The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-25
MANIAC ATLARCE
Kills One Person, Injuries Others
and Takes His Own Life.

Cedar Rapids, Ia, June 25.-Charles
Mefford, maniac, at o'clock this morn
ing killed James Fitzsimmops, fatally
injured Joseph Drake. seriously and pos
sibly fatally injured Mrs. James Fitz-
simmons, slightly injured Miss Kate
Fftzsimmons and then ended his own
life.
Mefford was 81 years old and has been
insane for number of years. Two years
ago he was in the Independence asy-
lum for a short time, but escaped and
was never returned. He was not gen.
orally considered dangerous.
Last night about 10 o'clock, while clad
in nothing but a shirt, he darted out of
his home, a raving 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 Mef-
ford stood before him, stark naked,
| swinging a neckyoke.
Your time has come" shouted Mef-
ford.
What time do you mean?' asked An
drews with remarkable GOODNESS.
! L have murdered one whole family
| tonight and 1 am going to kill you next,
and then everybody in the home" re-
/ piled Mefford.
/ Mefford swung the neckyoke and tried
/ to brain Andrews. The latter lodged
/ and grabbed the weapon, threw Mef-
/ ford on the bed and choked him until he
! begged for mercy. Then Andrews agreed
! to give him bath, a suit of clothes and
some breakfast which apparently salts
/ fed him
Rushing through the house, Andrews
] locked the Il or II old ladies in their
rooms, notified the police by telephone
| and then ran across ~the street to the
! nf Tlr~aI Ia for. 1- f-fe, f,e.a
| Drake dressed, picked up a revolver and
they started out.
AS they did so Mefford, carrying ar
ak, was seen to plunge through a win
dow in the home of James Fitzsimmons
about $50 yards away. AS he entered
/ the room Mrs. Fitzsimmons uttered q
scream. Mefford swung the ak an6
/ brought it down toward her head. Hell
| uplifted arm saved her life; the arm
was broken in two places and she sus-
tanned a serious scalp wound
Mr.. fitzSimmOns, hearing the scream
| dashed into the room and grappled with
the maniac. Mefford shook him off anC
/ sent the ak crushing into his skull split
ting his head wide open. Then, dashins
up stairs, Mefford attacked Miss Kat,
Fitzsimmons, indicting a number of Sc
we're scalp wounds.
When he came down stairs Drake hat
just entered the house Drake dropped
to his knee to shoot. Click, click click
I went the revolver. But there were fou
empty chambers and each time tn
hammer came down on one of them
Then Mefford struck him on the heaC
with the ak. A second and third blow
followed and Drake fell over
Andrews escaped the maniac again.
Mefford took brakes revolver and raj
out of the house. After running severa
blocks he put a, bullet into his lef
breast just below the heart Runnini
on two or three blocks farther he sa
down on the curbstone. Placing the re
volver to the center of his forehead h
fired again. He continued to wave tn
revolver above his head. But just a
the first officer grabbed the revoIve
from behind Meford fell over into tn
| gutter dead