Evening journal., 1891-11-23
LAST EDITION
MANAGES DEADLY BLOW.
FRANK SHIELDS STRUCK DOWN IN
HIS SLEEP.

Ah0 0GLEft
Amor Burnett, an Insane Man, Murder
ously Assaults Young Man Who Was
Watching Him-Gavs Himself Up.
Thought Enemies Were Hounding Him.
Frank Shields, bartender for Joseph
Fullmer the Market street restauranteur,
was murdeIously assaulted this morning
by Amor Burnett, a maniac, who is
brother in-law of Fullmer's and Officer
Aikens.
Burnett lived at No. 414l King street
He, is a machinist and sash maker by
trade, and has at different times been
employed by the Pullman Palace Car
Shops. and the Jackson and Sharp Com.
pany He is As years old but young
looking, and has an estimable wife and
daughter, the latter being about 20 years
old
For two years his mind has been fail
ing His mental condition has been the
cause Of much worriment and apprehen-
sion to his relatives. He imagined that
he had committed some crime, and that
he was being logged by his enemies who
sought his life.
he never showed sigrs Of violence until
about two weeks ago, when he grew
much worse Frank Shields, who Is
about 2i years old has always had great
influence over the man. On Friday night
Burnett imagined that his enemies were
in the house He rushed through the
trap to the roof and every inducement
his family offered failed to get him down
At last they sent over TO Fullmers
restaurant for Shields. He went to the
house, clambered out on the roof, and BY
persuasion and force rescued Burnett
from his perilous position.
Last evening Burnett grew worse. His
wife sent for Shields again. He went to
the house and volunteered TO remain all
night. The sitting room was on the
second floor About Di dnight Mrs
Burnett retired and left the two men
alone.
In the Room With a Maniac.
After Mrs. Burnett retired young
Shields did all In his power to induce the |
crazsd man to lie down and go to sleep.
Burnett, however. had,sn idea that Shields
was an enemy who wanted to kill him,
and persisted In sitting up in q chair.
Both men INDUCED in cat-naps. At |
last Shields threw himself upon 8 sofa /
about 80 o'clock Tired nature as
asleep.
SLEuck IN the Hehu WIN an axe
How long he slept no one knows.
Burnett quietly took Of his shoes. He 4
watched the sleeping man for few
minutes and then slipped, downstairs
and into the yard. In few minutes he Il
returned with q heavy axe. IL was
rusty, and had a short square home
made helve in it
Re-entering the room he watched his
victim for few seconds as a cat would
watch mouse Measuring the distance
with his eye, be raised the axe and
struck Shields terrible blow with the
blunt end Of the axe, on the top of his
uncovered head, crushing In his skull
like an egg g-shen.
Shields gave a convuisive start a sup
pressed groan, and lay like log.
Burnett looked at him for q little
while, dropped the axe to the faor. and
left the house in his stocking feet.
Heard The Noise.
Mrs Burnett heard the noise caused by
the axe falling to the h0or. She threw
on a wrapper and hurriedly entered the
room. Her husband was not there
Shields was on the sofa apparently
asleep. She called him and received no
answer. The axs upon the floor caught
her eye. Filled with the gravest mis-
giving she looked more closely at the
young man and saw In an instant that
his head had been crusned in. She i'm
mediately gave the alarm.
Went To the Police Station.
In the meantime the maniac walked |
across King street to the rear Of the
police station and gave himself up.
Officer Marr was the man who brought |
him in he was still in his stocking
feet. It was nearly 80 o'clock when he
gave himself up. The officers searched
him and locked him up.
Gent TO Delaware Hospital.
The ambulance was summoned by tbe
s6icers Captain Francis, accompanied
by Officers Ingram ard Chambers won't
- the house and superintended the re-
nSval of the body to the Delaware Hos.
pital. His injuries were pronounced
very serious This morning Dr. T. x.
Bradford trephined the skull and relieved
the pressure upon the brain, but Shields
Is still unconscious, although resting
easier But little hope is entertained for
his recovery
Wanted Him Removed.
Last week Mrs Burnett wanted her
husband placed in the Delaware State
Hospital for the Insane at Farnhurst, as
ble DeBan 70 Ieaf Ior k0o safety or her /
self and daughter. Her friends pre-
vailed upon her to defer such action for
little while, hoping that he would be-
come more rational
His Friday night escapade convinced
her that there was no hope. She con
suited the officers Of the Odd Fellows
lodge to which he belonged. They prom
ised to attend to the matter to-day, and
see that he was placed in proper insti
tuition.
Burnett Says He DID 1t.
When an EVENING JOURNAL reporter
visited Burnett in his cell this morning
after Judge Ball had arraigned him and
held him to await the result of his vic.
TINS injuries, he was very quiet, but the
signs of 8 disordered brain were very ap-
parent. He said.
Yes | struck him. Il did it in self de-
fence. If had not killed him believe
he would have killed me don't see
what he wanted at my house, anyway
He had never been there but once and
that was on Friday night when | gave
them all the slip. He tried his best to ,
get me to go to sleep last night. he told
me that only had Eve or six hours to
live at the furthest He would then
put his hand back to his hip pocket and
take hold of something, / made up NV
mind that H. vvas hts Hfa ~ -.