Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-03-13
A DESPERATE OUTLAW.

OF luis (OoulTt) COuutJ, SCoteAu"s'
and resisted all uIght the othcers
of the law who came to arrest him
a fusillade Of bullets was kept up
and one OF the officers was killed.
Fnally tue house was set on nrs.
As 1t was about to fall 10 ruins
Etlinger stepped out and shot him.
self, falling dead.
William EtllDger had long been
known as a man who would hes.'
tate at nothing. Last fall he was
arrested for an assault on his
father IN law, Benjamin Benner,
whom he nearly scalped with a hl'-
let ofcord wood. He was brought
to Jail here, but soon secured
boDdsmen. When the case was
called for trial, Etllnger was not to
be found. He fed to cave Ia tue
mountain Businesses which hem in
the village.
Yesterday Constable John Bar
ner learned that the fugitive had
surreptirously slipped downt to his
home. lie took Deputies MOI and
HOsterman with him to make the
arrest. They reached the little
sHanty to fin E.'il54r with his
wife and their three gear old daugh
ter aud two.yeAr.old son blrricad-
cd in the second story. They went
upstairs and broke in a panel OF
the door. Blrner had craWled half
way through the aperture when a
shot rang from Etllnger's gan, and
the constable fell dead with a bnl.
let ia his b ,ad. His deputies fed
in terror.
The news spread quickly and
the Whole town turned out. Men
gathered up all the fire arms they
could find aud ran for the EGlinSer
house, blt shots from the man and
his wife within warned them not
to get too close.
Daring the afterooop he shot
Frank Guiswhite, who was sick In
bis house next door, one buckshot
taking effect III the head, the Other
in the shoulder aud a little later
fred from an upstairs window H.
TO the home of Mrs. Robert Miller,
Just across the street. The ball
Just missed the old lady and lodged
in the widow sill oyer which she
was leaning.
A perfect fusllade was kept up
between the guard that was con-
stantly being augmented as the
news spread throughout the valley
and fully Eve hundred shots had
been fred before dark.
About dark Mrs. Etllnger was
seen to approach a window and
light a fuse attached to dynamite
bomb which sue intended to hurl
Into the crowd, when some one FIR.
ed at the flash, aud she threw up
her hands and fell back ward.
The sheriff and his posse of six
teen men arrived on the scene by
special train from here at IL, but
were unable to accomplish any
thing. All night long an Inter
change of shots was kept up
Early this morning the sheriff
wired ths com mis- ,ioners in Belle.
fonte for an al litiOnal posse of
twenty FIVE, bat was authorized to
deputize men from tbs cowd.
Several raids were made on the
house, but the bssiegers were re.
pulsed by the flying bullets.
Eventually it was determined to
barn him OUT. The torch was APP
piled aud the crowd, in breathIess
excitement, watch IS the creeping
flames and waite the d "a )uement.
They did not have long to wait,
for the wonIu with her two child
rem were sool force to hse to es.
cape death in the fines, but Et.
linger ling3re behiud. 1t was
thought he intended to die IN the
house, but just when tho b1lldin G
was about to collapse be appeared
at thu cellar door AM strMghtway
the off, cAllel on hin to sur.
render. lie dill not answer, but,
with a determination begOtten by
despair, he put a pistol to his head
and blew out his brains. The body
OF the constable was then recover
ed from the burning building.
Life in Winchester.
While the family OF w. II. B ,ker