Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-06
Arkansas Agrees to Take Care
of White House Caller.
HAS "GUN-T0TING" HABIT
Twice Stricklin Has Come to Wash
ington Carrying Young Arsenal.
NOW HE'S GOING HOME TO STAY
Imagines He u Being Defrauded Of
Property and Wants Presi-
dent to Intervene.

Property and Wants Presi-
dent to Intervene.
James Stricklin. who has twice called
at the White House carrying a pair OF
.I4-caliber revolvers of great length
and demanding the President should
help him In his search OF the man who
10 trying to do him out OF valuable oil
and gold lands In Pike county, Ark. is
at last going back to Pike county with
a heavy guard and the assurance of
Gov. Donaghey OF Arkansas that Strick-
lin will not be allowed to come to
or go to Beverly.
Stricklin 10 now at the Government
Hospital for the Insane. and his case
has caused the Commissioners and the
board Of charities. including Secretary
George Wilson. no end Of worry. The
law requires that White House and all
other cranks shall be deported from
but there Is no surety
that the state to which the deluded
person goes will place him In some in
stitution.
That is exactly what happened the first
time Stricklin carried his arsenal up to
the White House and was sent back to
Pike county,. Ark. after being adtudged
insane by the court here. Instead Of
being cared for In some asylum. he went
out and gathered a fresh grudge against
the expressions Of capital and came right
back to Washington with a new arsenal
In his jeans and claimed the President
had sent for him.
To Be Taken Back This Week.
His second appearance here caused the
Commissioners and the board Of chari-
ties to sit up and take considerable no
tice. for 1t was hinted that they had no
right to take a gun bearer away from
the White House only to let him return
again. On his second arrest he was ad-
judged to be still insane. and has been
in the Government Hospital for the In
sane since June % He will 60 back to
Pike county with Sanitary Officer Robert
Sroufe and detail Of guards some day
this week.
The reason for the delay has been that
the Commissioners have been trying to
induce Gov. Donaghey of Arkansas to be-
lieve that Stricklin belongs behind bars
in Pike county. and the governor has
been two months getting Judge ]. T. Pol
to premise to take ar interest The fudge
has just written TO the District building
saying that there ID place prepared for
Strfcklin. The board of charities has
urged the Arkansas authorities that the
A Picturesque Case.
The board OF charities. the secret serv-
ice men and every one connected with
Stricklin's case say 1t is one OF the most
they have handled. Stricklin
IL q typical Pike county backwoodsman.
He is q lumber jack, a blacksmith,
railroad hand, a hunter and says that
he has never stepped out of doors in Pike
county without being heeled with two
big revolvers and plenty OF cartridges.
He worked for the Caddo River Lumber
Company for three years and began to
get the delusion that he had discovered
oil and gold lands and that the
company was trying to take them away
from him. Previous to that he had worked
on the Cord and Fort Smith railroad and
had delusions about gold property then.
]. G. Pontios. boss lumberman of the
Caddo River Lumber Company had to
discharge Stricklin finally because the
man got so gloomy over his oil and gold
claims that there was danger for the
other men.
From oil and gold the claims ran to
prairie land and pine lumber claims. and.
in fact. the lumbermen out in Pike coun-
last deportation say that Stricklin claim
ed everything in Pike county with one
peculiar exception. There is a valuable
but little known diamond field mean
where Strickiln worked. and he has never
claimed a sparkle Of II.
oMcer Sroufe's Trip.
Pike county In June. 1900. the first time.
after James Sloane of the secret service
had arrested him at the White House.
Mr.. Sroufe says he will never forget that
trip. 1t cost the District s95 and caused
Eroufe some uneasiness. 1t was neces-
sary to get Stricklin to Murfreesboro,
where Sheriff T. b. Rogers had always
known Stricklin as q strange wandering
character from the pine belt. The rail-
road journey was long one, and ended
abruptly at the rusty end of a log road.
lin. the only pair OF passengers on the
train. and saw nothing but q shack.
Nothing but pine and sand. and q few
lanky Pike county specimens. And yet
1t was eight miles from Murfreesboro.
Onicer Sroufe and his prisoner walked
through eight miles Of sand. and at the
end there was . stay in Jail for Stricklin.
1t was q splendid Jail. with two cells.
and a rusty hasp for a lock which had
to be oiled before II would open for the
to eat seemed to be the leading features.
Sheriff Rogers and corralled a ragged
tramp Of the mountains just before
came. He was a genuine.
weather beaten. long-bearded. unkempt
wild man. this hobo was. and Stricklin
felt sorry for him. He gave the hobo
money, and even gave him some Of his
own clothes.
After that. the story of stricklin spans
a full year almost to a day. for he
showed up at the White House June Is,
1910. Mt 1918 In the morning. saying
that President Taft wanted him, that
the President lad money for him. De-
No. I and relieved him OF his guns.
Stricklin then went to the Washing
ton Asylum where he was placed under
for two days and was de-
ciared still insane.
Doesn't Want to Go Back.
He went to tho Government Hospital
June %. DR.. William A. White has
written a letter to the board OF chari-
ties In which he says Stricklin is "a
man OF primitive intelligence, and ut
terly incapable Of being made to un-
derstand the most elementary state
ments in regard to his relations to the
DR.. White declares Strick-
lin to be dangerous.
Sanitary Offlcer Sroufe went to see
a few days ago and talked
about going back to Arkansas. Strick-
lin told him that he would never go OF
ais own accord. Oficer Sroufe. however.
says Stricklin is surely going.
James B. Keene Improves.
LEXINGTON. KY. September s-i
James r. Keene. the New York stock
broker and turfman who 10 Ill with