The Tupelo journal., 1903-12-04
Car Barn Murderers Arrested After
a Desperate Battle.
TWO DETECTIVES SHOT DOWN
An AII-Nisht Battle with Posse, In
which Two Are One
MOrtnIly, and u Railway :
Brakeman Is Killed.

Mayor Harrison and Chief of Police
O'Neill, calmly confessing their share
in a three months career of crime,
which has included nine murders, the
wounding OF five other men and a long
series Of robberies. The two young
bandits, neither of whom is over 81
years old, together with their com
were captured near Liverpool, Ind,
Friday after a fight in which they bat
tied against policemen, railroad de-
tectives, railroad laborers and farm
ers. One man was killed, another
fatally wounded, and all three of the
young bandits were wounded, but NOT
seriously.
The Dead and Wounded.
The dead:
T. J. Sovea, brakeman on the Penn
sylvania railroad.
The wounded:
Joseph Driscoll, detective on Chi
cage police force; shot through alb
domen and can live but a short time.
Matthew thinner, detective on Chi
cage police force; shot in head and
arm.
N%eidermeier was wounded in the
hand by birdshot.
Van Dine was similarly injured, and
the left thigh.
Roeski was shot in the right hip.
His wound is the most serious of any
inflicted upon the three men, but was
not sufficient to prevent him from
travelling a long distance after receiv-
ing it.
Wanted For Car Barn Murders.
The three men were wanted by the
police for completely in the murders
at the car barns of the Chicago City
Railroad Co. on August 80, when two
men we're killed, a third badly wound
ed. and $2,250 stolen from the COM
pany.
Gustave Marx, who last Saturday
night murdered officer John Quinn
when the policeman ~endeavOred to
place him under arrest, confessed aft
err his capture that he, in company
with the three men, had committed the
crimes at the car barns. The hunt for
Van Dine, Neidermeier and Roeski has
been hot eve since. Although they
knew that the entire police force was
looking for them. the three men re-
manned in the city until Wednesday
morning.
I'VE were laying for a fellow that
was a witness against Marx" said
Van Dine. On Wednesday they left
Chicago, going to a dug-out made by
railroad laborers near the tracks of
the Michigan Central railroad, near
Millers, Ind. Thursday night they
spent in another dug-out, near Millers
Station, Ind. and there they were sur
prised by the police Friday morning.
Word was brought to the police
Thursday night by T. S. Reichers. a
school teacher near Clark Station,
Ind, that three men answering the
descriptions of those wanted for the
car barn murders, were living in the
dug-out. Other stories placed the men
near .Waukegon, H., and the police,
placing no great reliance in any of
the rumors, sent only eight men, De-
tectives thinner, Deroche, Qualey,
Gleason, Sheehan, Driscoll, Banner
and Hughes, to Indiana, Sheehan be-
ing placed in charge of the squad. The
men reached the dug-out at about
three O'Clock, guided by Reichers. AS
soon as they were in sight of the
place, the Ofirers advanced in a circle
upon the dug-out, where the three rob-
bers were supposed to be concealed.
Driscoll, who was walking in closer
than the others, called out, ut doesn't
look as though there is anybody in
there"
Don't anybody fire." ordered Shee-
han, until we know if they are the
right people,"
, Two Detectives Shot Down.
AS Sheehan spoke, Driscoll picked
up a chunk of wood and hurled it at
the dug-out. Instantly there was a
flash, a report, and Driscoll fell in a
heap, shot through the abdomen. One
of his fellow-officers stopped to raise
him, and the other six opened fire on
the dug-out, from which the shots were
now coming thick and fast. While the
fire was at it's hottest, Van Dine and
Roeski rushed out, followed a few min
utes later by N~eidermeier. The lat
ter ran to the tracks of the Michigan
Central railroad, and, throwing himself
flat on the roadbed, steadied his arm
on the rail as he kept up a rapid fire
with three revolvers. Roeski ran for
the brush, but Van Dine retreated
slowly, although the air around him
was filled with bullets, and the snow
at his feet was kicked up by them.
He is a splendid marksman, and,
catching a sight of Detective thinner,
who was behind a tree, he fired. Zim-
mer went down with a bullet in the
head. AS he fell, Van Dine fired again,
and the second bullet went through
Zimmer's arm After his arrest, Van
Dine said: His head and his arm were
all l could see. l hit all there was
of him."
Railway Brakeman Killed.
Roeski had by this time disappeared,
and Van Dine and Neidermeier, plac-
ing their revolvers in their pockets,
made a run for freedom. The detect
ives fired constantly, but the bandits
escaped. After running about a mile
across country, they came to the
tracks of the Pennsylvania railroad.
A switch engine with a train of car
was close at hand, and, hurrying up
to it, the men ordered Brakeman So
yea to uncouple the train from the