Evening journal., 1892-10-24
CAPTURED THE CHURCH
A Madman Fortifes Himself
in a Pulpit to Preach.
FOOD, BULLETS AND FIREWORKS.

He. Was Stocked for IA Long Stay, De-
fed the Authorities and Drove the
Congregation Away with Revolver.
Captured After He Had Fallen Asleep.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Oct 2L-Gospel
truth was presented at the point of the
sword, with accompaniment of red fire
and revolyers at the Olivet Congregational
church yesterday morning.
Charles NJ. Emmons a gunmaker, en-
ployed at the United States armory, whose
mind has long been unsound upon relig
ious matters, entered the church at mid
night, and bnrricading the pulpit kept
the police force at bay until yesterday
afternoon. Having provided himself with
an abundance of ammunition and proy-
sions for a weeks stay, Emmons might
have been holding the fort yet had he not
fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. Seven
bullet holes in the wall and ceiling remain
to recall a most remarkable Sunday
Emmons bought large supply Of rock
cts, red fire, Roman candles, pin wheels
and powder Saturday afternoon, and tax
ing them home worked until midnight in
the preparation of apparatus TO discharge
the fireworks, arousing the neighbors by
his pounding. lie then gathered them all
in sack, with several oil and alcohol
lamps, and taking a crowbar with which to
effect an entrance started for the church
which he has attended fifteen years.
An Arsenal in the Pulpit.
Arriving at the church Emmons found a
side door carelessly unlocked and making
his way to the pulpit lighted his lamps,
locked the doors at either side Of the plat
form, loaded his arsenal and began his long
meditation by eating supper To try one
of his pistols he fired shot, startling the
neighbors
Then the madman arrayed himself in
the dust cloths, covering his face and hang
ing the big red bookmark Of the pulpit
Bible from a string around his belt. He
also brought up flowers from the vestry
and set them on the stand.
When Sexton Dickinson arrived to start
his morning fires he was confronted by the
enshrouded appartion in the pulpit
Brandishing n revolver, Emmons bade the
sexton listen TO the truth without inter
fering Recognizing Emmons' voice, Dick
inson hastily retreated, but not before the
1 lunatc had fired three shots into the air
The officers Of the church and the police
were speedily summoned, but for more
than three hours Emmons stood his ground
with crazy cunning, firing three times
through a side door when it was ratified,
wheeling each time instantly to cover the
rear, whence the officers were hoping to
pounce upon him
Despairing of ousting the lunatic the
plans Of drowning him out with hose or
filling the church with smoke were consid-
cred among q dozen others. The crowd
several times tried to force an entrance to
the church, and had not the doors opened
outward some one would undoubtedly
have been shot. Several boys climbed upon
the roof Of the chapel annex at one side,
and aroused the ire of the mndman by
rapping upon the stained glass windows.
just as the hose method was about to be
tried it was noticed that Emmons had
dropped into n chair and was nodding. In
a moment more heagas asleep and four Of
iicers had pounced upon him.
Emmons struggled fercely, but the re
yolver was caught in his robe and hand
cuffs were handy. Before he was over
powered however, he grabbed little pistol
from his pocket aud fred it into the air
with yell. Then nc gave up the struggle
and was hustled into n hack, which the
great crowd outside nearly upset in it's
eagerness to catch a glimpse OF him.
During this time the mailman read from
the Psalms and Revelations, taking of his
shoes after reading the verse which says,
"Take off thy shoes, for the spot where thou
standest Is holy ground.
Meantime the news had Travelled TO the
other thirty churches in town, and formiles
around the street. railways were bringing
thousands to the spot. All the Sunday
schools were deserted
Planks were fastened aneinst the vesti-
hule doors Of the church from the outside
70 prevent a charge by themadman. -Four
deacons aud four policemen stood guard
Powder and Incense.
The bass singer Of the choir, as a last re
sort, approached within hailing distance
and inquired If there was to be no music
at the service being solemnly answered,
"ihe daughters OF music shall be laid low. 81
Search showed that Emmons had CON
vertcd the pulpit into q veritable fortress
He had poured n pound Of powder into the
marble urn % make, as he aiterward said
p the smoke of incense He had enough
canned meat, crackers and water 20 supply
him for several days, In fact, lac has since
admitted that ho thought it might be a
: week before he got an audience, adding
that he would have remained there till h,
starved
Emmons also had an auger and other
: tools with which 60 fix the rockets so that
+ he might discharge them into the rear gol
+ lery. Plenty of ammunition wns found Oh
D his person. When seen by n correspondent
{ Emmons said that he had been called &c
preach the truth, and his conscience was al
] rest