St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-28
BULLETS were THICK.
Contin ued From First Page.

frantic rush, and once more looked to
the gallery to see where the revolver
was to point next time. By this time
the
LUNATIC'S AIM
was unsteady, the revolver wriggled
badly. There was deadly uncertainty
among the panic-strickeu traders as to
where it was to ultimately point when
it was fl red. At last the agony was over
and the ball went crashing toward the
northwest corner. Realizing that the
lunatic was going to empty every cham
Der in his revolver at the crowd, every
body now began finding safe places.
Commission men with orders in their
hands So ueeZed against each other, be-
hind the big bulletin board. The little
smoking rooms at the corners were liter
ally packed with human beings. An
insane mob rushing from burning the
alter never crowded more furiously
against one another than did these
board of trade men as they went down
the broad stairs.
The people in the corn pit and in the
vesSelmen's aisle at the south of the
exchange room were now comparatively
safe, for the lunatic was firing over
their head at the crowd beyond. Not
knowing when he would begin shooting
ward, there was sprinting match
between four or five hundred men for
the Mushroom at the southeast corner,
and for the broad doors leading to the
south exit. The egress from this part
of the hall was much easier than from
the northern part, and in less than half
minute the corn pit, the sample tables
and the aisles resembled a deserted
village.
The visitors, most of them from the
country, who filled both galleries. were,
if anything, more frightened than were
the brokers on the floor. The galleries
were so full that it was impossible for
but few to make the staircase. Those
In the front seats dropped heller SHELTER
behind the railing. Many of the others
found safe places
BEHIND THE CHAIRS.
The dainty hats which country mil
liners had produced as works of art for
the worlds fair were ruined by the
score. as their wearers dropped to the
floor and hid their heads behind chairs
and ratings.
In the gallery which the revolver was
being fired from not move mas made
by any of the visitors to disarm the
crazy man. AS one broker put it, "Our
visitors might have let that fellow keep
shooting at us for the rest of the session
before they would have made a move to
stop him. l suppose they were so sur
prlSed and frightened that they did not
know what to do. 1t was lucky for US
that Tom Barrett made that daring rush
up the stairs and into the gallery, or
more of US might have been hit. l
don't think that there is anything from
dynamite frecracker to Krupp gun
that Tom Barrett would not face if he
thought he ought to-"
ID. L. Helm, the we'll known vessel
agent, was right to the west Of the
wheat pit when the first shot was fired.
las quick as | heard the shot," said
Mr.. Helm, II glanced at the gallery and
saw that the revolver was pointed di-
rectly at me. l started at dead run to
the westward, keeping my eye all the
time on the revolver. 1t was with great
satisfaction that | noticed that the fell
low was not following me with his gun,
but was pointing it, l should say,
twenty feet east of the spot where L
started from. | stopped still and waited
for the shot. 1t came, and once more L
set my eyes
ON THAT GUN.
"Once more 1t was pointed in my d.
rection and | started the other way. In
about half-second | was out of its
range, and again stopped. You may
depend upon it that was ready for a
quick move II the revolver had been
pointed in my direction again. 1t re-
minded me of the old game l used to
play when l was a boy which was
called sock 'em.' l never once thought
of getting in behind anything, for it
seemed as if l could dodge him in an
open field. There must have been a
hundred who were lodging with me,
and now that it is all over, it seems a
laughabie matter, but it was not then
by long shot"
Hugh Mcmillan, an agent for the
New York Central, stood directly below
the man when the first shot was fired.
He said that, like every one else in the
vicinity, retreat seemed the best part of
valOr, and he ran at full speed towards
the wash room, where he watched the
other shots.
Tom Barrett, who became the hero OF
| the board by his courageous act III rush
| ing into the gallery, has long been
known as an athlete and man who is
| afraid of nothing that walks.
Beldin Is Chicagoan. He lived with
his sister. Mrs. A. Williams. dress,
maker, and his brother, l.. A. Beldin. a
! Spectator on the board of trade. Ac.
| cording to his sister, domestic trouble
| unseated his mind five years ago when
| he was divorced from his wife at Cam
| den, n. j. She thinks that he acted to-
day under the belief that his brother
was being robbed by other traders on
change. The man only few months
| ago was released from the asylum for
the insane at Kankakee, LII.
at would have made no difference to
| Barrett" a leading commission man
| said, whether the fellows revolver
was empty or not. don't suppose thai
Barrett ever thought for minute
whether all the balls had been fired
FROM THE REVOLVER.
"He would have rushed up to him, ]
have no doubt, with loaded revolver
pointed directly at hiss head. This is
not the first time that Barrett has dis
tingulshed himself by courageous dar-
ing. His friends can tell many stories
wherein Barrett has played the part OF
the hero. OF all the men on the board
l do not think that there is one who is
| quicker in action or more fearless thar
Tom Barrett, and l am in favor of hin
for our next president for the board Of
trade.'
MIR. Barrett modestly disclaimed any
special bravery. Il was standing in the
corn pit" he said, when | heard the re
port of pistol. 1t was repeated before
l could locate the shooter. He wa:
standing in the little gallery under the
clock. looking over the baluStrade.
rushed outside the hall, and ran up the
north stairs to the gallery. When go
there there was nobody in the gallery
except the man | was after. All the
others had rushed out of thea gal
lery when the first shot was fired.
caught hold of the fellow by the back o.
the coat and grabbed hold OF the empty
revolver he held in his hand. He mus
have been taken by surprise, as he die
not make any resistance for about ;
minute. Then took him down tht