Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-26

RUNS AMUCK WITH AN AK
First Attempts to Murder Janitor of
Old Ladies' Home-Next Attacks
Eitzsimmons Family-Then
Commits Suicide.

Cedar Rapids, June 25.--Charles Mefs
ford, a maniac, at 5 O'clock yesterday
morning killed James Fitzsimnons, la
tally injured Joseph Drake, seriously
and possibly fatally injured Mrs. j arnes
Fitzsimmons, slightly injured Miss Kate
Fitzsimmons and then ended his owa
life.
Metford was 27 years old and had
been insane for number OF years.
Two years ago he was in the Independ-
euce asylum for a short time but es-
capped and was never returned. He was
not generally considered dangerous.
Saturday night about 10 o'clock,
while clad in nothing but shirt, he
darted out of his home a raving man.
lac. lie was seen two or three times
between then ana midnight, but ths
police failed to find him.
Shortly before o'clock yes.
terday morning Reginald An-
drews, the janitor ut the Old
Ladies home, was awakened
by crashing glass. The next moment
Mefford stood before him, stark naked,
swinging a neck yoke.
'sIour time has come,'' shouted Met-
ford. S
what time do you mean?" asked
Andrews with remarkable GOODNESS.
81 have anurdered one whole family
tonight and | am going to kill you
Inesst, and then everybody III the home :
Ereplied Nfefford. s. /; N. 4. ~. s
Mefford swung the neck yoke and
tried to brain Andrews. The latter
lodged and grabbed the weapon, threw
| Metford on the bed and choked him
until he begged for mercy. Then An-
rews agreed to give him 4 bath, a suit
of clothes and some breakfast, which
apparently satisfied him.
Rushing thru the house, Andrews
locked the twelve or fourteen old ladjea
| in their rooms, notified the police, by
| telephone and then ran across the
street to the home of Joseph Drake for
assistance. Drake dressed, picked up =
revolver, and they started out.
As they did so. Aietford, carrying an
lax, was seen to plunge thru a window
in the home of James Fitzsimmons,
about $50 yards away. As he entered
the room Mrs. Fitzsimmons uttered
scream. Metford swung the ak and
brought it down toward her head. Her
suplifted arm saved her lie; the arm
was broken in two places and she sns-
tanned a erious scalp wound.
Mr.. Fitzsimmons, hearing the scream,
dashed into the room and grapplsd
with the maniac. Meffora shook him
off and sent the AK crashing into his
skull, splitting his head wide open.
Then, dashing upstairs, Mefford attack
ed Miss Kate Fitzsimmons, sinflicting .
number OF severe scalp wounds.
| When he came downstairs Drake and
just entered the house. Drake dropped
on his knee to shoot. Click, click, click
went the revolver. But there were
four empty chambers, ard each Tins
| the hammer came down on one OF
them. Then Mefford struck him on s.he
head with the ak. A second and third
blow followed and Drake fell over.
| Andrews escaped the maniac again.
| Mefford took brakes revolver and
ran out of the house. After running
several blocks he put bullet into his
! left breast just below the heart. Run
sat down on the curb stone. Placing
| the revolver to the center &c his foge-
head he fred again. He continued to
wave the revolver above his head. BMt
just as the first officer grabbed the
revolver from behind Mefford fell over
into the gutter dead.