The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-25
Her Engaged Lover Murdered
While Going to Her Home.
His Assassins Chased by Lynch
ers and Captured.
WELL KNOWN ARTIST.
Constable with Prisoners Hides
in the Swamp for Hours.
The House Committee will
Censure Bayard.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Jan. 25.-Webster
Grove is wildly excited over the trag-
edy of Thursday night, when Bertram
E. Atwater, a young Chicago artist,
who had gone to the suburb to visit
his betrothed was waylaid by high
waymen. One of the robbers, John
Schmidt, wounded to death by the
plucky Chicagoan, will probably die.
The other thug, Sam Foster, colored
ex-convict, who fred the fatal shots,
and Peter Schmidt, who arranged the
trap into which Mr.. Atwater was uu-
suspectingly lured and then slain, are
in custody. While the inquest was be-
ing held citizens of the village became
so enraged that it was with the great
est difficulty that cooler heads could
restrain the prevailing impulse to
drag the captive highwaymen from
the officers and hang them.
Both the Schmidts, who are cousins,
have confessed as to the part taken by
each in the crime. Peter, who volun
teered to carry Atwater's valise from
the station, admits that he led the
latter to his fate. When he left At
water at the barber shop, he says, he
ran over to Brannon's saloon, where
he found John Schmidt and Foster
standing near by. The boy says he
water the Orion residence, and they
told him they would meet him at the
bridge, where the attempted hold-up
and shooting occurred.
Atwater's body was shipped to Chi
cago last night. Mr.. orion and his
daughter, Genevieve, Atwater's fiancee,
accompanied the rem aims. Miss Or
ton is almost Frustrated with grief.
The wedding is said to have been set
for an early date, and the object of
Mr.. Atwater'S visit was to talk over
some of the preliminary arrange
ments. The young lady is beautiful
brunette of 20.
While the inquest was in progress
Foster made a sensational attempt to
escape by jumping from a window of
the court room, which is in the second
story of the building. Foster and
Peter Schmidt were handcuffed to-
geGher, and when the former jumped
he pulled Schmidt with him, onto a
low shed where they landed. The
prisoners were quickly recaptured,
but their attempt to escape and the
con fession of Schmidt Infatuated 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 Fieldson
succeeded in getting the party into a
single horse spring wagon, which he
drove toward Clayton, with the inten-
tion of taking his prisoners there for
safe keeping. He had not proceeded
far when a mob caught the horses
head and compelled a halt. About
twent y-five shots were fired, one of
which wounded Schmidt in the back.
The horse reared up and broke away
from the mob, which numbered about
sixty-five men. none of whom were
masked.
Constable Fieldson, without firing
shot, drove to Kirl1wood, about fifteen
miles from the city, where he was
compelled TO leave the rig and take to
the woods for fear of the mob catching
him on the highway. 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 were landed safely in Jail at the
Four Courts.