The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-21
A LUNApIC'S FREAKS.
He Terrorizes Part of Chicago, but Is
Caught by sulphur.

H6 IerrOrjZeS faFL 1nlcaSp. bit Is
Caught by sulphur.
Chicago, Oct Charmed with Win
chester rifle and a revolver. a mailman
defied the police for hours today at No. 50
Woodland Park. in one of the most ariS-
tocratic residence districts Of the city.
Barricaded and locked in a secoRd-story
room. commanding a complete view of the
park. the lunatic splintered doors, shat
tered windows and tore holes in the piaS
ter Of the rooms with bullets from his
rifle. while he shouted defiance to the po-
lice and others attracted to the scene.
The insane man was G.. 5. Merwin, of the
firm Of Rogers, Brown & Co., pig iron
dealers. After seventeen hours OF effort
the police by strategy surprised and over
came the mailman. Although he had fired
40 shots from his rifle and revolver. Mer-
win injured no one, but a number of peo-
pie had narrow escapes.
After every other attempt TO capture
the insane man before he should kill some
one or injure himself had failed, sulphur
was burned in the furnace, and all the
registers were closed excepting the one in
the room occupied by Merwin In an hour
after the sulphur fire was started Mer-
win, partly overcome by the fumes, laid
down on his bed and was secured with but
feeble resistance.
The arisrocratic circle of Woodland
park was greatly excited in the morning
"
suddenly gone mad. driven his wife in
terror from their home, and was roam
ing through the house armed with the
revolver and rife. Woodland park is
fringed with elegant residences, occu-
pied by families of wealth and culture.
and the park grounds make beautiful
lawn for all who live within the enclos-
ure. Mr.. Merwin Saturday afternoon at
tended a concert at the Auditorium Mrs
Merwin was Ill and did not go. When Mr..
Merwin returned home early in the even
ing he complained of pain in his head.
AS the evening wore on his headache
grew worse. He applied such remedies as
We're at hand, but they did not relieve
him, and in the middle of the night he
suddenly sprang fromh is bed and seized
his rifle and chased his wife to the
kitchen. Throwing up window, the ter
rified woman leaped to the ground, ten
feet below, and ran to the residence of
Abraham Baldwin, where she was cared
for. The police were notified. and three
men were sent to the Merwin residence.
When they tried to enter through a rear
window several shots were frd at them,
while the insane man yelled at them call
ing them burglars, and said he would
kill the first man coming up the stairs.
Friends of Merwin were sent for and tried
TO reason with him, but IL was useless.
He fired shots at the neighboring houses,
breaking windows and causing the in
mates to take refuge in the rear rooms.
One or two bicyclists passing by were
fred at, but Merwin's aim was bad, and
they escaped with a bad scare. The po-
lice obtained chloroform and squirted IL
into the room with a syringe through
the keyhole, but Merwin was shrewd
enough TO throw up the windows Final
ly. at about o'clock this afternoon. sui
phur was burned as related. The unfor-
tunate man was dressed and taken to the
detention hospital.
Merwin is So years OF age. Three years
ago, while in the iron range in the Ten
nessee mountains, Merwin was Kicked in
the head by a horse, and to the conse-
quent brain injury his present condition
is ascribed He was married year and
a half ago TO prominent young lady OF
New Haven. He is member of the Union
League and several other prominent clubs.