The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-21
A MANIAC INCENDIARY.
HE FIGHTS THE POLICE AND FIRE.
MEN WITH REVOLVER AND
EUTLAss.


And Falls smethered after Having
wounded Two Policemen.
At about quarter past nine o'clock last night
fire was discovered in two-story house On
Third street, bstwesn Csroudelst and Baronns.
The aremen and poiios fastened upon ths scene
and found the house with closed doors, burning
inside. II sppears thst the fire was sst by man
known BY the name Of Louis Gauster, better
known ne Crazy Joe.
The police we're the first 10 discover the fire
and when they did they tried 10 gain adnttsncs
TO the house. When the police approached tb q
front door, Joe made his appearances on the
scene and teld them that he would kill the frs
one that dared to enter the house. The officers
then ran TO The fire alarm box and turnsd In an
slsrrn. They then returned TO Joe's castle and
made desperate effort 10 gain admistaaes.
These efiosrs were Flanagan and Donovan,
aud before they could get into the house several
other policemen and large portion OF the fire
department had
APPEARED ON THE SCENE.
Then IL became necessary to enter the premises
at all hazard. suct being the case. Officers
Donovan and Flsnnsgan broke open the front
door, atid ss they did go they we're received with
three shots fred In rapid succession from Colts
revolver, which Crazy joe held in his hand,
standing st the head Of the stairs.
As the first three shots sped wide Of their in
tended mark, the officers never fstered but tried
to gain the sop Of the stairs, ne the fire was in
tho second story Of the building. The two off
GERS wers followed by the fremen and several
others Of their brother policemen. As Crszy Joe
saw that he was shout 10 be ovsrpowsred, he dis
charged the ofher two chambers Of his pistol
point blank at the crowd. but from some unsx-
pained reason the balls failed 10 do their desired
work.
After Joe had smptied the contents Of his re-.
volveF be rstreated into one OF the rooms which
WAS ON fire, regardless Of the volumes Of smoke
that he had to encounter, and fastened the door
Officers Donovan and Flsnnagan. who seem
always to have been in the lssd, with giant
strength forced open this door, and as 1t swung
bsek on its hinges they could just see Crazy Joe
through the binding
wREATHs or SMOKE,
armed with an artillery cutlass, waiting for them
TO approach. The officers we'll knew that joe
hsd TO be treated with dispatch, or he would
put mark up,n them thst they would carry to
ther graves, for hs held weapon in his hand
that would make just such mark. On pushed
the officers, although alu4bst blinded with the
smoke. Back retreatsd jos, and he stood his
position, sword in hand, surrounded by fire and
smoke; and 10 look upon him, with his teeth
olenehsd and eyes elaring, one would be i'm
pressed with the belief that he had been born to
rule in he'll.
On pressed the officers, and when they we're in
arms length Of Joe the latter made luDge at
Officer Donovan, which took effect In the officers
body and fercsd him TO falter. His brother Of
4 :er stood by him Dobiy, and whom he saw him
fall, advanced upon his opponent (JoeJ, and as he
did 80 Joe used the sword upon bin with muir
derous effect. This officer WAS Flanagan, and
before the crazy man was done with him be had
stabbed him seven times, giving hi four slight
wounds in ths back, one slight one In the breast,
one in the right leg, which severed the muscles,
and one In the head, which is considered the
most dangerous. as it IL supposed TO have frsc-
tured the skull.
Whom these two officers, sitter desperate
fight to hold their ground, had been vauauisbed
they were iaken from the room by the iremep,
and % they were being conveyed from the scene
of blood, tbe chief Of the fire department called
on AsergehDs Hamilton 10 go and shoot the
man, but the sergeant declined ON the ground
that he Was afraid Of shooting an innocent
party.
Chief oConpor then borrowed pistol from an
officer and entering the room leveled the spon
st crazy Joe, and pulled the trigger five times,
but IL failed TO go Off. This caused Joe 10 retreat
out OF the room on TO the back gallery.
He bad so sooner gotten on the gallery than
the fremsn turned the hose on him, the water
from which, together with the acids from the
hose OF the Bsbcock, almost smothersd and
drowned him out,
Officer d wis, seeing Joe on the gallery, rushed
mp him and secured him. Sergeant Hamilton
anu mE. ETea. huHHs, Oh mo. ~, came 70 MS
assistance, aud we're bringing Joe down stairs
when he dropped from ther grasp TO the floor
corpse. II was then thought that he had been
shot, as several shots had been fred by the DO.
lice and fremen at him when he opened the fight
at first on the head Of the steps but npon TX.
aiming his body no wound could be found, and
1t ia supposed that he died from excitement and
from the acid from the Babcocks.
When it was known that Joe had expired the
excl ement, which before was intense, began to
abate.
BY this time, regardless Of the excitement
which had prevailed, the fremen had been pump
ing on the fire and had put 1t out.
The house 10 considered damaged to the ex-
tent Of 800.
As soon as things were quiet the officers were
placed in a conveyance and taken to the Charity
II ospital, where they received medical attend
ance.
The deceased, Crazy Joe, was placed in one of
the rooms the first floor, where the body
awaits the action Of the coroner.
FJoe was about forty years Of age and the pro-
prietor Of junk store. He leaves wife and son
somewhere in his city They used to live with
him, but he ran them ont OF the house.
The death OF this man will be hailed with 10y
by all bis neghbors, al they stood in mortal fear
Of him.
He Ia the same party who some months ago
shot at Officers Miller and ODER with q shotgun,
and at the same time stabbed officer Barringer
in the arm while they we're trying to execute 8
On him.
singular to say, that regardless Of the large
number OF persons present last night at the fire,
and the number Of shots fired, not q single
person was wounded by pistol ball.
THE COURTS.