The Mena weekly star., 1909-04-15
MANIAC RUNS AMUCk
AURORA, ILL, PLUMBER LAID PLANS TO KILL HIS
 NEIGH6oRS.
ARMED WITH BOMBS, REV0LVERS AND GUN
John Anderson Started Out With the Intention of Killing All the People in a BIock--One Woman and the Crazy Man Dead and Another Wom- an Injured.


 Aurora, H.. Apr. 9.--John Anderson plumber who had shown signs oi mental Arrangement, became suddenly violent today and armed himself with two revolvers, shotgun and three bombs which he fastened to his body by means of a harness. Then ne started out to kill the inhabitants of city block in which he said mall cious gossip concerning himself had been circulated
 Anderson killed one woman, narrow ly missed staying her husband, wound cd another woman and then commit ted suicide.
 The dead are: Mrs John McVick- CTS. who was shot through the heart as she ran toward the room where her children were playing, and Anderson. The injured are: Mrs. John Bel ford, flesh wound and broken arm from revolver bullets. and John Me Wicker, husband of the slain woman, whose scalp was grazed by bullet.
 Anderson's violent manner and his Insane armament terroriZed the scores to whom he announced his intentions of committing wholesale murder. Doors were locked and barred, and women and children fled to cellars and attics as they saw Anderson walk ing along the street, scrutinizing the different houses as if undecided where to begin.
 The first stop made by the insane man was at the home of Mrs. John Mcvicker, probably his oldest and best friend. Mrs. Mcvicker and her hus- band had repeatedly befriended An derson.
 With a revolver in each hand An derson began firing. The first bullet grazed MT. McVickers's scalp. Mrs. Mcvicker ran toward the kitchen where her four children were playing. She fell dead across the threshold with a bullet through her heart.
 Apparently satisfied Anderson left the place and proceeded to the home of John Belford, few doors distant. Anderson's resentment was centered in Belford, whom he accused, neigh bors say, without a shadow of reason, of circulating slanderous stories about him. Mrs. Belford and her mother, Mrs Amanda Minton. 80 years old and blind. were alone in the house
 Anderson opened fire with his re- volver on Mrs. Belford. One bullet in fiicted a flesh wound and another shattered her arm, and she fell to the floor.
 Mrs. Minton, hearing but not see ing, rose from the couch on which she had been resting and began groping her way across the room. Anderson, however. paid no attention to her.
 By this time the neighDorhood had become aroused and men were gather ing in the street. Anderson walked 10 the window and peered out. Then he returned to the center of the room. .icked up his shotgun from the table on which he had placed 1t and killed himself.
 Mrs. Minton, in moving blindly about, returned to the couch just as Anderson's body fell across 1t.
 To the fact that he fell on this yielding surface Is due the failure of the bombs strapped to his body to ex- plode. They were home made and 1t is believed they were carried by An derson in order to make sure of his own death in case of accident to his other weapons.
 It was an hour before the neighbor hood calmed down and doors and win dowS were unlocked.