Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-03-16

toward the governors private office
At that time Governor Lister. wal
comforting with Adjutant General
Maurice Thompson of the national
guard, and, hearing the noise and
seeing man with a gun, the COVER
nor and the general darted out into
the stenographer's room adjoining
and into a private hallway.
Welty ran into this hallway and
persuaded the governor to 60 into
the private vault, and a moment
later the governor ran into the state
auditors Office adjoining and into the
big vault there. In spite Of Wag-
ner's threat, Zieghaus also ran
around through the private hallway
to see If the governor had escaped.
The news that an armed lunatic
had tried to see Governor Lister
spread quickly about the statehouse
and a crowd soon gathered in the
first floor corridors and on the steps
and walk outside on the west side of
the building. One of these was A.
w. Calder, assistant chief clerk Of
the house, who came running down.
stairs with several golf sticks. See-
ing Chief Cuseack standing at the
outer door of the governors ONCE,
Calder offered to 60 in and get Wag-
ner II Cusack would give him q gun
and also asked the sheriff to depu-
tie him and let him get the fellow.
Try Persuasion.
They told Calder, however. that
Wagner was standing at one Of the
windows. snd Calder went outside
and began to talk to the man. In
the meantime Charles L. Dufault had
been talking to him, and for Is or
20 minutes they continued to talk to
him. endeavoring to persuade him to
come out. Wagner hourisheds his
gun promiscuously all the while.
Wagner protested he didn't want
to hurt anybody but said he was
afraid Of the crowd. that they want
ed to burn him at the stake or might
shoot him. In the meantime . lad
der was brought and put up at one
OF the windows and finally. after
Wagner had noticed he was . Span
ish War Veteran, Calder said:
Throw your gun out here and
come down-I'm an army man and
I'll see no one hurts you"
Wagner started out then, but hesi-
tated and went back. Calder tossed
him a cigar and talked to him again
and finally the lunatic climbed out OF
the window, threw down HE gun,
emptied both pockets Of shells, and
then threw down his. pocketbook and
coat and climbed down the ladder.
There he was met by Calder and
Sheriff Clifford and taken to the
county jail.
The gun was an old one Of .3S
calibre and was fully loaded. In
addition he had large quantity Of
shells in his pockets and after he had
thrown these to the ground they were
eagerly picked up by the crowd as
souvenirs.
En- route to the jail Wagner made
no disturbance. nor has he since he
has been in the jail. though when
Deputy Sheriff Fred w. McCorkle
took him his dinner Tuesday evening
he at FIRST refused to eat. He main
tains he had no intention Of killing
the governor but merely sought his
protection. and continues to speak
of "Mormons' Day" and to say. "They
wanted to burn me at the stake-to
make a Roman sacrifice Of me-"
Injured When Youngster.
Wagner made a more elaborate
statement late Wednesday after
noon, going into his life's history
quite fully. According to 1t. he has
been subject to mental trouble since
he was a little tot Of six years when,
he says, he was thrown roughly to
the floor by his father. There is
lump now on the back of his head
which he says was caused then.
When he was 81 or % years old
he spent some time in the hospital
for the insane in his home town OF
Milwaukee, Wis, having been in
duced to go there by his father, he
says, when he had threatened to
commit suicide. He remained there
but a short time, however, being re-