The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-03-07
A MURDERER HELD At Bay
His Desperate Fight Against Two Thou
sand Men.
AIDED BY HIS PLUCKY WIFE
Finally, After Having Been Driven From
His Home by Flame, he Kills Himself
Just Before the Building is Blown
to Bits by Dynamite

BELLEFoNTE, Pa, March For twenty
four hours the quiet little village of Wood
ward, in the eastern end of this county,
was the scene of q bloody conflict. Will
lam Etlinger, who lived there in little
frame house. with his wife and two chill
dren, had been fugitive from justice
since last fall. He was under bail for at
tempting to kill his wife's father, but
when the case was called it was found that
he had fled to the mountain businesses.
When Constable John Barner, who had
been sworn in only few days before,
learned on Thursday afternoon that the
outlaw had slipped down to his home to
see his wife and family he determined to
trap him at any cost. Deputizing John
Hosterman and @. G. Motz to assist him,
they made their way to Etlinger's house.
Arriving there they found the outlaw,
with his wife and babies, barricaded in the
second story. Barner called upon him to
surrender, but was greeted with derision.
With a shout to his men to back him up
the constable crashed in one Of the panels
of the door and crawled through the aper-
ture. Instantly there was flash from
Etlinger's gun, and Barner fell dead with
bullet in his head. Motz and Hoster-
man fled in terror and told their story. 1t
set the little town ablaze with fury, and a
constantly increasing mob of men gath
cred together, armed themselves with
guns, and made for the house. The crowd
quickly swelled to 1900 or more.
As they approached the house fusilade
of shots from the upper window warned
them to keep their distance Both Etlin-
ger and his wife, who is almost as bold as
he were armed, and almost constantly
firing. Several persons were injured by
flying bullets, Frank Guiswhite, who lay
sick in his house next door, being shot in
the head and shoulder
Meanwhile the armed crowd without re-
turned the fire steadily. The lombard
ment was continued throughout the night,
but the besieged still held their own, and
the assailants grew more desperate. Early
yesterday morning ammunition began to
run out, and detail was sent here to pro
cure fresh supplies. They returned with
cartridges and rifles. These were too much
for the desperate, and he took his family
to the cellar when the bullets began to fly
clear through the light frame structure.
Sheriff Condo and posse of sixteen men
had arrived meantime, and they then made
a raid, but Etlinger and his wife repulsed
woman approached window in the house
and lighted fuse attached to a dynamite
bomb, which she meant to hurl into the
crowd. A dozen guns were leveled at her,
and she quickly disappeared.
Eventually it was decided that the only
resource was to set fire to the house and
drive the bandit out. There was hesita-
tion about this, because of the woman and
aHf Int 1,a oh, 90
uncomfortable, and refused to listen to
reason. To avenge Barner's death seemed
to be the one thought, and they would
listen to no plans of moderation. Shortly
after the noon hour some one seized torch
and applied it to the frame walls of the
house. Instantly the wood ignited, and in
a moment the flames were leaping high in
the air. But Etlinger continued to fire
into the crowd, and yelled defiance at his
pursuers.
The flames had eaten their way half
through the roof when a cry of gladness
announced that the children had escaped
from the building. After few moments
of rapid firing the woman appeared at the
cellar door. A thousand voices shouted
TO her to come out, promising her safety,
but she answered that she must die with
her husband.
Let him come out, then, and we will
not shoot himl" was the cry
The answer was yell of derision and a
volley from the outlaw. The woman was
on her knees, pleading with her husband
to surrender, while the rifle bullets whizzed
within three inches of her head. Finally
she wrenched herself free and ran. Et-
linger fired three shots after her, but they
were wild and she was uninjured. Her
ankles had been bound together, so that
she could not escape.
1t was then that Etlinger realized that
his time had come. With grin of de.
flance he thrust his head from the cellar
door, climbed to the ground and drew
himself up to his full height Then 200
rifles were raised and leveled at him, but
only two shots rang out. Before they had
time to press their triggers he raised his
own weapon and sent two bullets into his
brain. moment later his body, riddled
with bullets, toppled over into the flames.
Almost Immediately after there was a
tremendous report, and what was left of
the burning structure went in fragments
high into the air. -Four hundred pounds
of dynamite which he had kept in the
cellar had exploded.
Barner's dead body was recovered. The
top of the head had been crushed in by
bullets and the throat was cut from ear to
ear.