Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-06-28
TERRIBLE WORK OF A MANIAC.
He Yields an AK with Deadly Eject and
Winds Up by Killing
Himself.

| Cedar Rapids. Ia. June 24.-Charle.
Mefford, maniac, at five o'clock thi:
| morning killed James Fitzsimmons
fatally injured Joseph Drake. seriously
and possibly fatally injured Mrs
James Fitzsimmons, slightly injured
Miss Kate Fitzsimmons and then end
| ed his own life.
Mefford was % years old, and has
| been insane for number of years
Two years ago he was in the Independ
ence asylum for short time, but es
capped and was never returned. He was
not generally considered dangerous.
Saturday night about ten o'clock
while clad in nothing but n shirt, he
darted out of his home. ravine
maniac. He was seen two or three
times between then and midnight, but
the police failed to find him.
Shortly before five o'clock this morn.
ing Reginald Andrews, the japitor al
the Old Ladies' home was awakened
by crashing glass. The next moment
swinging a neck yoke.
Your time has come" shouted Mef.
ford.
What time do you mean?" asked
Andrews, with remarkable GOODNESS.
Il have murdered whole family
tonight. and 1 am going to kill you
next, and then everybody in the home,' -
replied Mefford.
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 breakfast,
which apparently satisfied him.
Rushing through the house, Andrews
locked the IA or Is old ladies in Nheir
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 Mefford, carrying an
AK, was seen to plunge through win
dow in the home of James Fitzsim-
mons, about one hundred and fifty
yards away. As he entered the room
Mrs. FitZsimmons uttered a scream.
Mefford swung the AK and brought it
down toward her head. Her uplifted
arm saved her life, the arm was broken
in two places, and she sustained Sc
rious scalp wound.
Mr.. Fitzsimmons, hearing the scream,
dashed into the room. and grappled
with the maniac. Mefford shook him
off and sent the AK crashing into his
skull, splitting his head wide open.
Then, dashing upstairs, Mefford at
tackled Miss Kate Fitzsimmons, infiict-
ing a number of severe scalp wounds.
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 four empty chambers, and
each time the hammer came down on
one of them. Then Mefford struck
him on the head with the ak. A sec
ond and third blow, and Drake fell
over.
Andrews escaped the maniac again.
Mefford took brakes revolver and
ran out of the house. After running
several blocks be put bullet into his
left breast just below the heart Run
ming on two or three blocks farther he
sat down on the eurbstone. Placing
the revolver to the center of his fore
head he fired again. He continued to
wave the revolver above his head. But
Just as the first officer grabbed the re-
Folver from behind Mefford fell over
INTO the gutter dead.