River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-01-17
FRENzIED ACT
OF A MANIAC
A RED WING, MINI, INSANE BAR
Der SHOOTS AND FATALLY
INJURIES POLICEMAN.
An Assistant in Hotels also Shot. He
had but Recently Escaped from
the Insane Asylum. Supposed to
to be Harmless.

to be Harmless.
Red Wing, Mimi, Jan. 15.-One of
the worst tragedies ever enacted in
Red Wing took place last night about
9:lO O'Clock, when August Bloom, an
insane barber, shot Chief of Police
James Daily and Police officer John
Peterson, resulting in the probably
fatal wounding of Daily and the
serious and possibly fatal injury of
Peterson.
Bloom is still at large and there is
fear that other victims may fall before
his weapon before he is captured.
Bloom returned to the city from
Minneapolis, where he has been for
the last year doing manual labor since
his escape from the custody of officers
who were taking him to the Hastings
asylum for the insane by transfer
from the Rochester asylum.
Yesterday Bloom roamed around
town, and meeting DR.. J. V. Ander-
son, one of the physicians who served
on the board which passed upon his
insanity before he was committed to
Rochester, he said to him:
You have got a present coming
from me and / will see that you get
it.''
The possible seriousness of the
threat induced DIR. Anderson to mott
fly the police of what Bloom had said.
AS the day passed Bloom went into
several business places about town
and bought a number of articles. His
restlessness was noticed and the po-
lice sought to have an interview with
him, watching for him throughout
the day.
Shortly after O'Clock Bloom saun-
tered into the Sibley hotel and sat in
the office for fifteen or twenty min
utes. He finally asked the proprietor
if he could secure a room for the
night and registered at the desk. He
then went out of the hotel, and re-
turning shortly after o'clock. Chief
Daily and Officer Peterson quickly
followed. They had scarcely entered
the Office when Chief Daily asked
Bloom how long he was going to stay
in town and if he was going back to
the Twin Cities. To the Bloom an
sWered "no,o and backed toward the
counter in the hotel office.
Daily facing him said: ST under
stand you have been threatening peo-
ple."
Bloom still retreating, stepped into
the d oorway of the hall leading from
the Office room to the main stairway,
and said in reply:"Go away from
me or | will
$50 you threaten me, do you?"
said the chief, and at the same time
he drew his club.
But Bloom was still quicker, and in
an instant drew a revolver from his
pocket and aimed point-blank at the
chief. The first shot missed fire, but
again he fired and the second shot
struck the chief in the left shoulder
and Daily staggered back. AS the
chief of police fell the third shot was
fred by the insane man. The bullet
took effect in the abdomen.
Over the PROSTATE form of Daily
the maniac leaped and fired at Police
Officer John HI. Peterson, who was
running up the hotel steps, the shot
striking him in the back.
Bloom rushed outdoors and fled in
to the darkness hatless.
Peterson, although seriously woun-
ded, went to the Office of Doctors
Cremer, Clayton & Johnson and no.
titled them of the condition of Chief
Caily. The terribly wounded chief
lay on the hotel office floor, writhing
in pain, and the proprietor and the
few men who witnessed the tragedy
did what they could to relieve him
and summoned help.
The report of the revolver shots
had been heard outside of the hotel
on the street and it was not long be-
fore a large crowd was. gathered in
and about the hotel.
The chief was conscious and told
those about him, 81 think am going
to die"
The city ambulance was called and
the wounded officers, one apparently
on the brink of death and the other
with bad wound, we're conveyed to
ST. Johns hospital.