The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-29
AN EXCITING MAN HUNT.
Pitched Battle Between the Robbers
and Officers.

and Officers.
The train robbers, who killed Road
Detective Owens of the Chicago, Mil
waukee & ST. Paul road during an at
tempted robbery at Deerfeld, were re-
ported today as having taken refuge in
a grove on the Desplaines river. The
posse in pursuit quickly surrounded the
grove. PreparationS were made for
bloody encounter with the robbers.
A special train. bearing a large number
OF policemen and detectives, were sent out
at $3.50 d. m. 10 Desplaines. The officers
were armed w~h Winchesters, and car
ried orders TO shoot on sight Trainmen
who passed Despiaines this morning
declared that they were informed al that
village that two city police officers had
been shot by the three bandits. The story
went that the pursued men, in the stolen
farmers wagon, had been closely
pressed by a patrol wagon of local police
between Jefferson and Norwood park
On the haywood road. Leaping from
The wagon the men took refuge under
a bridge. and when the officers dashed
up ana began 10 get out Of the patrol
wagon, the robbers shot two Of the Of
ficers. In the confusion which resulted
after the first fire, the men escaped TO
the woods. where they were soon sur
rounded by the police. Messengers were
dispatched TO jefferson for physicians,
and brought the news of the shooting to
that village.
Another report was that the train rob-
bers, after leaving Deerfiald, on the c.,
NJ & St. p. road. cut across the country
TO Mayfair. The depot at May fair is on
H0lcOmb-aYe.
Sitting at the depot was a Chicago &
Trr.r n ro1fraruan -n.,
had been apprised Of the deed of vio-
lence at Deerfed. He was on the look
out for any suspicious character. The
watchers saw the men approaching and
started up to intercept them. Just here
the robbers brought their guns into play,
and began firing at the officer. He
dropped to the ground shot in the arm
and side and his wounds may prove
fatal After this bit of bloody work. the
bandits FASTENED out Holcomb-ave. to
Lawrence-ave.
Threw the Farmer Out.
On the way they met farmer in a
wagon on the way to the city It was
but a moments work to throw him out
and take possession of his vehicle With
horses to draw them, the thieves made
better time and were Coon or their way
through Lawrence-ave. to Milwaukee
ave- By this time that part Of the coun-
try was in a turmoil, and boys and men
on ponies and horses hastily saddled.
were in the chase after the desperadoes.
Out Milwaukee-ave. went the robbers in
the wagon, while behind them clatterad
the horses Of the purSueTS. Behind these
again came a patrol wagon at full speed.
in which were four policemen. The pur-
sued men kept out of the main road,
when they took to Orchard-place woods
on the Desplaines river. south of the
Higgins road.
Patrick McGrath, the Northwestern
special detective who was shot at May
fair this morning, probably escaped in
slant death because he had a penholder
in his pocket. He noticed some men,
three, he thinks, on a fiat car which was
attached to a south-bOund train, and
shouted TO them to get off. He thought
the men were suspicious-loolSing charac-
tiers, and that they might have had
something TO do with the Deerfield rob-
berry. When the men were ordered to
leave the train they answered with re-
vOlvers. McGrath fell to the platform
with three shots in his body. One bullet
struck the left arm, one entered his body
and a third struck near his heart, but
was diverted by a penhOlder which the
officer had in his pocket. McGrath was
brought to the city and taken to St.
Luke's hospital.
The Northwestern railroad officials re-
ceived word at IL o'clock that the fleeing
bandits near Mayfair had shot and killed
two special policemen who attempted to
intercept their fight. The information
received indicated that the desperadoes,
after their early hold-up, boarded an in
bound train at Deeriield. Holding up the
conductor, they robbed him of all the
money he had, and then. pulling the bell
rope, jumped from the train near May
fair. Starting for the woods. they were
chased by two special policemen, PUNK
and Yunt, and opening fire, both officers
fell MORALLY wounded. The robbers then
continued their flight. and after an eX-
citing time reached the woods in safety.
Three miles from where the farmer, who
was named Eggersto was held up, his
team and wagon were found. The wagon
had broken down and had been aban-
doned by the desperadoes. The officers
traced the fugItives to a corn field
through which they ran, and a score of
policemen took up the trail
When the news Of the shooting and
robbery reached Evanston, Chief of
Police Carney was at once on the alert
for suspicious characters. His officers
found two men lounging about the
water tower in North Evanston, and he
at once locked them up. telegraphing
the railway people and Chicago police
men. In view of the developments at
Mayfair, 1t is not believed the men under
arrest at Evanston are implicated in the
killing of officer Owens.
The wanton murder OF Owens and the
brutal shooting of McGrath by these dis
ciples of Jesse James stirred up the en-