Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-11-28

Ind. After two miles had been covered
the men ordered the engineer to slow
down and, eaping to thk ground, ldisap
peared in the woods. s ~
After the train had carried Van DIM
and N~eidermeier away Detective Shee
han hurried to the nearest telegraph
station and wired to Ehief of Police
O'Neil asking that men be sent our
with rifles. The message met with G
prompt response. and in a short time
Assistant Chief of Police Schuettlel
and fifty officers, armed with rifles
were on the way to Millers. The Off
cials of the Pennsylvania railroad also
rose to the emergency. Captain Briggs
of the detective service of that railroad
was given a special train as soon as the
news Of the murder of Brakeman Sovea
was known, and with orders to take nc
chances, spare no expense and get the
three men dead or alive he and his mer
were off toward Liverpool. The entire
system of the Pennsylvania road was
placed temporarily under orders OF
Captain Briggs.
The news of the fight at the dugoui
had spread with great rapidity through
the country, and by the time the two
painting men rushed up to the locomo-
laborers were after them. These were
left behind with the Chicago detectives,
although n farmer armed with a
shotgun got In his work as the train
started away. Catching sight of Van
Dine as he poked his face through the
cab window, he turned loose with both
barrels. A number of shot struck Van
Dine in the head and face, and one hit
him In the throat, causing him trouble.
When they left the train both men
We're nearly exhausted and unable to
travel. The country at that place is
rough, sandy and cut up by gravel
pits. 1t is ground to travel over which
would soon exhaust a vigorous man,
and the two desperadoes made slow
progress. The farmers, railroad labor
ers and officers of the Pennsylvania
road were coming up fast and soon
were close on the fugitives' heels. 1t
was easy to track them In the new
fallen snow, and the hunt was speedi-
ly closed. The men We're seen as they
lodged about in the sand dunes, and
the farmers, most of whom were armed
with double barreled shotguns, opened
fire on them. Niedermeier received a
charge full in the head, and the blood
streamed down his face and into his
eyes, binding him SO that he could
hardly see. A shot graZed Van Dimes
head, carrying off some of his hair,
and his wounded leg was weakening.
The posse was closing in on all sides.
There was no escape, and 1t was evil
dent to both men that the time had
to the death. Both mel were heavily
armed and able to take more lives be-
fore they lost their own, but as Van
Dine said in discussing his surrender:
There would have been nc good in
that, as we have not shot anybody un-
less we have had to, and killing any
Of those fellows would have not have
let me off. The jig was up for us, no
matter how many we killed. l says to
Pete:
"'Well what do you thinkT He nod
dcd his head and dropped his gun, and
that's how they got us"
Van Dine, who has served in the
army in the Philippines and shows his
military training in many ways, was
full of scorn for the men who had
taken him.
II could have killed no end of them,"
he said. "They came walking along
like a drove of quail, and l could have
covered the ground with 'em. l had
plenty of cartridges, and | generally
hit what l shoot at. 1t wouldn't done
me any good, though, and don't shoot
unless it is necessary"
None of the prisoners showed any
bravado and did no Boosting. They
showed not the slightest hesitation in
confessing to their crime. Their de-
meanor was more that of boys who had
been caught offering. Van Dine sat
upright, talked freely, showing in word
and bearing the courage that he has re-
vealed throughout. Neidermeler sat
with his head on his hands. His large
brown eyes were bent on the floor, and
he did no talking except to corroborate
some statement made by Van Dine.
When Van Dine said:
"Pete, here, shot Driscoll," Neider-
meier looked up, smiled slightly and re-
marked:
YES, l shot Driscoll and the brake
man. and then sank back to listen to
Van Dine.
Both men admitted that Marx had
told essentially the truth In connecting
them with the various crimes charged
up against them and said that they did
the killing at the car barns.
II hit two men," said Neidermeier.
II don't know If | killed anybody"
I'VE left Chicago" said Van Dine,
because we thought 1t wise to disap-
pear for a time after Marx made his
,'squeal,' but We were coming back
again. We intended TO come In and to