Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-08
GOSS|PS' BLOOD
Maniac, With Bombs and Re-
voIvers, Hunts Neighbors.
TWO DEAD; TWO WOUNDED
Proposed to Lay Waste Entire Block
to Punish SANDER.
HOUSES BARRED AGAINST HIM
Stays Woman Friend, Shoots Her
Husband and Another Woman,
and Commits Suicide.

AURORA, ILL.,, April s.-John Anderson.
a plumber, becoming violently insane.
today armed himself with two pistols. a
shotgun and three bombs and killed Mrs.
John Mcvicker, narrowly missed Staying
her husband, wounded Mrs. John Bel
ford and then committed suicide, blow
ing his head of with the shotgun.
He started out to kill the inhabitants
Of an entire square. in which, he said.
malicious gossip concerning himself had
been circulated.
Mrs. McVicker he shot through the
heart as she ran toward the room where
her children were playing. Her husband
scalp was grazed by bullet. Mrs. Bel
ford's arm was broken by pistol bullets.
Neighborhood Is Terrorized.
Anderson's mind had been affected for
some time. When he appeared today
with his armament Of bombs and re-
volvers he terrorized the entire square.
which he had announced his intention
of laying waste. The bombs he had
strapped to his body.
That his already weakened mind had
given way completely was obvious. Doors
were locked and barred and women and
children fed to cellars and attics as soon
as they saw the maniac walking along the
street, scrutinizing the different houses
as IL undecided where to begin.
The block which he purposed working
devastation is bounded by the Burlington
railroad, the Fox river and 1st and "a
streets.
John Mcvicker. probably his oldest and
best friend. Mrs. lMcVicker and hel
husband had repeatedly befriended An
derson. who was ~widower. They hae
| received him at their home, ana h".
nursed him when he was Ill.
With a pistol in each hand Anderson
began firing The first bullet grazed Mr
McVicker's scalp. Mrs. McVicker raj
toward the kitchen to protect her fou
children, who were playing there. Sh'
| fell dead across the threshold with I
bullet through her heart.
Another Woman Wounded.
Anderson then went to the home of John
Belford. a few doors distant Anderson s
resentment was concentrated on Belford
whom he accused-though neighbors say
lit was without a shadow of reason-of
circulating slanderous stories about him.
Mrs. Belford and her mother. Mrs
Amanda Minton. eighty years old and
blind were alone in the house. Anderson
opened fire with one of his pistols on Mrs.
BpIfOr0. one DUIleI iIlllttcu ICSii
wound. and another shattered her arm
and she fell to the floor
| Mrs. Minton hearing the shots. rose
from the couch on which she had been
resting. and began cropping her way
across the room. The maniac. however
paid no attention to her.
By this time the neighborhood had be-
come alarmed Men were gathering In
the street outside Anderson walked to
the window and peered out
Then he returned to the center of the
room, picked up his shotgun from the
table on which he had calmly placed 1t
and blew off his head.
Mrs Minton. in moving blindly about
had returned to the couch just as Ander-
sons headless body fell across it.
To the fact that he fell on this yielding
surface is due the failure of the bombs
strapped to his person to explode. 1ney
were homemade affairs. and it is be-
Iieved were carried by Anderson in order
to make sure of his own death IN case Oh
accident to his other weapons.
1t was an hour before the people OF the
neighborhood were sufficiently calm for
the more timid to unlock doors ana WIN
dows and to come out on the street.