The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-28
Cassius Beldin Fires Five Shots at the
Spectators and Visitors in the
Board of Trade.
TWO MEN BADLY WOUNDED
And a Woman Shot i'm the Back
While Fleeing from the Scene.
The Madman Captured by Brave
Young Irish-American-He Claims
to Have Been Hypnotized.

CHICAGO. Sept 27.-A panic on the Chi
csgo Board of Trade was witnessed to-day,
more extraordinary than any thing possible
from causes merely financial. Nearly 1900
people brokers and spectators. were held
helpless in terror for moments that seemed
an age, at the mercy of a maniac sending
death into their midst. Caesins Beldin. o
poorly dressed and iDcoherent- talking Sign
painter. stood in the south gallery of the
main trading room and deliberately dis
charged bullet after bullet from o pistol
into the crowded pits on the floor below and
into the throngs OF world fair sight-seers IN
the galleries. Three persons were unable TO
discngsge themselves from the confused
mass into which all were thrown In time to
save themselves from the flying bullets.
Theses are:
AMRr NJ. BENNETT, Board of Trade broker.
shot through the neck.
CHARLES W. ROSWELL, assistant chief oper-
atOr OF tie Board OF Trade telegraph. jaw
broken by bullet.
MRS. W. W. LEWIS OF Titusviile. Pa, worlds
fair visitor flesh wound in the back
The first warning to the brokers was the
CRY of q woman who was seated near the
maniac. All eyes were attracted by the
noise. the hu bbub of the traders ceased. and,
In an instant the shooting began. Every
one scramb bled for the shelter of bulletin
boards and anterooms. the crowd seeming
for time more crazy than its assailant.
Before any one recovered from the shock
sufficiently to realize what bso happened.
and to take means to stop the work OF the
madman, the first TO act was Thomas T..
Barrett, of the commission firm of Boyden
& Co., o stslwart young Irish-Ameriean,
with q record as an athlete. With q cour.
age and readiness in emergency character.
istic of his race. Barrett made o rush up
the stairoase and throttled the madman.
throwing him to the floor. while q boot
black wrenched away the smoking weapon.
A scene of pandemonium had by this
time set I'm. The traders had partly recov-
cred their wits, and the news OF the shoot.
ing had spread TO the people on the streets.
who immediately began to crowd into the
building. They surrounded the prisoner
and bis captor. From lighting with the
prisoner, Barrett now had TO fight for him
to avoid q lynching. Half Oxen of the
directors and other cooler heads promptly
assisted HIM. and the excited throng was
kept back. In the pushing and hauling
that followed o rush was made by the self
and the man W as soon hurried into q room.
The maddened crowd ran TO the room. and
the great staircase creaked under its un-
usual weight. In order TO notify the police
il became necessary for one of the secre-
taries TO crawl over the heads of the men.
and in q short time o squad of officers az
rived and the crowd was driven back.
During the wild scenes attending the
capture and removal of the maniac many
persons were slightly bruised and tho
clothes of some we're badly torn. While
the assassin was being hurried away by
the police the scene on the floor of the ex.
change was one OF wild constornstion.
Business was entirely suspended and the
traders began to group about the fallen
forms of Bennett and Roswell. 1t all hap
pened just at the beginning of the busy
closing hour on Change. The two men
among the victims thought at first TO be
fatally wounded are reported tonight
having good chances OF recovery. The
woman injured. Mrs. Lewis. of TItusville.
Pa. was seated beside her husband in the
north gallery and one of the first shots
struck her in the middle of the back, in
fiicting severe hesh wound. She fell to
the floor and was quickly removed In cab
to a doctors Office. where. IL was said, che
would soon be about.