The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-04
Paul Martini Shoots
Up His Bailiwick
From Mondays Daily.

Either well armed desperate or
q lighting, cursing maniac. unarmcd.
constitutes pretty tough PROPOSE
ton for one or dozen men. but
when fighting. cursing maniac for
titles himself i'm his cabin with a
thoroughly adequate arsenal at his
elbow. the toughness of the PROPOSE
tion is magnified thousandfold. 1t
wouldn't be quite SO tough PROPOSE
ton il the maniac could be winged
by well aimed rifle bullet, but UNI
til be has killed or injured some
one, it is against the law to use such
extreme measures. In a case of this
kind strategy is the best way to
get results, and it was by this means
that Deputy Sheriffs Ed. Ario and
Jacob Hilgers and Officer J. G.
Schrodt. with George Grabowinski
and William Ditman, captured Paul
Martini early Sunday morning, after
the man had gone on the warpath
and proceeded to "shoot up" the
neighborhood promiscuously. Martini
has been insane, and has been at the
asylum in ST. Peter before but he
was never quite so bloOd-thirsty as
he was Saturday night. He lives in a
little one-room cabin onthe Maple
ton road about half mile south OF
Mankato and Saturday night he drove
to town, flashing his horse furiously
all the way, and after remaining in
the city until about ten o'clock.
drove home again in the same wild
fashion. He was seen in town sew
eral times, but did not act strangely.
About eleven o'clock he aroused the
neighborhood with fusilade of shot
gun and revolver shots, and Ferd
Kiffe, L. H.. Smith, William Ditmann
and Peter Ulmen at once notified
the police that Martini was on the
warpath. Martini kept up the shoot
ing for some time, running wildly
around his cabin, now and then
beating an old tin pan furiously
against the side of the house. Later
he Quoted down somewhat. and the
next demonstration was fash from
his chimney, which proved to have
been the explosion of dynamite cap
in his stove. He soon began the
shooting again, but fortunately no
one was hit. Ferd Kiffe lives not
more than a stones throw from the
place, and he and his wife were thor
oughly alarmed for fear that the
maniac would modest them
About 1870 a. m. Sunday morning.
posse consisting of Deputies Ed.
Ario. Jacob Hilgers. Officer Schrodt,
George Grabowinsk and William
Ditmann, who with Peter Ulmen had
come to town for aid, started to
the scene of action in livery rig,
and when they arrived at Ferd.
Kites place, were told that Martini
had subsidized and had probably gone
to bed. William Ditmann, who knows
Martini well. wanted 20 go to the
house and speak to the crazy man,
and try to make him come to time,
but il was thought by the officers
that too many chances would be
taken this way, as In all probability,
Martini would not know any one, and
would shoot the head off any one
who came near him. The men de-
cidcd to keep watch of the cabin
until daylight and then try some
strategy. to get Martini separated
from his weapons, and overpOwer
him. Accordingly, the officers en-
SConced themselves behind a tree
across the road from Martins shack,
and waited for developments They
had not long to wait. for the man
evidently suspected that some one
was watching him. in a few minutes
opened the door of his dmly lighted
cabin, and came forth with a shot
gun over his shoulder Under q
spreading rock-elm tree, tire sheriff.
posse stood, as silent as if, like the
tree, all were made of wood. After
promenading solemnly in front of
the hut a few minutes, the man
went back in the house and closed
the door. Part of the watchers then
went farther up the road behind an.
other tree, where they could see the
light in Martini's window. After two
or three more sallies, Martini blew
out the light and it was thought
that he went to bed. The vigilantes
then divided into three shifts of
thirty minutes each, to keep watch
on the beleagured fort In the be-
ginning of the fourth watch, about
five o'clock, Deputy Ario. decided to
reconnoitre, and crawled up within
few yards of the hut Everyone
thought that by this time the man
was asleep, and the deputy wanted
TO get the position of the outbuild
ings, in view of waiting i'm some OF
them for Martini to get up and feed
his stock.
While Mr.. Ario was looking about
him, the door of the cabin opened
without warning, the light shone
forth, and the maniac himself peered
out behind double barreled shot.
gun. Mr.. Ario dropped fiat and the
man behind the gun did not see him
He was mot an instant too soon OF
he would probably have gotten a
load of buckshot "Just in time
grinned the deputy drily, as he came
back to the tree.
In short time, a man was seen
coming down the road from the
south, and it afterward proved ia
be Martini's father He went to the
cabin, and i'm little while, botl
father and son were engaged i'm do
ing the morning chores. The sol
had left the barn door open and
two of his horses had escaped and
were feeding near the barn. When
Martini tried to drive them back tC
their quarters, they eluded him and
he was soon chasing them around
a five acre plot, shouting vainly a.