Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-06
ENTIRE TOWN IS IN TERROR
Bullets Fly Broadcast in Main street
and Herman Zahn is Left Dying
In His saloon.


gram.)-The little town OF Snyder had the
most exciting time in its history last night.
Three men held up and killed Herman Zahn
and held the entire town In a state OF
terror. Bullets were flying through the
main street, windows were broken, a bullet
through the waist of one mans trousers
and another went through window within
an inch Of a mans head.
Irish Gardner and two companions ar
rived in town sometime In the afternoon.
They started in to play cards and drink
beer until after $50. when the patrons OF
Zahn's saloon were startled by the command
Hold up your hands, everybody" enforced
by two big forty four -caliber revolvers and
by the shorter one Of the two and one held
by Gardner, who stood in the doorway.
All obeyed but zahn, the proprietor. He
was playing cards sitting at little table
twelve feet from the bar. Leaping to his
feet and grasping a chair he called out
81 don't want any shooting in here" Then
he lowered the chair and made move
toward the bar.
The bullet fired by the small man who
gave the command felled him to the floor
before he advanced a step. The bandit
then walked up to his PROSTATE form,
kicked him In the ribs and said, calling
MIN VIE Hdne. Ou nuTt mucn.
Theu, STOPPING over, he rolled him on his
back, took the contents of his pockets and
tore his gold watch from it's chain, which
was so securely fastened he could not re-
move 1t,
The appearance Of the men caused con-
sternation in the saloon. John Swanke, a
big six-foot farmer, drove through the
front window and fell over a man passing
on the sidewalk, into the arms OF the man
keeping watch outside. Fritz Koeppen, the
bartender, dropped behind the bar and
slipped out the back door. One or two
more near the door did the same.
After going through zahn's pockets one
of the robbers went behind the counter
took the contents of the drawer, which
was open, and tried to break the cash. regis
ter. but failed. The big man. Gardner, did
not like the looks of things inside and
made them all get down on their knees
or sit on the pool table.
barber Plays a Lone Hand.
w. A. Swichtenberg was in his barber
shop a block away when the shooting be-
gan. He took q gun and went around to
the back door, which he found open, and,
taking aim at the robber behind the bar
working on the cash register, fired five
shots One bullet struck the robber in the
neck but the others lodged in the ceiling.
This was an unexpected part of the
program and for a few seconds the bandits
were rather disconnected. They then made
rush for outside. one by way of the back
door and the other by the front. As soon
as they reached the street they commenced
firing at whatever moving object they
saw.
Henry Buehner, who lives over the bank
fng hn To fr,,,
window and pulled up the curtain when he
heard the first shot. A bullet from the
gun of one of the robbers went through the
pane within an inch OF his head. j. Poel-
lott was standing on the street corner
block away and felt something cutting the
| waistband OF his trousers, which he is sure
was a bullet. Several windows In the store
opposite were broken and the clerks and
customers took to the back ends behipd tho
counters.
There is some difference OF opinion as to
| whether one or two shots were fired in he
saloon, some saying one was fred by the
big man after Zahn was shot, while others
| are just as sure that was the only one.
Fully fifty were fired after rhey left the
saloon
| Third Man i'm West Point.
The sheriff says the man in Jail at West
| Point was with the other two during the
afternoon. He came into the saloon Just
as the order. Hands up" was given and
was told to put his hands up, too. DR.
Byers was summoned as early as possible
Zahn was conscious and appeared to be suf-
fering terribly, He said to the doctor: 81
want you to see that those fellows who shot
me are punished" In a few minutes he be-
gan to sink and realized that his end was
al hand. He called for his little children
bade them goodby and gave some drec.
tions regarding his business affairs, thor
| gradually passed away
The bandits went east from Snyder. Theii
trail was followed by the boodhounds be
longing to the b. & NJ. railroad The trai
took them TO the shed of farmhouse
mile from town, then to the railroad track
then directly to the shack. where the ban
dts were found. Parties living near Crow
ell. say that the place has been q rendez