Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-12-04
HOW GANG KILLED AND ROBBED.
Many Desperate Crimes Crowded In
to Short Space of Time.


to Short Space of Time.
Never before in Chicago, and perhaps
never in all the country, have so many
desperate crimes been crowded into so
short a time as is the case with Van
Dine, Niedermeier, Roeski and Marx.
Previous to the battle of Friday, the four
youths had a criminal history extending
over less than five months, with the ex-
ception of small offenses Of larceny.
In that time they killed seven men,
wounded several others, robbed five sa
looms, a railroad ticket office, the car
barns at SiXty-frst and State street, and
attempted to dynamite q train. Five Of
the murders were committed within two
months.
So far as Is told by police reports and
the oonfessions of the men, the first
crime of note committed by them was
the robbery Of the Clybourn Junction sta
ton Of the Northwestern Railway July
3. Niedermeier and Roeski carried out
this robbery. r. w. Lathrop, the ticket
agent and Martin Daugherty, tele-
graph operator, were in the station when
the men pointed revolver through the
lattice work and demanded the money in
volver and was shot through the body,
but not MORALLY hurt. Daugherty gave
up and the robbers secured $40.
Less than week later, July 9, Van
Dine, Roeski and Marx robbed the sa-
loon Of Ernest Spires, 1920 North Ash
land avenue. Roeski went in the front
door and ordered glass of beer. Marx
and Van Dine appeared at the side door
and commanded all inside to hold up
their hands. Otto Bauder, 10 years old,
started to run, and Roeski shot him to
death. Roeski then went behind the bar
and robbed the cash till, while his COM
panions guarded the men lined against
the bar.
Roeski and Van Dine on July 90 found
Peter Cork alone in his saloon at 2G11
Milwaukee avenue. When confronted
by the robbers the saloonkeeper crouched
behind the bar and reached for a reyol-
yer. Before he could secure it four shots
had been fired at him. one of the bullets
striking him in the head. Cork was
conscious, but gave no sign of it. and
could hear the robbers say in a matter
of-fact way as they opened the cash
drawer, "He is dead" Cork recovered.
Inc mufuer OF beDJanlln u. La GROSS
and Adolph Jensen on Aug / in the for
mcrs saloon at 212O West North avenue
came next. The saloonkceper and Jen-
sen were playing cards when the robbers
entered. La Gross and his customer held
up their hands when ordered to do so,
but both were shot, La Gross dying at
once and Jensen day later. There was
$64 in the till.
The most desperate crime of the men
was the car barn robbery on Aug 80
Roeski and Marx arranged the details,
but Roeski was not an active party to
the robbery. Two men were killed and
$2,250 was taken. The responsibility for
the murders Is the one point on which
the other prisoners say that Marx did
not tell the truth in his confession.
Marx, Van Dine and Niedermeier in
vaded the barns at 8 o'clock in the
morning and began shooting without
warning. Francis w. Stewart, student
at the Armour Institute. at work at a
desk in the cashiers Office. was shot
through the body and died soon after
ward William B. Edmond, receiving
cashier, also was shot, but not MORALLY.
James B.. Johnson, motorman, was
killed as he rose from bench on which
he had been sleeping.
The men made muss of their plan
for dynamitinG the limited train of the
Chicago and Northwestern Railway.