Atlanta shooter had been disgruntled at Texas jobs.

Long before Mark O. Barton fatally shot nine people at two Atlanta brokerage firms on Thursday, police reports in Texas indicate he exhibited signs of disgruntled behavior at work.

After being fired as general manager of TLC Manufacturing Inc. in Texarkana in 1990, police records show, Barton was charged with burglarizing the company and stealing chemical formulas.

The charges were dropped after the company's board members requested no criminal action be taken against Barton. Police records state ``they had reached an agreement with him.''

Richard Cox, former chief executive of the company, said Barton had good credentials but had a problem with his temper.

``There's no question he had a short fuse,'' said Cox, who now lives in Monroe, La. ``That led to our decision to relieve him of his duties.

``He always felt like somebody was out to get him.''

A report filed by Texarkana police after Barton's arrest stated ``there was a …