The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-10
MANIAC KILLS Fifteen.
WAGNER SLAYS FAMILY AND
TERRIFIES TOWN.
Heavily Armed Maniac Finally Sub.
ducd by Gendarme With a Sabre.


Muehlhausen, Germany, Sept. g.
Fifteen persons were killed here
when a school teacher named Wagner
ran amuck last night with several re-
volvers and a plentiful supply of
ammunition. Eight persons died
shortly after Wagner opened up his
tusillade and seven others of 20
wounded succumbed today Four
more persons are in arious
condition.
Wagner previously = Allied his
wife and four child'.S /the nearby
town of Degerloct>' then came
to Muehlhausen = htinue his deadly
work. 8
When We g finally was overpow-
cred by .ated townspeople with
clubs a echforks it was believed
he was y ,ane. A commission of ex-
amining judges after hearing, when
! Wagner nationally answered their
questions, declared the murderer nor
NAL, mentally.
Although Wagner's arm had to be
| amputated because of wounds his
condition is said not to be dangerous
He had 800 cartridges when he open
ed fire upon the townspeople and of
these he fired so.
The maniac took refuge in stable,
where he killed all the cattle. He
was finally Overpowered, after he
had exhausted all the $50 cartridges
with which he had provided himself.
The enraged villagers wreaked their
and stabbing him with pitchforks. He
will probably die.
| When he entered Muehlhausen it
was not known that he was fugitive
murderer. 1t was only after the wild
scenes which had been enacted here
that the police went to his apartment
! in Degerloch, where he has been
teaching, and found the bodies of his
wife and children.
/ After he had set fire to the first
building in the village Wagner opened
! fire with his revolvers on every one
he met or who appeared at the win
dows Of the houses.
The villagers believed the place had
been attacked by q band of robbers.
Some of them rushed to the church
and furiOusly rang the bells, while
others dashed off to the nearest bar
racks and asked for assistance by the
troops.
In the meantime a village police
man, backed up by some of the more
courageous citizens, rushed on Wag-
ner, who stood in the middle of the
main street with q mask over his face
and an army revolver in each hand
and another pair in reserve in his
belt.
The policeman was twice wounded
by bullets, but continued to run to-
ward Wagner, although armed only
with a sabre. He finally reached and
felled the maniac while he was re-
loading his revolver. Wagner con-
tinued the fight while on the ground
and wounded the policeman a third
time.
Some peasants armed with rustic
weapons then reached the scene and
fractured his skull, as we'll as severing
one of his hands.
Wagner was known to be a heavy
drinker, but his acquaintances in the
neighborhOOd had no suspicion of his
madness. He appears to have contem-
plated his deed for a long time.
Before leaving Degerloch, where he
had killed his wife and four children,
he forwarded a rambling letter to a
Stuggart newspaper in which he
wrote:
Il believe there is no God. / am
the devils ally. l wish could torture
every one within reach of my pistol.
but l know l can't get all. have
slept for years with dagger and a
revolver beneath my pillow"