The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-25
MANIAC RUNS AMUCK
CHARLES MEFFORD KILLS A MAN.
FATALLY INJURIES TWO PERSONS,
Slightly Wounds n Girl and Ends His
own Life with n Revolver-A
CoOl-Headed JanitOr.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Ia, June 2I-Charles
Mefford, a maniac, at 8 o'clock this morn
ing killed James Fitszimmons, fatally in
jured Joseph Drake, seriously and possibly
fatally injured Mrs. James Fitszimmons,
slightly injured Miss Kate Fitszimmons,
and then ended his own life.
Mefford was twenty-seven years old and
has been insane for a number of years.
Two years ago he was in Independence
asylum for a short time, but escaped and
was never returned. He was not generally
considered dangerous. Saturday night
about 10 O'Clock while clad in nothing but
his shirt. he darted out of his home a raw
ing manaic. He was seen two or three
times between then and midnight, but po-
lice 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 before him, stark
naked. swinging a neckyokc.
Your time has come" shouted Mefford.
what time do you mean?'' coolly asked
Andrews.
Il have murdered one whole family to-
night, and 1 am going to kill you next, and
then everybody in the home" replied Mef-
ford.
Mefford swung the neckyoke 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 gave him a bath, a
suit of clothes and some breakfast 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, picked up his revolver and
they started out As they did so Meford,
carrying an ak, was seen 10 plunge through
a window in the home of James Fitszim-
mons, about fifty yards away. AS he en-
tered the room Mrs. FitSzimmOnS uttered a
scream: Menord swung the ak and brought
1t down towards her head. Her uplifted
arm saved her life; the arm was broken in
two places and she sustained a serious
scalp wound, Mr.. Fitszimmons. hearing
the scream, dashed into the room and
grappled with the manaic. Mefford shook
him off and sent the ak crashing into his
skull. splitting his head wide open. Then
Gashing upstairs, Mefford attacked Miss
severe scalp wounds.
When he came down stairs Drake had
just entered the house. Drake dropped to
his knee to shoot. Three times he m
TO shoot Mefford, but there were four
empty chambers in the revolver and each
time the hammer came down on one of
them. Then Mefford struck him on the
head with the ak A second and third blow
followed and Drake fell over. Andrews
escaped the manaic again.
Mefford took brakes revolver and ran out
of the house. After running several blocks
he put a bullet into his breast just below
his heart. Running on two or three blocks
farther he sat down on the curbstone.
Placing the revolver TO the center Of his
forehead, he fired again. He continued to
wave the revolver above his head. But
just as one of the officers grabbed the re-
volver from behind, Mefford fell over into
| the gutter dead.