Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-29
END OF PRINCES GANG
Notorious sbukert Fur Robbers of ON ha
Come to Grief at e7iuoy.
2a.,
TWO ARE KILLED IN A ku,>' >'"c'y y.
Gang is Worsted in Desperate Battle with
Police Officers.
ONE DEAD MAN BELIEVED TO BE PRINCE
Trunks Are Found TO Contain Burglars
Tools and Skeleton Keys
MOST DARING CLIQUE OF DsSPERAD0ES
RccniIs the Recovery of the shukcrt
Turs After IL Clever Piece of
detective work by
Omaha officers.
MOST DARING CLIQUE OF DssPERADoEs

Omaha officers.
The killing OF two safebowcrs and the
fatal wounding of another at quincy, Ill.,
Sunday morning, as told In ASS )ciated Press
dispatches, is of interest in Omaha, for
the reason that the victims of the engage
ment have been identified as the men who
On August 16 OF last year broke into the
Sbukert fur establishment in this city and
carried away several thousand dollars worth
Of wraps which had been stored for the
summer. At the time Cf the robbery there
was not tangible clew to lead to the
identity of the perpetrators.
The men who committed the Shukert rob
berry were known as Tom Monaghan, Charley
Dennis and Charley Prince. The acknowl-
edged leader of the gang was Prince, who
is tainted with negro blood He was ac-
credited with being exceptionally shrewd
aud the clever manner in which he has
operated in various cities is wonder to the
detectives of the country.
The shooting at quincy wac one OF the
most tragic incidents that has been recorded
in police annals within recent yearg. 1t be-
gan at II o'clock Saturday night, when
lone member of the bandit gang shot
by local officers. The detectives had spotted
the hotel where the suspects were boarding
and when at . o'clock Sunday morning the
other members of the crowd appeared
fusllade of shots occurred without prelim-
mary ceremony. Chief of Police Ahearn OF
Quincy was at the head of the patrol. The
dispatches state there is a saloon in con-
nection with the hotel and the men fed
through that department. Chief Ahearn fol-
lowed and with his ready barking gun he
laid low one of the men. The bullet took
effect in the skull and death was almost in
stantaneorS.
P::--o:rann Kills Another.
a patroman who was with the chief
killed another one of the robbers on the
stairway of the hotel. The telegraph tells
a story of panic in the hotel lobby. Patrons
OF the house, many of whom were transient,
fed for protection. They were unable to
comprehend the situation and looked upon
the occurrence as an additional chapter to
the story OF life on the frontiers.
Prince and another one of the trio are /
dead and the wounded man refuses to give |
his name Prince made what is designated /
in police parlance game fight Many
shots were exchanged and it is regarded as
miracle that the bluecoats escaped in
jury. The original information that led
10 this tragic denouement came from the
proprietor of the hotel where the bandit
gang had written gentlemanly hand upon
the register. The hotel man recognized the
chirography as that of trio which had
earlier in the year registered at his house
just prior to the burglarizing of a safe in
the Office OF a loan and trust company.
Police on the Alert.
After the reception of this information
the police were on the lookout for the men
and when a detective aCcosted one of them
and asked him to report to the station and
mako an explanation of his conduct, a shoot
i"y Cscapade opt ned up at once. 1t was per-
h~ps the most tragic and sensational event
that has ever happened in Quincy, which is
a staid, old river town.
Ii was for the robbery of the Loan bank |
in Quincy that Started the officers This rob |
berry occurred on the night of January 5. !
II yielded $4,000. The perpetrators escaped
at the time of the deed and but for their !
nerve in returning they might have effect |
ually eyaded detection. 1t is supposed that
they contemplated another raid in Quincy.
The dead robbers were laid out at an un
dertaking establishment and the wounded |
member was cared for at the hotel where he
was registered. He was conscious after the
shooting and was firm in refusing to give
the officers satisfactory answers to their
questions He positively refused to talk
about the dead men. Each one of the trio
had every appearance of prosperity. They !
wore diamonds and seemingly had plenty OF
money Other patrons OF the hotel had
mingled with them socially and but for the |
shrewdness of the hotel proprietor after he
had examined the register this tale OF trag- |
edy might never have been written.
Clever work of Martin White.
1t is conceded by prominent detectives all |
over the United States that the work OF
Martin White, the late chief of police of
Omaha, IN connection with this robbery
was some OF the most clever that
has ever been accomplished. At the time
of the robbery there was not tangible clew
to the guilty ones. Chief White worked day
and, night TO unravel the mystery He en-
countered great odds All seemed TO be
adverse to solution. But his indefatigable
energy and bulldog tenacity resulted in the
recovery OF the stolen furs. There was,
however, lack of evidence as to the guilt
OF the parties involved and II was found
impossible to encompass the legal technl-
calties that appeared. Thus 1t was that
Chief White was unable TO add triumphant
climax TO his work,
William A. Pinkerton OF Chicago, who is
known the world over a criterion in de-
tective work, paid a glowing tribute to the
work OF Martin White and this was sup
plementcd by William Desmond chief o:
detectives in ST, Louis Chief Desmond was
especially interested, in view of the fac,
that he had information TO the effect that
Charley Prince had sought refuge in the
mountains OF southern Missouri. which are
tributary to ST. Louis Desmond expected
Prince to appear in St Louis at any time, as
ne was known TO have a standing with local
crooks and that he could always locate a
shelter there,
Prince IL Willy.
But Prince was willy and he studlousy
kept away from St Louis. With his pals he
appeared In Joplin, the center OF the Mis-
souri, Kansas lead and zinc belt and under
an assumed name he plunged deeply into
the mad whrl OF speculation The most
prominent hotel in Joplin is the Keystone
Since the mining boom the house has been
so crowded that even millionaires have been
turned away, Charley Prince could not stop
there because OF his color but he fixed mat
teIs so that his confederates occupied rooms
,