Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-09-28
SHOT BY A LUNATIC
He Fired Fwe Bullets Into the
Wheat Pit
THREE PERSONS WOUNDED
Wild scene Ensaed and Csssisls Bel-
dln. the Criminal. Arrested
story ef the shootinE

pas of, went down 10 the board u trade
= hlsie before nocn to-day. lie got !
f'laee IN the south gallery aud just a the
moment When the trading crowd on the
foor vas ths thickest ke fred i've re
volser shots into the tangle q men be
meath him. Three innocent persons fell
victims % the hand % the mailman.
They were: Amri M Bennett. board u
trade operator; shot through the neck
and fatally injured; taken 20 Presby
terian hospital. Charles w. Roswell.
assistant chief operator of board Of
trade telegraph Office; Jaw broken boy
bullet; lives al Adams and Clark streets.
Mira W. W. Lewis Of Titussille. Penn
sylyania: worlds fair visitor living at
No. s3s West Harrison street; flesh
wound in back.
The assassin made his appearance ia
the gallery at the time when the ferment
of the closing hour on Change was just
beginning. Ii had been fairly active
morning for the board and the crowd
was unusually large. Little attention rs
paid by the brokers on a busy day 10
the gallery crowds and no Que Needed
the entrance of thin. nervous little
man wearing light overcoat, who took
front scat ia the esonth gallery. recently
opened 10 men visitors unaccompanled
by ladies.
Efc Drew n Revolver.
The little man fdgeted about and
watched with shifting eyes the lively
scenes on the floor until the clock was
nearly on the tap OF noon. Then he
arose and the people about him saw him
thrust his hand into his hip pocket and
draw out a revolver. The first warning
OF their peril was conveyed 10 the trad
ers in the pits by the screams Of wo-
man i'm the crowded north or ladies gall
cry. The hubbub ceased and the brok
ers looked up and saw the nervous little
man in the light oyercoat standing IN
the middle of the south gallery with
revolver in his hand. The gun was
pointed upward and the cry Of the
frightened woman was echoed by "A shot
fired apparently at the stained-slass
roof OF the trading room. He did not
appear excited. but was handling his
weapon in the most leisurely and cool
manner. For an instant he looked up
as il watching tho effect OF the shot. and
then leaning over tke gallery rail and
resting his elbow upon one hand he fired
down.
Crowd Was Panic Stricken.
The crowd scrambling around the corn
and provision pits were the first To break
for safety. for they were directly under
the gallery and within fatal firing dis
tance OF the assassin. But il was hardly
a moment before the evidence of their
danger had presented itself 10 the
crowds In the other pits. and the sauye
qui peut became general.
The crowd OF about 1000 men parted
IA squarely in the middle as IL harrow
had been driven through the center
aisle, and before the second shot rang
out the floor was clean except for the
men lying down behind the steps of the
pits and the little groups that had
lodged behind pillars and blackboards
Most OF the men we're ranged into two
compact lines at either side Of the room
in second. There was very little shout
ing; only as the second shot sounded a
woman screamed and plunged forward
in the north gallery.
The south gallery by this time was
cleared and the mailman could be seen
standing alone, calmly pulling away at
the trigger. He had the gun raised by
this time and was evidently aiming at
the northwes: corner OF the tioor.
Amri Bennett shot
Amri Bennett, an old and respected
trader who had been slow in getting 10
shelter was seen 10 tumble In the middle
Of the floor. g. rise 90 his knees and
then fall again. The blood was pouring
from a wound IN his next The next IN
81
gave CRY. and with his hand on his
bloody jaw ran toward the door.
The shots had all been fired with such
extreme deliberation that IL was q
miracle 20 moro were hurt. Tor the mur.
dereg was shooting at two huge targets
OK human beings and II seemed itnposei-
bic to miss al the distance. But his aim
WAS bad or be was firing at random. Zoe
al least 10 OK the bullets went ide. The
traders. who with frightened eyes were
staring AZ tho assassin. saw ~ the
moment that his last shot vas fired. In
deed the quiet was SO deep that the
clicking of the revolver a. IL mizsed fre
the first time cluid be plainly heard
The Assassin Canght
just as the assassin was leaving the
gallery he was grabbed hy Thomas Bar
reft who smashed him IN the facc. and
as ne Tell in hesp learcd upon him and
caught him by the throat. The impulse
~ most OF the men on the floor was for
revenge. and before Barretts quick blow
had iaid out the murderer the corridor
and the stairs leading 10 the gallery
were iammed by an angry mob. while a
hundred men. old and young. stood on
the fioor below The gallery and begged
Barrett 20 pitch his prisoner over the
rail and give them chance az him.
The police fought through the jam aud
got 10 where dozen men were swarm.
ing over Barrett and the luna
itc. Bleeding. bruised And eith his
( clothing tora. the vreiched fellow uhe
dragged out ~ the oficers. men and
boys kicking or striking ~ him as be
passed. and then closing ~ tightly 10
/ hind until frum above al that could lie
scea n The capturing party sas the
( white helmets u The polleenlen snd their
I blue arms saving sbfscstiss O. t5c nIs.b
The ofiicers and their prisoner uers 10
loNed ~ the auefy croWd All The wsy D.
Harrsaon street statien.
Txeitcanenf Saf,~tdrsi