The previous two years I posted incidents that occurred in 1954 and 1928, with no more to report on this date the following was taken from numerous articles to appear in The Public Opinion on October 31, 1939, November 1,2,3,4 and 6, 1939 and The News Chronicle November 3 and 7, 1939.Fire Truck Driver Shot By Deranged Man
On Tuesday October 31, 1939 Elmer Heller of West Liberty Street, Chambersburg threatened to kill his father in is home, leaving the home he then threatened to shoot a taxi cab driver before arriving at the Good Will firehouse. Upon entering the station he confronted engine driver Russell Kyle, 49 before shooting him in the upper thigh with a .38-55 caliber rifle. Upon hearing the shot three men upstairs playing cards came to the aid of the apparatus driver, disarming the man and holding him down until police arrived. The man was said to be acting strange and mentally disturbed for the last five days. Driver Kyle was taken to Chambersburg Hospital by the Good Will ambulance and Heller was transported to the county jail. At the jail he said he resented taunts he believed he was subjected to at the firehouse.
On November 1 at 8:45 a.m. Heller was removed from his cell and taken to Chambersburg Hospital after jail turnkey Bert Gerbig found Heller laying in his bed almost completely enveloped in flames from a burning mattress. His condition was said to be serious. Later in the day Heller was transferred to the Harrisburg State Hospital by the Good Will ambulance.
On November 2 at approximately 1:30 p.m. Heller died from his injuries in the State Hospital. In Chambersburg Hospital surgeons had to amputate the left leg of apparatus driver Kyle to prevent the spread of infection. At 7:30 p.m. Kyle died from his injuries in the hospital. A member of the company since 1907 Kyle served in World War I and became the regular driver shortly after returning from France. Kyle drove the horse drawn hose wagon before moving to the steamer and then in 1921 he began driving the motorized engine and ambulance. Mr. Kyle was survived by his widow, four daughters and a grandchild.
An inquest was held on November 6 to hear the facts surrounding the incident. It was mentioned then that Heller had been a member of the company but that no one knew of any problems between him and Kyle.
13 comments:
Nice history lesson. I never heard of this incident. Keep up the great job. And thanks for the lesson.
That's an interesting diversion from the usual posts. I've never heard this story before, thanks for sharing it.
Enjoy them now guys because when I retire in 3 years, 3 months and 19 1/2 days I am washing my hands of the fire service and never looking back. All this crap I have will be available at yard sales and ebay.
I should have stayed a volunteer or hired on at a real fire department. Between mismanagement from the top down and employees that never had an interest in being firefighter and just wanting to bilk the system for all it is worth has finally played me out and destroyed anything and everything the fire service has ever meant to me.
I have grown old and tired and just plain angrier.
Brad,
Which one was the Good Will Station in chambersburg? Us kids need to be learned on these things Keep it up. Cressler
Well to help you out Brad. I will answer Bobby's question. The Goodwill Fire House is the one on McKinley St. Not sure if that's where it was back than. The Cumberland vally sat on Broad St. The Friendship Hose sat at the point of Lincoln Way and Queen St. The Juniors sat on Second St. The you know where the Franklin sat. To answer your statemnet Brad I completely understand. I'm getting tired too. I'm not sure if it is the way they do things now or just the young kids. I have been doing this for 30 plus years. Don't know when but it is coming. Maybe just go take pictures of the them. Or do what my brother says. Sit on the porch, drink beer and eat peanuts. I will drink wine and eat cheese. It's just not fun anymore.
Good History Lesson Brad. Keep up the good work.
In 3 years, that will certainly be a sad day when you leave the service. Who's going to help me teach Wyatt how to be a fireman if he chooses that career path???
Good Will was originally on East Catherine Street, but that station house is gone. They are now, as Sparky pointed out, in McKinley Street Station.
Eventually I will feature this company with a brief history and numerous photos in the future. For now to expand upon Haney and Sparky's answers when the company was formed in 1877 the were called the Third Ward Hose Company and were located at Black Alley and German Street (now known as Liberty st.) in a small frame building.
In 1885-86 they moved to a new building on East Catherine Street (the one I posted a photo of). The looks of the building changed over the years evolving into what you see here.
In 1889 the name was changed to the Good Will Steam Fire Engine and Hose Co. No. 3.
In 1959 ground was broken for the present building at 261 E. McKinley Street.
I can only assume the charter is still active. In the late 1970's with the reorganization of the CFD they like the Friendship, Cumberland Valley and Juniors became part of the CFD.
Sorry for the delay I had to go to hell, Oh! I mean work last night.
Brad,That was a great history lesson.
Also my swing sit's two. I don't know what kind of beer you drink so you'll have to bring your own the first time,after that we'll be good to go,,
Just wanted to say "nice write-up". Not to get greedy or anything, but is there anyway you could make it so the picture on the right side can be clicked on and enlarged? Looks like a cool pic, but it's too small to get the details. Just a thought.
TJ
Blogger does not give me the option of doing that TJ. Most if not all of the photos on the right have appeared in a post at one time or another and should get larger when clicked on. You just need to find them and try it.
The photos (and I bet most didn't see them or all for that matter were something I felt like adding the other day to fill up the side and give the home page more color.
If you have not found them all there were two sets of SFD fire stations added further down and a more recent photo at the end of the home page post.
Dang you are a greedy person, anything else you want me to do for you, LOL.
hi there,I LIVE AT 128E CATHERINE ST.LOOKS LIKE MY
HOUSE WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE
FIRE HOUSE.I KNOW THE FIREHOUSE WAS CONDEMED AND
TORE DOWN IN THE 60S,BUT
WHY WAS IT CONDEMED?THANKS
hi there,I LIVE AT 128E CATHERINE ST.LOOKS LIKE MY
HOUSE WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE
FIRE HOUSE.I KNOW THE FIREHOUSE WAS CONDEMED AND
TORE DOWN IN THE 60S,BUT
WHY WAS IT CONDEMED?THANKS
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