Evening star., 1949-10-25
Mad Farmer Shoots Up
Two Taverns, Wounds
10, Then Kills Self
By the Associated Press

WATERFORD, Mich, Oct. 25.-
A crazed farmer shot up two
taverns last night, then killed
himself after wounding 10 persons.
On mad spree with a shotgun,
Joe Runyon. 81. terrorized this
sleepy little resort village. Two
of his victims, both women, were
critically wounded.
Tramping back and forth across
a street, Runyon fired seven or
eight charges from a 12-gauge
shotgun through windows of the
two taverns, witnesses said.
At the end of a violent 10 or
IL minutes, he walked a short dis
tance up the street and fired a
final charge through his own
chest.
This was the last in a series
of rapid reloadings. Runyons
gun was single-shot weapon.
Reported in critical condition
today at Pontiac General Hospital
were Mrs. Irene Zurawski, 81. and
her mother in law, Mrs. Helen
Psciuk, so.
Six Wounded in One Bar.
| It was at the Zurawski family's
small bar where Runyon made
one attack.
Six persons were wounded there
and another four at the bar, of
the Waterford Hotel across the
street before Runyon shuff1ed
away to kill himself.
Runyon, a former auto factory
worker in nearby Pontiac. lived
alone on a farm he was said to
have bought year ago.
Little was known of him. but
evidently things had gone wrong
recently and he had become de-
spondent.
At his tidy farmhouse was
found a note saying:
Take over, Joe. Dads quit
work"
Listed His Possessions.
/ There was also detailed list
of Runyon's possessions.
George Taylor, assistant Oak
land County prosecutor, said the
note apparently was meant for
Runyon's son, Joe. jr.. Pontiac
resident.
Runyon, a stocky man Of me-
dium height, was known as a
quiet person. He had his daily
beer in town and peddled his farm
crops here.
He began his rampage shortly
before $3.50 pm. Accounts of wit
nesses varied. but it was estab-
lished that he walked from one
bar to the other, standing at the
windows to fire blasts inside.
Patrons screamed in fright.
Some dropped to the floor.
Mrs. Zurawski was shot in the
neck and face. Her mother-in
law was wounded in the face and
chest. The latter's son, Stanley
Zurawski, 20, was shot in the left
arm.
The Rev. Father Frederick A.
Delany, pastor of Our Lady of
Lakes Parish in Waterford, was
driving past the hotel. He saw
Runyon holding a gun at a WIN
dow. '"' r.'s1E - -..~.+.'G
IT heard a shot," he said. IT
think said, Stop, you crazy
fool He turned around and
started cursing me. Then people
started running in all directions
out of the hotel"
AS alarm swept the town. am
balances sped the 10 miles to
Pontiac with the injured.
Earlier Runyon had spoken to
some of his victims, including Mr..
zurawski.
HE told me he had plenty of
trouble" Mr.. Zurawski said. He
also told me, If a man feels like
he's going to die in his old age, he
might just as well take a few
people with him."
Mrs. Eta Ficher. so, grey-haired
day bartender at the hotel, said
that shortly before the shootings
Runyon had complained that
three of my horses died and I
lost $3.50"
Seated at a table, Mrs. Ficher-
escaped injury. At the first shot
she thought "a lamp exploded"
The hotel night bartender, I,
Kenneth Friesner, 80, was wound
ed in the face and neck. He
knew Runyon and regarded the
farmer as "a nice fellow and the
kind of person you liked"