The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-10-21
INSANE IN HS HOME !
Aristocratio Chicago Neighborhood
Terrorized by a Madman.
SHOT AT ALL WHO GAME NEAR HIM

For Seventeen Hours @. 9. Merwin, -
spsotsd ohicsEo Merchant, Kept Polics
and Friends at nay. and Was Finally
Captured by Russ.
CHICAGO, Oct. e1.-Armed with Win
chester rife and revolver q mailman de-
fled the police for hours yesterday at No.
IS Woodland Park, In one of the most
aristocratic residence districts Of the city.
Barricaded and locked In a second story
room, commanding complete view Of the
park, the 1unatic splintered doors. shat
tered window panes and tore holes In the
plaster Of the room with bullets from his
ride, while he shouted defiance to the
polics and others attracted to the scene. I
The insane man was G. 8. Merwin, OF
the firm of Rogers, Brown g. Co., pig
iron dealers.
After seventeen hours effort the police,
by strategy, surprised and overcams the
madman. Although he had fired 40 shots
from his rifle and revolver Merwin injured
no ono, but number of people had mar
row escapes.
After every other attempt to capture
the insane man before he should kill some
some one or injure himself had failed, sui
phur was burned In the furnace. All the
registers were closed excepting the one In
the room occupied by Merwin. In an hour
after the sulphur fire was started Merwin,
partly overcome by the fumes, laid down
on his bed and was secured with but feeble
resistance.
The aristocratic circle ofWoodland Park
was greatly excited in the morning when
It became known that Merwin had sud
denly gone mad, driven his wife In terror
from their home, and was roaming
through the house, armed with revolver
and q rifle. Woodland Park Is fringed
with elegant residences, occupied BY
families Of wealth and culture, and the
park grounds serve as q beautiful lawn Tor
all who live within the enclosure.
Mr.. Merwin on Saturday afternoon at
tended concert at the Auditorium, Mrs
Merwin was i'll and did not go. When
Mr.. Merwin returned home early in the
evening he complained Of pain In his
head. As the evening wore on his head
ache grew worse. He applied such rem
edies as were at hand, but they did not re-
lieye him, and In the middle Of the night
he suddenly sprang from his bed and, seiz-
ing his rifle, chased his wife to the kitchen.
Throwing up window the terrified wo-
man leaped to the ground, ten feet below,
and ran to a neighboring house, where she
was cared for.
The police were notified and three men
were sent to the Merwin residence. As
they tried to enter by q rear door several
shots were fired at them, while the insane
man yelled at them, calling them burg
lars and saying he would kill the first man
coming up the stairs Friends Of Merwin
were sent for, and tried to reason with
him, but 1t was useless. He fired shots at
the neighboring houses, breaking windows
and causing the inmates to take refuge In
the rear rooms. One or two bicyclists pass
ing by were fired at, but Merwin's aim
was bad and they escaped with bad scare.
The police obtained chloroform and
squirted 1t into the room with q syringe
through tho keyhole, but Merwin was
shrewd and threw up the windows, thereby
neutralizing it. Finally at about o'clock
In the afternoon sulphur was procured and
placed in the furnace and Merwin was
soon overcome. The unfortunate man was
taken to the Detention hospital.
Merwin is 85 years old. BE came 10
Chicago Ave years ago from New Haven,
Conn, where he was reared. 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 consequent
brain injury his present condition La as
cribed. He was married year and half
ago to q prominent young lady OF New
Haven, Conn, and is o member OF the
Union League and several other promi-
x,ant clilba