Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-25
PERIL FOR THUGS,
Mob After the Murderers of a
Chicago Artist.
TURMOIL IN A ST. LOUIS SUBURB.

Slayers Of . Y1ung Man While on the WAY
to Visit HIS Fiance Attacked While Un-
der Charge of q Constable, Who Hangs
to His Prisoners and Lands Them Safe in
the bridge City Jail - Lured to His
Death by Robbers.
st. LOUIS, Jan. 25-Webster Groves is
wildly over tragedy of Thursday night,
when Bertram z. Atwater, a young Chi
cago artist who had gone to the suburb to
visit his betrothed, was waylaid by high.
wayman and murdered. One of tho rob-
bers, John Schmidt, wounded to death by
the plucky Chicagoan, will probably die.
the other thug, Sam Foster, a colored ex-
convict who fired the fatal shot at Atwa-
ter, and Peter Schmidt, who arranged the
trap into which Atwater was lured and
then slain, are in custody. While the in
quest was being held the citizens of the
village became SO enraged that it was
with the greatest difficulty that cooler
heads could restrain the prevailing i'm
pulse'to drag the captive highwaymen
from the officers and hang them.
Sensational Attempt to Escape.
Yesterday afternoon Sam Foster and
Peter Schmidt were taken under guard of
Constable Fieldson and five deputies to
the office of Justice Prehmn, where an in
quest was held over the remains of At
water. After hearing several witnesses
and the confession of Peter Schmidt, q
verdict was returned as follows: I'VE the
jury find that Bertram Allen Atwater
came to his death at the hands Of Sam
Foster and John Schmidt, and that Peter
Schmidt is made an accessory before the
fact" While the inquest was in progress
Foster made n sensational attempt to es-
cape by jumping from n window of the
court room, which is in the second story Of
the building.
Mob Tries to lynch the Thugs.
Foster and Peter Schmidt were hand
cuffed together, and when the former
jumped he pulled Schmidt with him on
to a low shed where they landed The
prisoners were quickly recapturcd, but
their attempt to escape and the confession
of Schmidt infuriated the crowd that had
gathered. When the officers started to
take the two men to a place of safety the
mob closed in and attempted to lynch
them. After struggle Constable Field
son succeeded in getting the party into u
towards. Clayton with. the intention of
taking his prisoners there for safe keeping.
He had not proceeded far when the mob
caught the horses head and compelled a
halt
The Other Schmidt Wounded.
About twenty-five shots We're fired, one
of which wounded Schmidt in the back
The horses reared up and broke away
from the mob, which numbered about
sixtyf men, none of whom were
masked. Constable Fieldson drove to
Kirkwood, where he was compelled to
leave the rig and take to the woods for
fear of the mob catching him on the high
way. For almost five hours he plunged
through the woods. sometimes in mud up
to his knees, and finally, about midnight.
arrived here with his badly frightened
prisoners, who We're landed safely in Jail
at the Four Courts.
Murdered Mans f lance Heartbroken.
Both the Schmidts. who are cousins,
have confessed as to the part taken by
each in the crime. Peter, who volun-
teercd to carry Atwater's valise, admits
that he led the latter to his fate. At
waters body was shipped to Chicago last
night. Mr.. Orion and his daughter Gene
We've accompanied the remains. Miss Or
ton is almost prostrated with grief. The
wedding is said to have been set for an
early date and the object of Atwattr's
visit was to talk over some of the prelim-
mary arrangements.