The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-02
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
A Highly Respected Citizen East Of college Hill
Becomes Temporarily Insane

Those who live in the country ;mmedi-
ately III the neighDorhood of College hill
| were greatly excited Saturday night and
| they had some reason to be for shots were
| flying in ali directions. A prominent citi-
zen and one whose reputation is beyond
question was the cause of the excitement.
He had been suffering from the grip for
several days and cams in town Saturday TO
| get some medicine He not only got med
Icine but he went to the hardware store
| and bought lot of ammunition including
| powder, shot. shells and cartridges. Upon
arriving at his home his wife mixed the
| medicine for him aud made him drink it.
He shortly afterwards went over 10 a
neighbor who lived across the road and
told him of his sorrows, how the grip was
efeoting him and how many deaths it was
causing. He thyn returned home and DO
sooner had ne arrived there than
his wife observed a peculiar stare
in his ewes and a wild look about his face
that caused her great alarm. He began
loading up a shotgun, and upon being
asked by his wife what he meant he stated
that he was going to kill the neighbor who
lived across the road. who was the same
gentleman he told his sorrows to a few
minutes before. She Immediately ran TO
tell the neighbor to beware, and when she
reached there the poor woman was in such
condition that she could barely tell what
her husband was proposing to do. The
neighbor at once gathered his family
around him, and they, rs well as the wife
OF the unfortunate man, ran g mile for
their lives and sought shelter AT the house
of Squire Ebey. No sooner had they got
out of the way when the man began firing
shots promiscuously all around him. Sew
eral farmers who were going home from
town encountered him, and seeing that he
was evidently insane pulled out for their
lives, whipping their horses and
driving through corn fields and every
where else that offered them an avenue of
escape. Constable Jones, John Gould aud
others Of the township went TO the IN
fortunate mans house but they did not
stay there long for they found it too
warm. In fact it is said they took to their
heels and accomplished q rate of speed in
their retreat that would do credit to Ash
land Wilkes.
During the remainder of the night no.
body veutured within a mile Of that house
In the morning, however. Constable
Jones and others went with the distracted
wife to her home expecting to find that
her husband had committed suicide but
their fears were not realized for they
found him in bed with such "A high fever
that he was deluged with Precipitation.
In the bed with him they found wholei
arsenel consisting OF two six-shooters, two
shot guns, a Winchester, two knives etc.
He was "a M hOwavar and later on he
showed signs Of improvement and up to
date has been as peaceful as usual
Squire Ebey describes the scene as terri
BILE and the excitement in the neighbor-
hood intense. The species of insanity
which afflicted the gentleman was appar-
emily only temporary, hence it is deemed
proper not 70 give his name. He IS good
citizen and strictly temperate in his..habits /!