The Red Cloud chief., 1896-01-31
LYNCH Frs Fooled.
PLUCKY CONSTABLESAVES
A SLAYER.
Mob at Webster Grove Gather 10 wrcak
Summary Vengeance on Two Foot Pads
Who Confessed to Killing u Young Chi
cago Artist.

ST. LoCIs, Mo-, Jan. o1.-Webstc,
Grove is wildly excited over the tray.
edy'of Thursday night, when Bcrtram
T.. Atwater, n 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, a colorcd
cx.convict, who fred the fatal shots.
and Peter Schmidt, who arranged the
trap into which Mr.. Atwater was un.
suspectingly lured and then slain. arc
in custody. While the inquest was be-
ing held citizens of the village became
so cnragcd that it was with the great
est difficulty that cooler heads could
restrain the prevailing impulse to
drag the captive highwavmen from
the officers ana hang thems
Both the Schmidts. who are cousins.
have confessed aS to the part taken bv
each in the crime. Peter. who volun.
teercd 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 saws he
old them he was going to show At
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. MIR. Orton and his
1nnrhtnr f,nn.vi,p, ,,' III.
accompanied the remains. Miss Or
ton is almost Frustrated with grief.
The wedding Is said to have been set
for an early date, and the obie.t of
MIR. Atwater's visit was to talk over
some of the preliminary arrange
mcnts. The Young lady is u beautiful
brunette of 20.
While the inquest was in Der
Foster made Il sensational attempt to
escape by jumping from Il window of
the court room, which is in the second
story of the building. Foster and
Peter Schmidt were h~andcuffed to.
gethcr. and when the former iumped
pulled Schmidt with him. onto a
low shed where they landed. The
prisoners were quickly recapturcd,
but their attempt to escape and the
confession of Schmidt infatuated the
crowd That had gathered. When the
officers started to take the two men to
n place of safety the mob closed in
and attempted to lynch them.
After IA struggle Constable Ficldson
succeeded in getting the party into n
single horse spring wagon, which ne
drove toward Clayton, with the intcn-
of taking his prisoners there for
safe Keeping. He had not proceeded
Tar when II mol caught the horses
head and compelled II halt. About
went y-fve shots were fired, one of
which wounded Schmidt in the back.
The horse reared up and broke away
rom the mob, which numbered about
'iXty-tive men, none of whom were
masked.
Constable Ficldson. without firing n
hot, drove to kirkwood. about fifteen
niles from the city, where he was
compelled to leave the rig and take to
woods for fear of the mob catching
GU the highway. For almost five
he plunged through the woods,
ometimes in mud up to his knees, and
inally, about midnight, arrived here
With his badly frightened prisoners,
Who were landed safely in Jail ut the
'our Courts.