The Penn's Grove record., 1903-03-06
DARING ROBBERS CAUGHT
Officers Get the Drop on Western
Desperadoes in Hartford, Conn.
TRACKED THROUGH SIX STATES
Ono Detective Killed In the Chase-The
Robbers Charged With Torturing an
Ages Couple in Missouri and Robbing
q Bank There Of s110yOoo-ss6s5 in
CnAh Enund

Robbers Charged With Torturing an
Aged Couple In Missouri and Robbing
q Bank There Of o110.Ooo-Ss6S5 in
Cash Found.
Hartford, Contributed persistent
" for eight. weeks in a chase which led
through six States, William Rudolph.
known as the Missouri Kid" and
George Collins were arrested here
charged with robbing a bank inSUnion.
Mo-. On December 81 of $4,000 in cur
rency and 100000 in securities. The
end OF the hunt was almost as sensa-
tional as It's beginning. when in a
desperate battle a Pinkerton detective
was shot dead and the men wanted
escaped through a Gordon of police by
handy work with revoIvers.
Collins and Rudolph were over
powered after a hand to hand struggle,
in which they used their teeth like dogs
and tried In vain to draw pistols.
Three A-calibre revolvers were found
IN the room they occupied and a large
bag OF cartridges. Both men carried
guns In their coat pockets and only the
q%uickness Of the police and detectives
kept them from drawing them.
The crime held against the prisoners
was n Of the most daring in the long
list Of bank robberies in late years.
In broad daylight two men broke into
the bank. while a third stood in the
street and threatened to shoot the first
citizen who interfered.
With nftro-glycerine, steel drills and
sledges the men opened the doors of
the safe and found the treasure they
were after. The bank building was
wrecked by the explosion of a heavy
charge Of nitro-glycerine on the safe
door. and although the report was
heard all owe the town nom of the
citizens had the courage to interfere.
Loading the money and securities into
bags they rode through the streets with
their revolvers in their hands and es-
capped unmolested. Rudolph and Col
Inns were captured here by Detectives
Dougherty, Gaby and Davis, Of the
New York Pinkerton Office, and by off,
GERS Of the local police force.
The capture of the men might not
have been effected had it not been for
the killing Of Detective Schumacher,
of the Chicago Pinkerton Office, when
he went with three deputy sheriffs to
the house Of Rudolph's parents. There
he was shot and Rudolph and Collins
escaped to Hot Springs. Ark.
In a search of the Rudolph house a
scrap of paper was found on which
was written George Collins, Hart
ford, Conn" The Hartford police
learned that Collins had formerly been
In the reform school at Meriden. He
has two stepbrothers here named LIE
Plant. Rudolph and Collins have been
here a few weeks, but were not found
until the day Of their arrest. when Ru-
dolph was found on the street. The
detectives wanted to get the men to-
gether, and would not risk getting
one for fear the other would get away.
Rudolph, Collins and the two LIE
Plants were seen coming out of a house
on Allyn street, where they had two
rooms. They were followed to a house
In State street, and the force of Pinker-
ton men and local detectives were
gathered there. Collins and the lie
Plants came out Of the house together
and were arrested without any trouble.
The Missouri Kid remained in the
house, and Detective Dougherty and
Detective Farrell, Of this city, went
after him. They went into the room
with revolvers pointed at him.
Rudolph reached under his ~overcoai
for his gun, a 44-calibre Smith and
Wesson. Dougherty was upon him
before he could pull 1t. The men had
a struggle while the Hartford detective
tried to get the gun away from Ru
dolph. Dougherty was bitten in the
neck and at one time Rudolph had hin
on a lounge, the desperate on top. Far.
rell finally got the gun away from Ru'
dolph, when a man in the house went
to Rudolph's assistance, thinking the
detectives were trying to hold him up
a woman in the house told the mar
who the officers were. and then ht
helped them. Rudolph had about $1,000
on him. In the rooms occupied by the
men were found three A-calfbre revolv
ars, a bag Of cartridges and skeleton
Keys and clothing. In all $685. were
found In thu. rooms and on the prison
ers. About $1,000 was IL gold.