Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-09-18

THE WORST OF THE BATTLE.
CHIEF KLIEvES HAD A NARROW
ESCAPE, AND MRS. HAANS HURT.
THE CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
WAS LOUIS ELIAS, AND THE
SCENE WAS FORTY SECOND
STREET, BETWEEN JACOB AND
W--TER-A COMPLICATED AND
SERIOUS CONDITION OF AFFAIRS.
There was an extremely interesting
and very complicated state of affairs
in the lower portion Of the Egth ward,
about one o'clSck this morning, which
involved an incendiary fire, promiscu-
Gus shooting by the fire-bug, and MUIR
der might very easily have been one of
the numerous outcomes of the mat
ter.
AS it was, four persons were injured,
fortunately, none of them seriously.
The cause of the trouble was Louis
Elias, man of perhaps thirty-fve or
thirty-eight years of age, single, who
lives with his sister in a two-story
frame house on the south side of Forty
second street, between Jacob and
Water. Elias OWES the house adjoin-
ing on the west, which is one story
brick. This house has been vacant
since last January.
That Elias is non compos mentis is
proven by his recent actions, and con-
clusively demonstrated, if further proof
was lacking, by the episodes of this
morning. Twice within a week, ac-
cording to statements made this morn
ing, he has committed assaults upon
people without cause, and it is gener-
ally believed In the neighborhood that
he has not been right for two years
or so past. He was at one time a
workman in the Riverside mill, and is
generally known in the lower portion
of the city and in Benwood.
Yesterday, according to the state
ment of his sister Annie, made to a
Register reporter this morning after
the fire and resulting trouble, he was
about the house, acted very quietly,
and she did not miss him off the prem
Uses. She stated he went to bed about
eleven o'clock, or at least he was in
bed when she went up stairs, at that
hour. Elias must have gotten up soon
after eleven, however, and have gone
to the adjoining empty house. About
ten minutes before one this morning
passers-by on Jacob street saw the one
story house was on fire, and an alarm
was sent in, followed in a few minutes
by a second, which called the entire
fire department of the city to the
scene.
Among the first to reach the house
was Police Officer Dudley. AS he ap-
preached Elias, who had gone back to
the frame house in which he lives,
stood at the front door, with a revolver
and opened fire, first on the officer. and
later on the firemen from the Eighth
ward company In all he fired seves
shots from a five-chambered thirty-two
calibre revolver, which shows he must
have emptied the pistol and then re-
loaded at least two chambers. Still
later he filed all the chambers, as the
gun was fully loaded when it was taken
from him. He also had a box of cart
ridges.
! Officer Dudley advanced on Elias as
soon as he caught the drift of things,
when Elias backed into the house, and
two feet and a half long, made of a
stout branch of some hardwood tree,
! one end having BEEN whitfield down to
a handle, making a most formidable
weapon. Elias brought this down on
the officers head three times, laying
the scalp open at every blow, and COW
ering Dudley with blood. The officer
was dead game, however, and grabbed
his man, when Elias dropped both gun
and revolver and grabbed Dudley
around the neck with both hands He
was TapluHy SuutldHS INC OuiCci VIM
off. when Special Officer Dave Hanne
came to the rescue. and Elias was over
powered. but not until Dudley had Civ
en- Elias good rap over the head with
his baton, inflicting small scalp
! wound
The officers carted Elias off from the
scene and rang for the patrol, while
the firemen tackled the fire, which by
this time had pretty good Roadway in
the interior of the brick house Water
was soon turned on, and Chief Klieves
entered the house. Then he disap-
peared He was not swallowed up in
/ smoke, but had fallen through a big
/ hole in the floor Of a room. He landed
| in the cellar, amid fire and smoke and
! water, and stood a very excellent
chance Of being suffocated. as it was
some time before the fremen could
ascertain where he was or what was
| the matter The chief was finally res
cued, a good deal the worse for wear,
! both as to clothes and his anatomy. he
| having sustained several painful
bumps and bruises, besides having his
uniform torn and badly soiled. An In
| vestigation of the house showed that
| from one-half to two-thirds OF the
| floor had been cut away with an axe,
> dicnI<,raA fha$ Es14a.,