washington. Tho papers. containing severe
Arrangements of the national morals were
| Immediately turned over to Chief Dona-
hue and the writer located by the dc
/ tectives.
/ The police say Eby was stricken with an
attack of insanity here about seven years
ago when he persisted in writing letters
! If,-i, ~ hn a11
/ At that time Ely was sent to the asylum.
where he said yesterday he had been for
| several years.
Before being caught Eby gave the police
men quite a chase. tie did not at first
/ think the men In civilian clothes were Off
GERS Of the law. as he yelled Police as
he led the way for several blocks. finally
being taken into custody at Seventeenth
street and Capitol avenue.