The New York herald., 1922-08-16
MADMAN KILLS ONE
BEFORE He IS SLAIN
Well Armed, He Fights Posse
Of 800 in Barricaded Home
at Beacon.
GETS AID OF HIS MOTHER
Man Insane for Seven Years,
Never in Asylum, Has First
Outburst.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YoaK HERALD.
BEACON, N Y, Aug. William
White went violently insane here to-
day. and armed with several revolvers
and shotguns barricaded himself In his
home and for more than an hour
fought with more than 800 policemen.
firemen and citizens. He killed Patrol
man Charles Lucy, blowing the top
off the policeman's head with shot
gun, and several of his other shots
narrowly missed policemen who VEN
tured near the house.
During the fighting Whites aged
mother was in the room with him.
Several citizens declare that they saw
her loading his pistols and shotgsns,
and others said that when the fire of
the policemen and firemen became
heavy and bullets began finding their
way into the room where White
crouched she placed her body between
the windows and her son and protected
him. She was not injured.
White himself was finally shot in
the head by James Devine. fireman
The wounded man staggered to the
hallway and pitched head first down
the stairs, mortally wounded At 9:30
o'clock tonight he died in the High
land Hospital.
Insane for seven Years.
White had been considered insane for
about seven years, but had never been
sent to an asylum and had not given any
trouble until to-day. The trouble began
when DIR. J. w. Jennings called on a
patient who lives next door TO the
White home. White made so much
noise. yelling and bowling. that the
physician went to the house and asked
him to be quiet. White became en-
ragged and hit the doctor with a chair.
Then he grabbed gun. but before he
could fire the physician escaped.
DR.. Jennings notified the police, and
Patrolmen Lucy and Joseph Judge were
sent back to the house with him. Lucy
stepped across the threshold. White then
fired at Judge and the physician, but
missed and ran upstairs before the po
liceman could shoot. A crowd gath
cred. armed with stones, shotguns and
revolvers. and White barricaded thu
doors and shouted defiance from tbs
windows. He managed to keen down
below the window sill most OF the time
and althourh many shots were fired by
the crowd he wasn't hit. It was later
when the policemen and firemen and
State troopers came up. that his mother
shielded him with her body.
Firemcn Aid In Fight.
The Fire Department stretched three
lines OF hose and kept strong streams
of water playing against the windows.
but did not succeed in dislodging the
maniac. But while the troopers and
the police kept Whites attention with
volley of shots Chief of Police Moth
and Fireman Devine went to the Sec
ond story Of the house next door and
began shooting at White through a
window Almost the first shot from
Devine's gun took effect and White
staggered into the hall and fell down
the stairs.
When the police searched the house
they found a tomahawk, three butcher
knives. hatchet. two double barreled
shotguns. one single barreled shotgun
and two revolvers. In the cellar was a
grave that White said he had dug for
his mother Mrs. White collapsed when
the police got into the house. and was
sent to a hospital