The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-12-13
MAD MAN SHOOTS
Labor Leaders And One Of Them
Fatally Hurt.
SHOT I'M STATE HOUSE

Was Waiting to Sec Gov. Guild
When Attaclsed.-Private Secrc.
tary Grove Grappled With the
Maniac and With Others Over.
powered Him.-Thc Madman Re.
Gently Released From An Asylum.
AT Boston, Mass, on Thursday an
insane man walked into the ante
room OF the executive chamber of
the State House and finding Gov.
! Guilds door closed, turned on three
prominent labor leaders and fired
three shots at them, probably fatally
wounding Edward Cohen Of Lynn
president Of the State branch Of the
American Federation Of Labor; SER
iously wounding Dennis D. Driscoll
OF Boston, secretary or the same
board. and injuring with the muz-
zle Of his revolver Arthur M. Huddel
OF Boston. former president Of the
Central Labor union Of that city.
The insane man, who was John A.
Steele of Everett, and who was re-
leaced on parole last month from the
| Danvors insane asylum, was over
powered by Private Secretary Chas.
| s. Grove and Gen. J. II. Whitney,
chief of the State police.
Gov. Guild was in his Office only a
| few feet away and rushing out, as
sisted in subduing Steele, then knelt
| by Cohcn's side and subsequently di-
rected the removal Of the wounded
men to the hospital
Cohen was shot twice through the
head and was in a critical condition
at the Massachusetts General hospital
| that night The third bullet struck
| Driscoll Il glancing blow on the side
Of the forehead and, making long
wound over the head, rendered him
unconscious. He recovered conscious
ness half an hour later. Huddel's
wound was quickly dressed and will
probably cause MIN little inconven-
ience.
The three labor leaders came to the
State house to meet the governor
| by appointment in regard to Il pardon
for a. M. Kennedy, Of Salem, who is
serving a sentence in the Essex house
Of correction. They reached the State
house shortly after three O'Clock and
| found that the governor was receiv-
| ing a delegation from Rhode Island.
| The three labor men were asked to
wait in one Of the ante-rooms until
f$he RIiCti = sS.n, 4 -ailni, ~, ,,s,,ld SaaHe.i
| All -tnree were standing beside long
liable conversing pleasantly when at
the far end Of the room Private Sec
rotary Grove was debating letter
to the executive stenographer.
Suddenly Steele appeared at the
door Of the room from the hallway
and without announcing his mission
walked by the doorkeeper and Mes
scnger Reed and then glanced to-
ward Gov. Guilds room, which was
about 20 feet away. The door was
closed, Steele turned around and
drawing Il revolver, fired at Cohen,
who was about six feet away. Cohen's
back was turned and the bullet
struck the back OF the head directly
through, and came out at the fore
head, driving great splash Of blood
to the wall opposite and beside the
picture of Abraham Lincoln. The
wounded man turned, only to receive
another bullet in the head, which also
passed completely through. Cohen
sank unconscious to the floor. Steele
then swung around and fired at Dris-
coll. the bullet innicting a severe
scalp wound. Driscoll also fell un-
| conscious to the floor IIuddell, in
attempting to close on the man, was
struck on the cheek by the muzzle Of
the revolver and knocked down. But
steele made no attempt to fire again.
BY this time Secretary Grove had
leapcd over a table and grabbed with
Steele and at the same moment. Gen.
Whitney, who had been summoned
to tho Kentucky hearing, came
| through the door and rushed to his
assistance, Huddel also jumped and
wrcnchcd the revolver away, while
one Of the messengers dashed into
the governors Office and said: "They
are numbering people in the lobby"
The governor instantly went into
the lobby and helped Gen. Whitney,
| Mr.. Grove and Mr.. Huddcl push
| steele onto one Of the sofas. Word
was sent TO the Office Of the State po
lice in the basement and force of
officers quickly reached the scene and
| handcuffed steele In the meantime,
Gov Guild had knelt by Cohen's side
and was Wiping his facs with a han
lierchief and towels. Dr.. owen Copp,
chairman of the State board of in
sanity, was summoned and he i'm
mediately recognized Steele having
had him under observation for more
than five years in various State in
sane asylums. Steele was then take
to htc Office Of the State police and
subsequently, sent under strong
guard to the TombS.
The doctor after a hasty eXamina-
ton OF Cohen and Driscoll, expressed
the opioion that the formers wounds
would probably prove fatal, but that
Driscol's wound was only a scalp
wound
The two wounded mon were con
veyed to the Massachusetts General
hospital Huddcl was also taken to
the hospital.
Several OF the state officials said
after the shooting that Steele was a
well known character to the board OF