Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 267, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1917 — FIRES BARN; SHOOTS NINE [ARTICLE]

FIRES BARN; SHOOTS NINE

FRANK WARNER, OF WOLCOTT, RUNS AMUCK—9 OF FIRE COMPANY SHOT Frank Warner, aged thirty-five, a laborer of Wolcott, Ind., run amuck Saturday night giving the citizens of Wolcott the greatest thrill they have had in years. As a result of his performance nine members of the Wolcott fire company were shot and one. Andrew Troxwell, is so seriously injured that it is feared he may die, a barn owned by Warner was burned to the ground and the house in which Warner lived was also fired, but the fire company succeeded in extinguishing the flame before the house was destroyed. Warner’s act is attributed by some to be due to insanity, while others are of’ the belief that it was only an attempt to dodge taxes and collect insurance on his property. - Warner fired the barn first, setting fire to it in many places, and there was no chance to save the building. With a shotgun loaded with number 6’s he held the crowd at bay and when the fire company arrived and attempted to attach the hose to the fire plug he opened fire an them. After wounding »ine of them he ran to the house and set fire to it. In the meantime, onlookers had secured several guns and commenced answering the fire of the maniac. Warner, seeing that he was' hopelessly to_the give up. The blaze which had been started in the house was put out.

Warner, with his wife and five children, returned to Wolcott from Wanatab last spring and since that time has been employed as a laborer. He has never before showed signs of being mentally unbalanced and so far as known has never been in trouble before. Under a strong guard he was taken to Monticello and lodged in jail, where he will be examined by physicians to ascertain whether or not he is mentally defective. If found to be of sound mind be will no doubt get a long term in the state penitentiary.