Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-08-29
SHOT BY DESPERADOES.
Encounter Between Railway Police
men and a Murderous Gang
Near Chicago,

& st. Paul railways. The victims of
the murderouS outlaws are:
PATRICK OWENS, q detective in the employ
of the Chicago milwaukee, & ST. Paul Railway
| company; shot and instantly killed on freight
| train on that road at Deerteld resided in Chi
PATRICK M'GRATH, a special detective of
! the Chicago d North Western Railway com pa
ny: shot in the arm, the breast and the left side
near the heart in attempting to arrest robbers Ia
| May fair; condition critical.
| WIN. LAKE, one of the robbers shot In the
neck; will die; he admits having killed De-
tective Owens and shot Policeman McGrath.
w. f. GORDON, one of robbers; wounded in
| two places; Will recover.
The desperadoes were finally captured
| in the woods in Elk Grove township about
noon by five Chicago policemen. The
men were surrounded and fought desper-
| ately, firing as often as their revolvers
could be loaded. After fully 100 shots
| had been exchanged the men both fell
seriously, but it is thought not fatally,
| injured. They gave their names as VIII
Lake and w. Il. Gordon and were brought
| to Chicago and locked up in Il west side
police station.
One train was robbed on the Chicago,
| Milwaukee & ST Paul road and one on
the Chicago & Northwestern twelve
hours later At 10 o'clock last night a
nOrth-bound freight train on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul road stopped at
Deerfield for water Patrick Owens, one
on the train. Conductor Largent of GIil-
waukee was in charge of the train. With
in thirty seconds after the train had come
to Il standstill two masked men climbed
into the cabOOSe and ordered the con-
ductor and one brakeman who were IN
the cab to throw up their hands. The
railroad men were forced to obey and
the robbers had just taken the conduct
Or'S watch from him when the detective
entered and showed fight He was shot
nd Stp11 w lol NV Of hon.
both of whom jumped from the train and
disappeared in the darkness. The train
crew at once reported the robbery and
murder to the general offices in this city
and the facts were at once communicated
to the police. Within half an hour three
score of officers were on their way to the
scene of the tragedy. The desperadoes
had disappeared in the darkness. and for
several hours no trace of them could be
found
Policeman McGrath of the North West !
ern road, stationed at Mayfair. noticed
some men, three he thinks, on fiat car
which was attached to Il south-bOund |
train. and shouted to them to get off He |
thought the men were suspicious looking |
characters and that they might have had |
something to do with the Deerfeld rob- !
berry. When the men We're ordered to
leave the train they answered with re-
volvers. McGrath fell TO the platform
with shot III his body. One bullet struck |
lII6 lell dEUl. one onlGEGu his D0tN. ana |
a third struck near his heart. but was |
diverted by penholder which the officer |
had in his pocket. McGrath was brought |
to the city and taken to the st. Luke's |
hospital.
The next news of the fugitives was re-
ceived by the North-Western railroad of |
hcials in a telegram at IL O'Clock. which |
stated that the fleeing bandits near May |
fair had shot and killed two special po- |
Icemen who attempted to intercept their |
flight The information received by the |
railroad officials Indicated that the des- |
peradoeS after their hOld-up boarded an |
inbound train at Deerfeld. Holding up |
the conductor, they robbed him of all the |
money he had and then pulled the bell |
rope and jumped from the train near
Mayfair.
After this bit of bloody work. the
bandits FASTENED out Holcomb avenue to |
Laurence avenue. On the way they met |
a farmer on wagon on the way to the |
city. 1t was but. Il moments work to !
throw him out and take possession of his |
vehicle. With horses TO draw them. the |
thieves made better time and they We're |
soon on their way through Laurence ave |
nue. to Milwaukee avenue.
BY this time that part Of the country |
was III turmoil. Boys and men on |
ponies and horses were in the chase after |
the desperadOes. Out Milwaukee avenue |
gallOped the robbers IN the wagon, while |
behind them at a respectful distance clam |
these again came patrol wagon at full |
speed, in which were four policemen. The !
pursued men kept on out Maynard road, |
when they took to Orchard place woods |
on the Desplaines river south of Hig- |
gins road.
Three miles from where the farmer, |
who was named Eggerston, was held |
up, his team and wagon was found. !
The wagon had broken down and had |
been abandoned by the desperadOes Both |
of the horses cOU1nlpfplv owl tod
The officers traced the fugitiyes to a corn |
field through which they ran, and score !
Of policemen took up the trail
When news of the shooting and rob |
berry reached Evanston, Chief of Police !
Carney were at once on the alert for
suspicious characters. His officers found |
two men lOunglng around the water tower |
in North Evanston. and he at once locked |
them up, telegraphing the railway people |
and Chicago police. In view of the deYel- |
opments at Mayfair, it is not believed |
the men under arrest at Evanston are i'm |
plicated in the killing of Officer Owens.
The shooting had stirred up the entire |
community from Deerfield to the city
hall, and it was not long after the report |
that McGrath had been shot at MAYFAIR |
came in that the unusual scene of genu-
Inc man hunt was presented. Special of |
icers in the employ of the railroads, city |
police and central district detectives, |
armed with revolvers and Winchester
rifles, hurried by train to the place where
the bandits were supposed to have taken
to the woods, and scouting parties fol-
lowed every trail that promised to lead to
the hiding place of the murderous train
robbers. The citizens in the neighbor-
hood of Higgins woods, near Des PLANES
road, plotted bands of armed men across
the country and determined officers with
countrymen for guides searched untiring-
~ until the capture was effected. The
robbers were we'll armed and when a call
from scouting party revealed their
whereabouts they made a determined
| stand. Cooking their revolvers the two
men waited until their pursuers were in
view and then opened fire. 1t was re-
turned by the officers, ard round after
| round, yolley after volley, was ex-
changed. apparently without effect
1t is probable that the men would never
be taken alive had it not been that their
supply of ammunition was short and
| their stock of cartridges dwindled away.
| the desperadoes shot more carefully and
| less frequently, but the officers kept them
selves well covered until the robbers bull
| NJ, lI,.J