Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-27
HAS FIERCE
FIGHT WITH
A MADMAN
LUNATlC AND NEIGHBOR BAT
TIE IN DARK
EXCITING MIDNIGHT MELEE IN
LONG BEACH HOME
Religious Fanatic with Shotgun Drives
Family from House and Attacks
Friend Who Tried to
Quiet Him
\ Special to The Herald.

Special To The Herald
m LONG BEACH, Feb 26-Insane, as
ha result of religious frenzy, it is al
lged, Frank Brundage, a carpenter
=" rove his wife and children from the
yesmily home near Eleventh street and
Lrtahanna avenue after midnight last
-hight with a shotgun and painfully in
jured Fred A. Ball, neighbor, who
was attempting to restrain him.
From Balls home nearby Mrs
Brundage telephoned to police head
quarters and Constable Hawkins and
Patrolman Austin hurried to the Brun-
dage home.
After peering in through the windows
and seeing that Brundage appeared
quiet, they knocked at the door. He
seemed quite rational when he opened
the door and went quietly with the
officers to the city jail, where he was
locked up for the rest of the night.
This morning on his wife's complaint
lunacy papers were issued and the con-
stable took Brundage to Los Angeles
The prisoner told Chief Williams last
night that he was a prophet and was
undergoing martydom.
Last Sunday the religious fanatic
told the members of his family that he
was to expire promptly at o'clock, and
made all preparations for his passing
When his prophecy failed of fulfillment
he became moroSe and seemed to grow
restless and worried.
Yesterday he took down his shotgun
and carefully oiled it. Mrs. Brundage
fearful that he would attempt to use
1t when in one of his spells, hid the
shells for the gun where he could not
find them.
Feared Insane Outbreak
Brundage had confided in Ball that
he might do something in one of his
spells which he would regret after
ward, and asked Ball to be ready tc
come to his house at any time that he
might send for him.
Shortly after midnight, last night
Brundage told his 19-year-old son
Harry to go after Ball. and when the
neighbor arrived Brundage told him
that he felt badly
About o'clock Brundage sprang
from his bed, said that he had been
commanded by God to slay his whole
family, and seized his shotgun. He
ran with it toward his wife, but Ball
stepped between them.
Brundage swung the weapon at Ball s
head but slipped and fell as he did so.
The gun struck Balls legs and he was
knocked to the floor.
Yelling to Mrs. Brundage to take the
children and run to his house, Ball
grappled with the maniac and they
fought and tussled back and forth
across the bedroom.
Brundage struck the lamp on the
table and it went crashing to the floor,
leaving the house in darkness. Brun-
dage still chung to Ball, attempting to
bear him down.
Ball finally landed two hard blows
on his antagonists head and the man
who had started out to kill the family
went down and out. Ball then made
his escape.
When the police arrived Brundage
told them he had hunted for the shells
for his gun but had been unable to
find them.
Brundage, who is a member of the
Church of Latter Day Saints, is about
so years old. Besides his 19-year- old
son, he has two other children, aged
respectively s apd II years. A grand
child, who lives In San Diego, was also
in the house last night.