Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07

tai for the Insane DR.. Hunt. the city
alienist, and Mr.. Sroufe, the District
government has n board OF four surgeons,
part of whose duty it is to act as police
physicians, who examine all mental sus-
poets. They are Drs. Edwin Barry, W.
H. r. Brandenburg, Alfred Richards and
Joseph S Wall.
Since 1900. when the first regular files
of the police department contained rec
ords OF lunatics who had visited the
White House for the purpose of seeing
the President. eighty-Seven arrests nave
been made upon this charge. In nearly
every case the prisoner has been found
insane after trial by jury and confined in
an asylum.
Few of these people are residents OF the
District of Columbia, most of them com
ing from New York state and the New
England states. The cities of 81. Louis
and Chicago run close seconds. Very few
of these unfortunates come from the
south or far west, the reason given being
that transpor facilities are much
better I'm the northeast section. But the
communications come from every section
letters and even vouminous books,
printed and Autographed, and in one in
stance bound in handsome leather
Although it is seldom that an armed
crank has been apprehended at the White
House. the instance is not an unknown
one. And to guard against such con-
tingency as we'll as to protect the Presi-
dent from the actual annoyance of con-
tact with people of this class elaborate
precautions have been taken by Chief
Wilkie Of the secret service and the chief
of the city police.
The men TO whom the duty of sidetrack-
ing mentally unbalanced visitors at the
al h..
have demonstrated their ability to cope
with the unforeseen and are absolutely
trustworthy.
The most dangerous case which has ever
come under the notice of the local au-
thorities who deal with those suffering
from this form of mania was that of a
SWede who when placed under arrest
drew revolver and seriously wounded
Policeman Ciscle of the White House
squad. From the nature Of the wound in
ficted. it is thought not improbable that
the man had prepared the cartridges he
used by dipping them into a poison.
The Swede came to Washington In 1904
from his home. Minneapolis. Mimi. jour
neying most of the way in freight car.
He Immediately made his way to the
White House, where he said he desired to
lay before the President certain facts of
an alleged persecution. He declared tina t
he was a famous machinist and controlled
valuable patents which were manufac-
tured by a company Of which he was
president. He declared that his patent
would revolutionize the business methods
of the world. and that his countrymen in
Sweden were endeavoring to poison him
and so steal his rights. He said he be-
lieved that the President would help him
and shield him.
Both the peculiarities OF his dress and
his Eighty talk aroused the suspicious OF
Policeman Ciscle, who told him that his
would conduct him to the President The
man was carried through the basement Of
the White House to the east front, where
the man was made to wait in the gaud
room. presumably for the President.
A cab was called from a nearby stand
and the man hustled into it to be driven
TO the first precinct station. but just as
the cab started the Swede drew heavy