The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-07
DESPERATE ETTLINeER DEAD.
HE BLOWS OUT HIS DRAINS RATH-
Err THAN SURRENDER.

Aheh feFhits Ills 4 hlldren 10 De-
pnrt-His Wife Only Escapes Death
by breaking Away From His Grasp
and Fleeing Under His Fire.
Bellefonte Pa, March 6.-After holding
the sheriff of Centre county and 1000 arm
ed citizens at bay for twenty-four
hours, the desperate. William Ettlinger.
was only driven from his house to-day
when the burning embers of the structure
were falling about his head and then des-
perate to the last. and preferring death
by his own hands TO surrender, he blew
out his brains upon the threshold OF his
dwelling.
All efforts to dlslodge the man had been
in vain. and as any one who approached
the house exposed himself to death from
Ettlinger's rife Sheriff Condo found a
man to risk his life in setting fire to the
structure. Then II was that Ettlinger al
lowed his two little children to leave the
burning building, but his wife only escaped
death by breaking away from her hus-
bands grasp, as he had intended to kill
her as well as himself As II was Ettlin-
ger fired four shots after the woman as
she fed from the building. and then
stepped outside and killed himself
Ettllnger lived in the little Village OF
woodward, in the eastern end of this
county. He was about Is years of age
and among his neighbors he had the rep
utation OF being man whom IL was not
best to provoke. Several months ago he
assaulted his father-in-law BENJAMIN
Benner, and nearly scalped him with a
piece OF cordwood Ettlinger was arrest
ed at the time and brought here. He Sc
cured bail but when the case was called
Tor trial Ettlinger failed to appear. A
bench warrant was issued for his arrest,
Dut the man had taken refuge in the
mountains that surround the hamlet In
which he lived. He was occasionally seen,
Dut none OF his ncighbors were venture
some enough to attempt his arrest
Yesterday afternoon Constable Barner
heard that Ettlinger was at home. There
linger, and the constable determined upon
the arrest of his enemy He deputized
{. G. Motz and John Hosterman 10 assist
him in arrestpg Ettlinger The three
went to the house of Ettlinger and found
that the latter, with his wife and 8-year-
old daughter and 2-year-old son, had bar
rlcaded themselves in the second story
of their frame dwelling. The officers en-
tered and Barner kicked In q panel of
the door ON the second floor. Evidently
reckoning on no desperate resistance the
constable started TO crawl into the room
in which Ettlinger had taken refuge
through the broken door The man had
prepared himself for resistance, however,
and as Barners head and shoulders ap-
peared in the room, EttHnger fired a rifle
bah through his head, killing him in
stantly.
Ettlinger then fired through the door
at the other two men, and Motz was
struck and badly hurt. The two deputized
constables beat a hasty retreat from the
house.
They aroused the town, and men gath
cred up their fire arms and fastened to
Ettlinger's dwelling. A shot from the
came within range that Ettlinger was
prepared to do further murder in the de-
fense of his person. Sheriff Condo was
telegraphed for here and with sixteen
armed deputies, went to Woodward on
a special train.
During the siege yesterday afternoon
of house next to his, and Frank Geys
whit, who was lying i'll therein, was hit
and dangerously wounded
A little later Ettlinger fired into the
house of Mrs. Robert Miller and the bui-
let just missed the lady John Musser,
who was watching Ettlinger's house, was
shot in the neck and severely wounded.
Upon the arrival of the sheriff on the
scene that official took charge of the
siege. The thousand and more men
around the house kept up fussilade or
shots until the ammunition OF the little
town was exhausted. The only way that
seemed possible to dislodge Ettlinger
men was to fire the house, but on &C
count of the children and Mrs. Ettlinger
the sheriff determined not to resort to this
except as a last measure. The house was
guarded throughout the night and as the
news of the siege had spread, by day
light there was fully 1900 armed men
This morning Sheriff Condo determined
upon attempting to carry the house by
storm. With a number Of deputies, he
made a rush for the building, but the
whistle of bullets from Ettlingers Win
chester speedily took the courage out of
the storming party and drove them back.
Then the sheriff decided to fire the build
ing. James Cornelly Bellefonte deputy
volunteered to apply the match. Under
the cover Of fierce fire directed against
the house by the crowd, Cornelly made
his way to the building and applied the
TORCH and returned in safety.
The flames made slow headWay and IL
was fully an hour before the building was
fairly ablaze The heat of the fire drove
Ettlinger and his family to the cellar
When the building had become too hot
for habitation the cellar door was stealth
lily opened and the two babies were pushed
through into the street.
Closely following the children, Mrs Tt-
tlinger burst through the cellar door ana
staggered out The crowd was hot in
anger against the woman, as they believ-
ed that she had assisted her husband in
defending the house, and. as she made her
appearance a cry went up: Shoot the
witch" Cooler heads raised a shout and
prevented any firing at the woman AS
four times after her, but each shot went
wide of the mark.
BY this time the building was ablaze
from cellar TO roof, and, with the choice
of death by cremation or at the hands of
the mob, Ettlinger decided to kill himself
He suddenly stepped from the cellar way
other. On a demand to surrender the out |
law threw down his gun and undauntedIy |
facing the mob, cried out: II don't want |
to kill any other man but myself but |
I'll not be taken alive" With these words |
he put the revolver to his head and fired |
two bullets into his brain, falling dead in |
the street
A rush was made for the door. and the |
dead body of Constable Barner was drag |
ged from the burning building just as the |
roof fell in.
The crowd was mortified that not only |
had the entire top of Barner's head been |
shot away, but that his throat had been |
cut from ear to ear
When Mrs. Ettlinger had somewhat re- |
covered her composure, she told that she |
was not a willing defender of the house |
with her husband, but that she had been |
detained by him, and to insure her not |
he had handcuffed her feet to- |
gether. Ettlinger had anticipated an at |
tempt to arrest him, and had made a |
veritable fort and arsenal of his house. |
1t was his plan to hold out as long ms /
possible. and when driven to extremitieg. |
to give liberty to the children and xiii |
his wife and himself. Mrs. Ettlinger Is |
Frustrated by the terrible exper1ence /
through which she passed, and her rea- /
son is threatened.