Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-03-19
A ManiacaI Murderer.


the particulars of terrible tragedy
briefly mentioned in the telegraphic
dispatches of that date. 1t says: A
bloody and most frightful tragedy oc-
Cured little before noon to-day in
the borough of Wallingford, a thriving
manufacturing village twelve miles
north of this city, whicl resulted in
three men receiving bad wounds,
which may occasion the death of two
of them, and jeopardize the lives
of dozen men.
The history of the affairs as follows:
For the past two years young man
named John Anderson, u native of
Sweden, and aged about twenty-three
years, residing with his wife and child
at No. 80 Ashman street, in this city,
has been employed in the carriage
wheel mandatory of Hall & Parme-
lee, in Wallingford. By industry,
fidelity and good workmanship he
won the confidence of his employers,
who finally gave him contract to
make wheel rims, and in this work he
had several men employed under him
and did a prosperous business. Last
week Anderson informed his employ
ers that he desired to throw up the
contract, and they assented to his so
doing and employed Alfred Norton
and man named Nettleton to fill his
place. This put Anderson in bad
blood, and he left the shop in anger
and went to Hartford and collected
some money and then returned to his
home in this city, where he spent Sun
day, but did not tell his family what
had occurred. On Monday he returned
to Wallingford, and on Thursday went
to the shop and behaved with much
violence, his anger being directed
mainly against Norton, whose brains
he threatened to knock out. He freely
INDUCED in wild threats Of ven
geance against him, as well as
Nettleton and all the officers Of the
company. For this conduct he was
arrested, to compel him to give bonds
to keep the peace, and Deacon Fem,
of the Baptist Church gave bonds
for his appearance. On Friday Ander-
son returned to his home in this city
and informed his family of the trouble
at the shop, and INDUCED in very vio-
lent language, oaths and threats of
vengeance, so that the family We're
greatly frightened. This morning
after rising he commenced to talk
again of his trouble, and fourished
about pistol and threatened to shoot
those he claimed had wronged him.
He took the early morning train to
Wallingford, and spent most of the
forenoon looking for Roswell Morse,
the grand juror who issued the war
rant for his arrest. He did not find
him, and, in view of what transpired
soon after, it is supposed he designed
to shoot him.
A little before IL o'clock he entered
the wheel shop, which is near the rail-
road depot, holding in one hand six
barrel loaded Smith & Wesson re-
volver and in the other hand a seven
barrel loaded revolver of the same
pattern. He had them both cooked
and as he entered the door he declar-
ed in an excited manner that he would
shoot every man in the shop. There
was only one man at work on this
floor, Edwin Gale, and he Immediate
ly fired at him, but the ball flew wide
of the mark and Mr.. Gale escaped UNI
harmed. The desperate man then
rushed up stairs into the wheel room,
where fifteen or twenty men were at
work. Still holding his revolvers one
in each hand, he ran suddenly toward
Albert Norton, and when within six
feet of him fired.
The charge missed its aim and was
buried in wagon upon which Mr..
Norton was at work. Mr.. Norton
quickly turned and ran, when Ander-
son fired a second shot, which lodged
in Norton's shoulder, inflicting u bad
flesh wound. Then Anderson turned
and fired upon another workman near
him, named Horatio Hall. The bullet
took effect in the temple, near the ear,
and Hall fell to the floor, exclaiming,
"Pm shot; for Gods sake, get doc
tor as soon as you camp Anderson
then rushed upon +. H. Ives, the trea-
surer OF the company, who fled down
stairs, pursued by the assassin, who
fired two shots at him without effect,
Anderson then returned to the second
floor and shot himself in the upper
part of the head, making wound
from which the blood freely flowed. 1t
did not prove serious enough to dis
able him, and he again rushed down
Stalls dllu COu1iucIlCtu W Ire lUQlS-
criminately at the workmen who had
left the upper story, but his aim was
wild and he hit no one, Covered with
blood, he rushed out of the shop to the
platform in front, and, drawing
knife, cut his throat from ear to ear
and dropped upon the platform, where
he lay several minutes. He then sue
ceeded in getting up and went toward
the depot, still fiOurishing the reyolv-
ers. His frightful appearance caused
a general stampede Of persons about
the bu lding except the depot master,
Mr.. Edmunds, who went to him and
helped him back to the factory, where
he raved so badly that three men were
required to hold him. Soon after he
fell into stupor. 1t is thought he
cannot live. Mr.. Hall was taken to
Hoey's Hotel, where, at last accounts,
he was in delirions condition, with
slight prospects of recovery. Upon
examining Anderson's revolvers it
was found that he had discharged
eleven charges while in the factory.
He worked about five years ago in the
New Haven Wheel Companys fac
tory, in this city, and while there as
saulted a young Irishman, fellow
workman, with a wheel spoke, and
pounded him until he was unconscious.
lie was known then as u man of eX-
tremely violent temper. In Walling-
ford the affair of to-day has created
the most intense excitement and the
deopact Svnn M thv for IT a N nj Nnrto,,