The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-25
MANAGES TERRIBLE DEED.
Kills One and Fatally Injuries Two
others-Had Escaped From an In

Alllb OuG duA GASp34S @1j0Se SNC
others-Had Escaped From an In
sane Asylum---Committed Suicide.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, June "a
Charles Merord, maniac at o'clock
this morning killed James Fitssimmons.
fatally injured Joseph Drake. seriously
and possibly fatally injured Mrs. FitS-
simmons, slightly injured Miss Kate
FitzsImmons and thon ended his own
life.
and had been insane for q number OF
years. Two years ago he was in the
independence asylum for short time,
but escaped, and was never returned
He was not generally considered dan
saturday night, about 10 o'clock while
clad in nothing but a shirt, he darted
out Of his home, a raYlng maniac. He
was seen two or three times between
then and midnight, but the police failed
to find him.
Reginald Andrews, the janitor at the
Old Ladies' Home, was awakened by
crashing glass. The next moment
Mefford stood before him, stark naked,
swinging q neck yoke. "Your time has
comet" shouted Meftord.
what time do you mean?" asked AM
drews, with remarkable coolnesa.
IT have murdered one whole faQlHy
tonight, and / ana going to hlp you
next, and then everybody 10 the HNpe"
replied MefIord.
Tried to Brain Andrews.
Nrefrord swung the neck yoke, ana
tried to brain Andrews. The latter
lodged and grabbed the weapon, threw
Meford and choked him until ne
begged for mercy. Then Andrews agreed
to give him bath, a suit Of clothes ana
some breakfast, which apparently EatS
isfed him.
Rushing through the house, Andrews
locked the twelve or fourteen hdies iu
their rooms, notified the police by tele-
phone, and then ran across the Btreos
10 the home Of Joseph Drake for assist
ance. Drake dressed, picked up re-
Volver and they started out. AZ theN
did 80, Mefrord, carrying an axe, was
seen to plunge through a window ~
the home OF James Fitzsimmons, about
l5O yards away. AS he entered the room
Mrs. FitZslmmous uttered q scream.
Mefford swung the axe and brought ie
down toward her head. Her upllftoo
arm saved her life; the arm was bro-
ken in two places, and she sustained q
serious scalp wound. MF. Fitzgim-
mons, hearing the scream, dashed Inc
TO the room and Rrapplod with the ma
MAC. MefTord shook him of, and sene
the axe crushing into his skull, split
ting his head wide open. Then, da9h-
ing upstairs Mefford attacked Miss
Kate Fitzsinmons, infiicting number
Of severe scalp wounds.
Dropped to His Knee to Shoot.
When he came down stairs Drake had
Just entered the house. Drake dropped
TO his knee TO shoot. Click, click, click,
went the revolver. But there were
foHr empty chambers. and each time
the hammer came down on one Of them.
Then MefEord struck him on the head
with the axe. A second and third blew
followed, and Drake fell over.
Andrews escaped the maniac again.
Mefford took brakes revolver and ran
out OF the house. After running sew
eral blocks he put n bullet into his left
breast. just below the heart. Running
on two or three blocks further, he sat
down on the curbstone. Placing the re-
volver to the center Of his forehead he
fired again. He continued to wave the
revolver above his head. but as the hrst
officer grabbed the revolver from behind
Mcfrord fell over Into the gutter. dead.