The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-07-20
RAVING MANAGES.
A Hotel Taken Possession of
by a Wild Lunatic at Des
Moines, Iowa.
After Dcmolishing Crockery and Assault
ing the Guests He Shoots Himself.
An Ohio Mailman Shoots His Nephew and
Is Burned Alive in His Own Barn.
fTeleeram from Des Arolnes, Iowa

Telegram from DeB MOlnes l0wal
There arrived in this city, by an Eastern
train, man who registered at the Morgan
House as Henry Seager, from SWANS, N. Y.
After paying for his room in advance he was
assigned to No "a next TO the southwest
corner, on the third floor of the hotel Moth
ing unusual was noticed about the fellows
actions until about 4 o'clock in the after
noon, when the occupant of room 50, which
is across the hall, heard him talking in q
loud tone of voice. 1t was Immediately evil
dent the man was crazy. He seemed to be
holding a colloquy with imaginary persons
whom he believed to be seeking
his life He first demonstrated
they should arrest him and take him 60 po-
lice headquarters rather than kill him. This
talk became louder and finally the occupant
of room No % stepped into the hall with
the intention of going down to the office.
Seagar opened his door and tercely threw q
a quart beer-bottle at him, but it was dod Led
and the bottle shivered into a thousand
pieces as it struck the wall over the stairway
landing.
After throwing the bottle, Seager com
menced his work of destruction Taking up
piece of crockery he pitched it through
the window into the street below. The
Rock Island depot Is but short distance
from the hotel, large crowd had been at
tracted by the arrival OF the Sunday train
from the West After breaking the windows
the crazy man fiourished a revolver through
the open Gas ement, and the crowd stamped
ed to the shelter behind the cars and around
the corners of the hotel 1t seemed that
every moment the unfortunate man was
becoming wilder. Turning to his room
again he commenced a fusilade at the door
and north wall, and the marks show that
eleven bullets were discharged in that
direction. They penetrated the door or
passed through the partition and lodged in
the plaster on the opposite side OF the hall
Every article OF furniture in the room
was demolished. The table, stand bureau
and bedstead were split into kindling wood
by the Infatuated man The panels were
knocked out of the door of his room, and,
after finishing the work OF destruction
there, he picked up the small coal-stove
and threw it down the stairway Room No.
80 was next visited The door was knocked
in and the same scene OF &c Structon was
re-enacted Everything was demolished
Joseph Holiness the occupant, was struck
over the head with beer bottle, inficting
bad scalp wound, and his wife was only
saved by flight Seager then ran out along
the north hall to an unoccupled room, where
he broke out u window, threw out more
crockery and fiourished his revolver, putt ng
the crowd to flight as he had previously
done on the south side
His steps were then retraced. When he
entered Room No. 52Holme5 was found and
the latter fed through the window which
leads to the roof of a lower portion of the
hotel. Seager followed HIM with a revol-
yer in his hands. Perhaps his escape from
the house had some influence upon him, for
instead OF following up Holmes he ran along
the north side of the roof to the west end,
and there crossed TO the southwest corner
where he climbed upon the wall, which is
three feet above the roof and, standing
erect for moment, he glanced around and
then put the pistol to his forehead and fired
After firing Seager threw the revolver and
it struck the ground about thirty feet from
the base of the building. and his body fell
back upon the roof. The police, who had
previously been very active in keeping out
OF his way, now rushed out and cap
tured the PROSTATE mailman. He was taken
to the hospital, and an examination showed
the bullet which struck his forehead glanced
and did not penetrate the skull There is
also an ugly bullet wound in the right leg
Just above the knee, but both are not neces-
sarily fatal. There is no evidence that the
man had been drinking to excess There
were half dozen beer-bottles in his room,
but nearly all were full 1t is probable that
he was stark mad His mutterings before
the furious outbreak indicated that he had
experienced domestic trouble His wife was
spoken of as having left him 1t was amost
remarkable case, and one that the spectators
of will not soon forget The battle lasted
upwards of half an hour, and attracted
crowd of fully 1000 people.