Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-29
MADMAN SHOOTS
ASYLUM KEEPER
Police Seek Men Who Brought
Revolver to Convict at
Morris Plains.
Especial to the Evening star.I


MORRISTOWN, June 29.-William,
alias Brooklyn" Walls, of Paterson,
an insane convict at the State Hos
pital at Morris Plains, frustrated in
an attempt to escape yesterday shot
Patrick J. Collins, keeper. The bull
let entered his left breast just below
the heart. His condition is regarded
as dangerous, although hope for his
recovery was expressed today by the
hospital authorities.
1t is believed Walls got the revolver
he used from two men who visited
him Thursday. The police are said to
be looking for the two visitors. Walls,
who is tWenty-sx years old, was COM
mitted TO the hospital from the Rah-
way Reformatory, where he had been
sent for robging a freight train.
Collins is twenty-seven years old
and lives al 349 West Fourteenth
street, New York
There We're twenty-five prisoners in
the ward in which Wlsl slept During
the night Edward Carroll, one of the
night patrol, found one of the cots
empty. He called Collins and the two
later found Walls hiding under an
other cot. They told him to go to bed.
Then they discovered a door opening
int an ante-room open. This led to
the discovery that a window in the
room had been forced open.
The men were discussing the matter
ter hurriedly. when voice in back of
them called out:
Hands up, | got you
Turning around they sdw Wall
with somc thing shiny in Wallis right
hand which unsuspcctingly they took
for a metal tobacco box. Carroll
Urged Wall to go back to bed and
said TO him witt a smile
Go on quit your fooling
II am not fooling; | mean bust
ness "
Fired Three Shots.
With this remark Wall fired the
first shot aimed at Collins barely
missing him. Before the attendants
could get to the man he fired a sec
ond shot, that grazed the shirt cuff
of Carroll. Collins unmindful of the
danger he was in jumped at Wall
when the latter fired a third shot
that struck Collins in the chest
Collins dropped heavily to the floor
but before the mailman had time to
again aim his deadly weapon Car
roll had wrenched it from his hand
Once rendered harmless Wall, ac-
cordng TO CAROLS statement to DR.
Evans, made no further efforts a
resistance and when other attend
ants hurried to the scene attracted
by the shots he allowed them to
lead him away to a separate room
Collins was Immediately removed
and placed under care of physl-
ciar. 1t was found that the bullet
had barely missed the heart
The shots at this hour woke most
all of the many patients in the over
crowded institution and the attend
ants for a time had their hands full
to alaY the fears of the inmates
and convince them that their lives
were not in any danger. When after
the three shots that came in quick
succession no further noise followed
the patients were gradually Gained
and order was restored
DR.. Evans was ar once notified and
he in turn communicated with Prose-
cutor Charlton A. Reed. of Morris
County. and the latter came to the in
stitution accompanied by Detective
Brennan.
1t is supposed that Wall had gotten
up from his cot unobserVed and had
dressed himself and then gone into
the room adjoining, where there was
a WINDOW. WIN lHe dlu VI HIS SNiCN
driver he had been able to remove
the guard and the window sash, but
there were two rusty screws in the
other frame which prevented him
from unscrewing the whole frame. 1t
is thought it was while he was en-
gagged in this work that he was
! missed by the night patrol, and while
the search was being made for him he
managed to slip back into the room
and hide under one of the cots, where
he was later discovered.
Detective Brennan went later to l3a
Slater street, Paterson, where Walfs
mother, sister and brother Charles
Wall. reside. He said he was par
! ticularlX anxious to talk with the
brother, but he was not at home. He
also sought out John Woodcock, a
| local man, but could not locate him
either. He refused to say whether
ieither or both of these men visited
| Wall recently, but he said he expected
to make some arrests tomorrow thai
would throw some light on how the
revolver got into the hospital.