The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-30
Neighboring Town Startled by
Two Murders, the Wounding
Of Two People and a Mad
mans Suicide.
ATTEMPT TO ARREST
CAUSES RASH DEEDS
Clyde Weaver, Recently Re-
leased From Asylum, Kills
His Mother, Then Runs
Amuck Over Neighorhood.

Clyde Weaver Of Gettysburg Darke
County Ohio small village Il few
miles northeast of this city, yesterday
afternoon killed his mother and a
deputy sheriff, wounded another man
and his wife and then committed sui
eide.
Weaver, who is about "a years old,
and son of Isaac Weaver. a small
farmer. has been terror to the neigh
borhood for a long time.
He was believed to be insane. and
after many eccentric acts among
which excessive cruelty to animals
figured, was arrested and sentenced
to the Dayton workhouse.
Young Weaver was a junker; that
is, he gathered junk in the neighbor-
ing towns and made d. living. 1t
was on these "iunking" trips that he
drove his horses nearly to death,
which caused his arrest.
Weaver Long Feared.
Weaver had long been feared as it
was believed he was dangerously in
sane, though at various times when
examined he appeared entirely ration
al and was pronounced sane.
Several years ago, in consequence
of his cruelty to horses and the gener-
al fear of him in which his neighbors
stood, he was confined in the asylum
at Dayton, but seemed SO fully to re-
cover that he was released after an
examination at which the doctors said
he was sane
Recently he seemed to be again at
tackled with 'brainstorms" and repeat
ed his former acts of cruelty and
threats against the neighbors and was
arrested. He was given a sentence of
about three months, but after having
served about month his parents,
particularly his mother pleaded SO
hard with the court for his release
that the probate judge reluctantly con-
sented to parole him, but only on con-
dition that he leave the state during
the time of the balance of his SEN
tence.
Like Thaw's MaIady.
This Weaver did, and went 20
friends outside of Ohio, but three
weeks ago returned. complaining that
he was i'll and wanted to be home
The probate Judge then had him ex-
amined again. and the doctors again
decided that he was suffering from a
peculiar form of mental trouble which
they described as exaggerated ego,
NV, In
scribe the mental condition of Harry
Thaw at various times before and af-
ter he killed Stanford White. On
learning of this the probate Judge, per
haps with the idea of returning him
to the asylum. ordered him brought
before the court on the technical
charge of having violated his parole
by returning home.
Meanwhile he got into trouble again
by threatening violence to Mr. Hafner,
neighbor. This helped the Judge to
decide to isolate him.
Officers Met by Bullets.
Sheriff John F. Haber and Deputy
w. HI. Farra went to the Weaver home
at $50 yesterday afternoon to take
the young man in custody. They
drove out in buggy. which they
hitched outside the house, and started
up the walk toward the door. Weave-
had seen them coming, and it is BE-
lieved the sight Of the officers coming
to take him precipitated another BRAIN
storm. He sprang upstairs and mo-
ment later appeared at one of the up
per windows with revolver and be-
gan firing at the officers. His moth
er, meanwhile. had run out of the
house. after vainly trying to pacify her
son, having come out to warn them
that he had become violent and might
do them harm, and it was while she
was talking to the officers that bit
let, evidently intended for them. struck
her down. She cried: I'm shot," and
fell dead at Sheriff Haber's feet
Sheriff Goes for Aid.
Weaver continued firing using about
% bullets, and Sheriff Haber. seeing
that assistance would be needed and
also in order to get a rifle and aid for
the woman, went to a house SOD or 400
feet away. leaving Farra on guard.
While he was gone Farra, not know
iIiS that MIS- weaver WAS uedu, tTleU
to revive her, and while he was so en-
gagged, young Weaver crept to the
woodshed in the rear of the yard and
from there fired the bullets that killed
Farra.
He then spied the buggy of Sheriff
Haber. and. making a dash. sprang
into it and galloped down the road.
Sheriff Haber, returning. saw Weaver
In the buggy getting away. and, hail
ing passing auto. jumped in and
gave chase. Weaver headed for the
home OF a neighbor. and leaving the
buggy. called him out and threatened
to kill him. but sped on to the home
of Levi Minnich. another neighbor, and
demanded protection from the Off