On the 28th March, 1894, at noon, in the open street in Chicago, Guy T. Olmstead fired a revolver at a letter-carrier named William L. Clifford. He came up from behind and deliberately fired four shots, the first entering Clifford's loins, the other three penetrating the back of his head, so that the man fell and was supposed to be fatally wounded. Olmstead made little attempt to escape, as a crowd rushed up with the usual cry of “Lynch him!” but waved his revolver exclaiming, “I'll never be taken alive,” and when a police officer disarmed him, “Don't take my gun; let me finish what I have to do.” This was evidently an allusion, as will be seen later on, to an intention to destroy himself. He eagerly entered the police-van, however, to escape the threatening mob.