Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-05-28
E. ROSS GREGG, VICTIM OF HAL
LUCINATI0NS.
Commenced a Wild Race After A Sup
posed Burglar Which Resulted
in Bodily Injury.

in Bodily Injury.
E. Ross Gregg, the photographer,
who Tuesday morning broke an ankle
while in fight with a supposed burg
lar, is at the hospital a raving maniac,
supposedly from an overdose of drugs
A search of his rooms showed a
number of packages of morphine and
strychnine and the supposition is that
he is an habitual user of the same.
Monday night Gregg was possessed
with the idea that his rooms were Wis
tied by a burglar, and he shot the
doors and ceiling full of holes in an
attempt to kill the supposed visitor.
He then called the night marshal by
telephone, and was so supposedly in
earnest when he arrived that the mar
shal thought there was a burglar
about the place. After a short time
it was discovered that he was out Of
his head, and when the accident oc-
CURED that resulted in his breaking
his ankle, he was removed to the hos
pital. While there he became so
violent that the sheriff and marshal
were sent for last night and he was
strapped to the bed. Unless he shows
a decided change he will have to be
removed to some institution which
takes care Of such cases.
All day Tuesday ard that night in
the hospital he raved about a 4ex-
lean and two women who were ap-
parently seeking his life, talked Of
the time he served onfhe police f3rce,
Of the death of some child, Of his
work in photography, etc. AZ no
time was he rational, and sedaIives
given him had no effect.
Night Marshal Malta, who wasifrst
called to the gallery, tells the story
as follows:
"I was called to the gallery by
Gregg, who phoned- to the Putnam
restaurant asking for me, and who m
formed me that there was burglar in
his place, and that he wanted me to
come at once. l started for the eplace
an don reaching the rooms heard two
or three revolver shots. At the foot
of the stairs | hollered and was an
swered by Gregg. When 1 told him
who | was he hollered to me to come
up quick, that the burglar was in the
north room of the gallery, and that
he had shot him twice, but had failed
to kill him, and that he was moving
about in the room. Gregg was stand
ing in front of the door of the room,
and l told him to step back as the
burglar could shoot him through the
door. He obeyed and stepped to one
side, and throwing the door open,
ordered the burglar to come out.
There was no response, and sent Bat
1.-THE bulldog which accompanies Ma
liza on his rounds) in and he could
find nothing. Owing to the serious
manner in which Gregg talked of the
burglar, l still thought there was
something to the story, and was
mighty careful in throwing a light
about the room but could find nothing
| then told Gregg there was no burg
lar there, but he insisted he was in
the place. l thought possibly he was
in another part of the gallery, and
gave Gregg loud advice about watch
ing the door, and told him I would 60
down stairs and find the men with
me and station them to catch him if
he started out. As I got down stairs
Gregg stuck his head out of the win
dow and commenced to holler that he
had him. | ran around to the back
of the building and started up, but
as there was no one there, came back
to the front, and when 1 got there
Marshal Wemmergren had arrived
and Gregg had come down stairs. He
talked nationally and we still thought
there was something to the burglar
story. We then searched the rooms
and came back down. At this time
Gregg had gone to the back of the
building, and when got around there
he commenced to see things. All thi:
happened in much less time than il
takes to tell it, and when got around
to the back of the building I had an
idea that he was drunk. He was still
talking of burglar. I saw he wasn'
drunk and then thought it was a nigh
mare. About this time he commenced
to see the burglar, and as he had {
loaded gun in his hand, I persuaded
him to shoot it in the air at the bur
glar until it was emptied. 1 sized i
up then as a case of nightmare, ant
we took his gun and also anothe,
which we found in his room, which b,
said he had thrown at the burglar a
he went out of the room. We though
the affair was over and had starte,