Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-02
DETECTIVE DEAD.
Chicago Policeman Shot by Peter
Neidermeier Succumbs to
His Wounds.
BANDITS ARE ARRAIGNED.
Marx Alone Pleads Guilty, the Others
Deciding to Fight the Murder
Indictments.
FAKE CONFESSION OF MURDERER

Chicago, Dec. detective Joseph
Driscoll, who was shot in the fight in
Indiana with the three car barn bandits,
died at the Mercy hospital today.
The death of Detective Driscoll will
be charged to Peter Neidermeier. In n
confession to the police Neidermeier adj
mitted that he shot Driscoll as the latter
sprang upon the railroad tracks near the
dugout.
Bandits Are Arraigned.
Peter Niedermeier. Harvey Van Dine,
Gustav Marx and Emil Roeski were ar
raigned before Jutice Kersten yesterday
afternoon, two hours after the murder in
dictments, voted against them by the
grand jury Saturday, had been returned
in court. Niedermeier Van Dine and
Roeski pleaded not guilty. Marx pleaded
guilty. The appearance Of the quartette
in court followed their removal. heavily
ironed and guarded by strong escorts of
police from Harrison street station to the
Cook county Jail.
Ordered to Make Plea
"You, Peter Niederme;er, and you,
Harvey Van Dine, on November SC.
1903, were indicted for murder Are
you guilty Or not guilty?"
Clerk Cummings read the charge Fer
moment neither prisoner answered. c.
c. Bartlett of Bartlett & Irving, Van
Dimes lawyer. drew his client to one
side, and instructed him. When Van
Dine returned to his place beside Nieder-
meier. he whispered in his companion .
ear. Then he said distinctly: Not gull
ty."
"And you, Peter Niedermeier?" said
the clerk.
Niedermeier's smile broadened until he
almost laughed outright. He looked up
Into the judges face with q sheepish
twinkle in his brown eyes as if he hest
tated to perpetrate such a joke in a
courtroom.
Not guilty" he said at last.
Marx. fine physical specimen, tall.
hroad-shouldered and muscular, stood
up and looked the judge squarely in the
eyes. In his heavy. stolid face, in his
smolderlng gray eyes, there was the look
of a hopeless man ready to take his
medicine. When the indictment charg-
ing him with the murder of John B.
Johnson in the car barn raid and OF
completely in the murder Of Francis W.
Stewart: killed in the same crime, he an
swered in steady voice: Il am guilty"
Again Pleads Guilty.
The clerk read the third indictment.
charging him with the murder of De
tective Quinn. In the same steady voice
he pleaded guilty.
II desire to caution you," said Judge
Kersten. "You are quite sure that you
realize that under such plea you may
be hanged if the circumstances war
rantv'
"Yes," said Marx.
DO you desire to make a statement in
regard to any Of the crimes?" asked the
judge.
None whatever" returned the pris-
oner
Marx left the courtroom with the air
of a man who appreciated the seriousness
and tragedy of the situation, but had
faced it like q man. Roeski still snig-
gered foolishly.
Not Chicago Murderer
Charles Kruger. prisoner in the
Greensburg, Pa. Jail awaiting the death
penalty for murder, denied yesterday that
he had ever confessed to the killing Of
Policemen Pencil and Devine in this
city a year ago last August. The crime
Cor which he is to be hanged January
= next was the murder of constable
Greensburg. A story purporting to be
tie history of his life is being written.
Kruger came from Germany four years
ago and soon after his arrival he was
arrested for burglary. He served SEN
tence of three years in the western peni-
Tertiary. Soon after his release he was
arrested at Canton, O., for the Green's
burg crime. That is the only murder he
ever committed. He was never in Chi
caso or in Kentucky, where it is alleged
he killed sixteen men,