Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-25
AWFUL WORK OF A MANIAC.
Runs Amuck in Iowa. Killing Two
Persons and Himself.

Runs Amuck in Iowa. Killing Two
Persons and Himself.
A dispatch from Cedar Rapids. Ia. last
night saws: Charles Mefford, maniac at
5 o'clock this morning killed James F1tz-
simmons, fatally injured Joseph Drake, Sc
riously and possibly fatally injured Mrs
James Fitzsimmons. slightly injured Miss
Kate Fitzsimmons, and then ended his own
life.
Mefford was twenty-seven years old, and
had been insane for a number of years.
Two years ago he was In the lndepend-
ence Asylum for short time, but escaped
and was never returned. He was generally
considered dangerous
Saturday night, about 10 o'clock, clad
only in a shirt, he darted out of his ROOM
a ravng maniac. He was seen two or
three times between then and midnight
but the police failed to find him.
Shortly before 5 o'clock this morning
Reginald Andrews. the janitor at the Old
Ladies Home, was awakened by crashing
glass. The next moment Mefford stood be-
fore him, stark naked, swinging neck
yoke.
Your time has comet shouted Mefford
"What time do you mean?' asked An
drews, with remarkable GOODNESS.
81 have murdered one whole family to-
night and I am going to kill you next. and
then everybody in the home" replied Mef-
ford.
Mefford swung the neck yoke and tried
to brain Andrews. The latter lodged and
grabbed the weapon. threw Mefford on the
bed and choked him until he begged for
mercy. Then Andrews agreed to give him
a bath. a suit of clothes and some break
fast which apparently satisfied him.
Rushing through the house, Andrews
locked the twelve or fourteen old ladies in
their rooms. notified the police by tele-
phone and then ran across the street to
the home of Joseph Drake for assistance
Drake dressed nicke0 revolver. and
they started out.
AS they uld so. Mefford, carrying an AK
was seen to plunge through window into
the home of James FitZsimmons. about $50
yards away. AS he entered the room Mrs
FitZsimmons uttered a scream Mefford
swung the ak and brought it down toward
her head. Her uDlifted arm saved her
life: the arm was broken in two places, and
she sustained serious scalp wound.
Mr.. FitZsimmons. hearing her scream
dashed into the room and grappled with
the maniac Mefford shook him off and
sent the ak crashing into his skull. split
ting his head wide open. Then. dashing up
stairs. Mefford attacked Miss Kate Fitz-
simmons. inflicting a number of severe
scalp wounds.
When he came down stairs Drake had
just entered the house. Drake dropped to
his knees to shoot. but the revolver ham
mer merely clicked upon four empty cham
bers. Then Mefford was upon him and
struck him on the head with the ak. A
second and third blow followed and Drake
fell over.
Andrews escaped the maniac again.
Mefford seized brakes revolver and ran
out of the house. After running several
blocks he fired one of the two bullets the
weapon contained into his left breast, just
below the heart. Running on two or three
blocks farther, he sat down on the curb
stone. Placing the revolver to the center
of his forehead, he fired again. He con-
tinued to wave the revolver above his head.
but just as the first of the pursuing police
men grabbed the weapon from behind Mef-
ford fell over into the gutter, dead.