The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-09

1OI GlS dppdICue AdSh W SNoftS'y - - -
details at the start of the case.
| People are go esger to get news IN
this age of the world, that 1t sometimes
| feels hard to have the avenues OF their
| ambition blocked, but the fact is, Mr..
| Cassel is not to blame. The rules OF the
| Express companies with reference to CIV
! ing ont any details of business of this
kind are exceedingly strict, and it is al
| N ost as much as q mans position IL the
! company s service is worth to violate them.
| In view of these facts Mr.. Cassei's position
| was correct and AS an employee OF his
company it is commendable. Following Is
| the complete statement Of Greer. word for
| word, and the substance of the statements
of Beck and Hancher. Both the latter
| statements, as well as the former, were
( taken by an EAGLE reporter in full. but
| owing to the lateness of the hour it is i'm
| possible TO transcribe the Shorthand notes.
| None of the facts, however, are missing:
| Howard H. Greer-My name is Howard
H. Greer. live in Wichita; my business
| is a telegraph operator | was sitting in
| front of the Manhattan hotel, and Hancher
came along aud spoke to me, and l spoke
! to him: and he asked me what l was do
ing. / told him nothing. He asked me to
take walk. | asked him where he was
going. He said, Oh just to walk around.
declined at first; told him | didn't want
to go. and he asked me again and / con
sented to 20 wit b him. We walked up. l
| think, Emporia avenue-Emporia or To-
/ peka, don't remember just which-and
when we got to Douglas started north.
He asked me il would be in for -.
First, he mentioned something about do
ing robbery; on,a and he w va fdr to
| / told him that didn't know
whether ! would or not. 1 asked him
what it was He said that the Pacific
Express company wagon he was driving
carried a good deal of money at nights to
the Rock Island depot, and said he was
scheming plan to rob it, and wanted to
know if / would be in with MIN; and we
walked away out on East Central, aud sat
down ON some steps by hedge fence
And then he began telling me how much
! they generally carried in the wagon and
said that would be good place out there
for US to meet and talk iC over; and he
said Billy Beckmeyer was IN with him,
and this Doc Snapp, be also mentioned
his name as being in with it, Aud that IS
about all that rranspired, | guess, on that
subject. We turned around to go back to
town and separated up here at the corner
| of Emporia and First, and he said
we would meet again up at the
! Occidental; told me to come
up there after supper. went up there
that evening and ate supper with
him and he didn't say anything about the
robbery then. l boarded there and ate
with him quite while and slept in his
room. 80, several nights and we talked it
| over in the room there. And then there
were seeeral days there was no more sad
about it. Twas running with AL Clark
then most OF the time and didn't go up
| there every evening.
The next time he said anything to me
about the robbery he told me that this
John Kitterell | believe his name is,
colored man, second cook ut the hotel,
/ said he was in it and Iasked him if he was
all right and he said yes, he
told him that he had been
! in more than one scrape OF
that kind and always come out all
right: said he was here now to keep away
| from the officers, or something, from some
place: he did something; didn't tell what
it was or where it was.
| Then. as near as L can remember, we all,
! Haucher and Johu, this cook and l, met
| in Haucher's room, 30 in the Occidental
| hotel, aud we talked it over there, aud
Hancher gave me IA mask that he had, Il
black mask: said l could use black face.
| put that in my pocket. Then he gave me
a revolver-I think it was in the room he
gave me this revolver; said he got il from
the Express company; told me to keep it
until the tina come for US to rob this
wagon, then l would have it to use.
went and soaked the revolver, or
gave lit to Roy Niederlande"
and he gave il TO Ralph or Carl Meier
lanber don't remem Der which one, soaked
it for $40 Then we met there III that
room four or five times, and fixed 1t up
and planned it over how to do, and Han
cher told me to give this revolver to John;
tcld me this two or three days before the
robbery: said lie would use 1t. l told him
| would.
Then Hancher went on and explained to
me how was to do; how l was 70 hide
down there by the creamery, and when the
wagon came down John was 20 run out
and meet them, and say: Il thought you
were not coming" and get III, and as soon
as he got in the alley, 10 pull the gun on
Jones, the driver, and tell him to drive on.
First he had it fixed up To hit him over the
head three or four tlmes-that Is, hit Han
cher-bruise him up a little, SO that
they would hot suspicion anything
and then he finally changed his mind,
and changed things around three
or four times. 1t was at last decided that
John WIS to get i'll the wagon before they
got there, and as soon rs he got In the
alley WAS to crawl IN the hlnd EMO OF the
wagon and John WAS to keep MIN driving
down the alley until they got away down
there three or four blocks, then tell him
to halt. John was TO stop there and keet
Jones and Hancher covered with tbs
revolver-keep Jones covered with the
reyoiver--and | was to 90 10 Jones 10 look
for the keys, First l to go to Jone.
to look for tue keys, and then Hanchei
said to come to him, that he would have
them; then tell him TO open that safe, and
call him Il d - - -. open thai
safe Won d Haucher VII.
to tell him he couldn't. Then Johr
was to tell him he was d
liar; he had seen him open it at the Rock
Island depot nights. Then Hancher wa:
TO open the safe and take out the satche
and give it TO John: he was TO rip 1t open
take out the money and give it to me.
was TO carry it up to my room, ut %
North Main street, and hide it in tht
stoyeppe hole. That was the plan of it
That was about all the plans We had LAID
until when the robbery occurred
On the night Of the robbery l didn't
know they were going 10 rob the wagon
that night, and had an engagement Will
Girl All Clark and | had two girls
engaged. The girl L was to go witt
cnEIdn't 90. so | left Al on The
corner OF Topeka and Douglas ave
rues. and was walking up aud dowf
Main aud Doug ass aroand with the crowd
| met john mp near frlzells ice cream par
! Tor and ne calls me TO one sue 1uu says
Haucher wants to see You. L asked hin
what for he said they were going to ROT
| that wagon tonight. | asked him whsr,
Hapcher was He said he was up at the
Occidental hotel locking for me, and
walked up to the Occidental hotel; didn't
| see Hnncher, and turned around aud CONS
heck down Main street When | got 4
the corner OF First and MANI WAS on the
east side-I looked over towards the ex
press Office. and Haucher Was sitting on
box or truck or something out 1t the sid,
Ioor Of the express office, on First street
7 went over 10 aim. aud asked him wha
| 4 a .rartaA lie told me 70 90 10 90 The