The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-01-28
RELIGIOUS MANIAC
KILLS four
Wounds Many Cih:rs in Battle
on Fhi!a. Streets.
SHOOTS FCl.C. I'D Workers

Wanted to Cut Oil All Electrical Cur
rent to Relca7o Christ. He. Says,
and Fired at Everybody Who Came
Near.
Philadelphia, Jan. 2S.-A religious
maniac. who said that lie wH:,lrd only
to cut off all electrical power 10 re-
lease Christ, shot up the i:ap!h Tram
Sill company's power house nj ihlr-
teenth and Mount Vernon : reefs and
killed two employees. after which he
shot and killed two policemen hnd
wounded half Il doztn other persons
who joined in Is pursuit.
The dead victims of the maniac
ure: George r. Ringwall, Il reserve
policeman John Knox, Il motorcycle
policeman Thomas Halloran, a power
house fireman: Michael Eemako,
power hose fireman.
Among the wounded are: Harry
Clark. Shtt through the cheek; In
serious condition: Samuel Walton. re-
serve policeman; William Kelly, and
James Robinson, power house oper-
atOr
The maniac was finally cOrnered at
Nineteenth and Olive streets-by PO-
liceman Frank Heron, and John
Knox, the motorcycle policeman.
These two policemen closed in on
the maniac. who held revolver in
each hand He pushed one against each
policeman. The weapon held against
Policeman Knox went off, and the bull
let pierced the pOliceman's heart The
revolver pressed against Policeman
HrrrOn failed and Heron fired his
own revolver into the groin Of the
mailman and then dubbed him on the
head. knocking him down and diSarm-
ing him before taking him to the Gar
rettson hospital. where the physicians
madness.
He refused to tell his name. but
admitted that he rOomed at 90 North
Eleventh street and went by the name
of "Omega of Christ"
II am Jew. but l have embraced
Christianity and have planned for
several years to do just one thing,
shut off all electrical power" ne told
the police, who found Il notebook in
his pocket, with the address of all the
Rapid Transit companyS power
plants. 81 never worked. but lived
with my mother until she died, six
years ago. She left me $4,000. and
have lived off that ever since. very
economically l ate only fish and
drank coffee and water. But today
more to live on or live for, so I start
ed out to do this one big thing for
which I had prepared all my life.
II bought two revolvers in West
Philadelphia. l paid 5000 for one
and iS11.50 for the other. Then
boIght 100 cartridges on South street
and started out on my mission. /
carried my revolvers for defense only.
i aid NC want to get caught until
had put all the power houses out of
commission. would not have shot
anybody at the first power house if
they hadn't thrown stones at me. Then
the policemen came, and | had to
shoot to get away"
His story about buying the revol
vers and cartridges. the detectives
verified readily enough, and his study
for destruction was also verified by
a search of his room. 1t was filed
with books, religious, scientific. and
anarchistic books in English. italian
and German
The maniac climbed over an iron
gate into the pOwerhOuse at Thir-
teenth and Mount Vernon streets. AS
soon as he was over the gate he start
ed to shoot wildly at the f1remen IN
the boiler room. His second shot kill
ed Fireman Thomas Halloran and the
third shot went through the chest of
Michael Vemako, another fireman. who
died few hours later at the Hahne-
mann hospital.
The slayer then ran to the rear of
the powerhouse and out on Thirteenth
street Then began the chase which
resulted in the death of the two po-
licemen and wounding of several
others, until the maniac was subdu-
ed.
$4,000 Fire at Ocean Grove.