Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-12-04
CONFESSED TO MORE CRIME.
Chicago Bandit Tells Of Many Daring
Deeds.

meier, one of the members of the
quartet of young bandits who for the
last six months have terrorized Chi
cago, in another confession has added
several more crimes to the long list
already charged against him and his
companions, Van Dine, Marx and
Roeski. With parental love upper
most in his mind. Neidermeier offered
to tell Chief of Police O'Neil of a
score of train holdups, burglaries and
other crimes that he has committed,
If the rewards offered will only be
given to his mother.
81 want to know that my mother will
be cared for after I am hung" said
the 81 year old boy, who is now the
self confessed murderer of five men.
Il am guilty Of crimes of which you
know nothing and for which innocent
men are now suffering. There are
rewards offered for my capture
and conviction. II you will guarantee
that these rewards will go to my moth.
er will convict myself. will confess
crimes that will startle you"
In order to make his word good
Neidermeier told of few crimes
which he claimed to have committed.
He outlined them in such a manner,
Chief O'Neil declared. that only one
concerned in them could do. Neider-
meier refused, however. to divulge the
names of his partners in the crimes
referred to, pending proof that his
mother would get the reward. A few
Of the additional crimes he claims to
have participated In are:
Robbery of the Illinois Central lin.
tied express at Paducah, KY, in which
Barnes, one of the robbers. cut his
throat while surrounded in a swamp.
The others escaped.
Holdup Of stage coach mile from
Butler, Nevada, two years ago and rob.
berry of the mails.
No one was shot and the robbers
escaped without recognition.
Holdup and robbery Of Chicago &
Northwestern passenger train near
Boone, Iowa, six months ago.
A holdup and attempted robbery of
Baltimore & Ohio train at Edgmoor,
Ind, four years ago.
Mother Will Get Money.
But in all cases Neidermeier was
careful to conceal the names of his
ssociates in crime. merely giving suf-
ficient outline of the crime to warrant
the chief in believing that he was tell
ing the truth. When Neidermeier
went back to his cell it was with the
assurances that his mother would be
bettered $500 financially. Special
Agent whitley of the Chicago &
Northwestern railroad promised him
that his mother would be given the re-
ward of $500 for the arrest and con-
viction of the Clybourne station rob.
berries after Neidermeier detailed the
robbery to him and exonerated a man
named Dole of st. Louis, who is now
under indictment.
Operator Dougherty and Ticket
Agent Lathrop. the victims Of the rob-
berry in the Clybourne station holdup,
were present during Neidermeier's
confession, going over with him in de-
tail the robbery and the shooting Of
Lathrop.
Neidermeier detailed the Paducah,
KY, holdup perfectly, refusing to tell
names because none of the Illinois
Central detectives were present. He
offered to tell Special Agent O'Keefe
the entire story Of the daring robbery
and even show him the house in Ken.
lucky where he hid after the robbery.
81 stalled the train Alone" said
Neidermeier. "Then I entered the
baggage car and threw out three
sacks. Barnes grabbed one Of them.
I did not get any as was lucky in
getting away with my life. They found
Barnes in swamp with his throat cut.
He had the razor in the hand that he
committed suicide with. Before last
May I spent three years in holdups
and robberies outside of Chicago and
if the rewards are Forthcoming for
my mother I will make a clean breast
of everything"
The police have been so appalled, by
Neidermeier's confession that they
hardly give credence to all his asser-
lions. 1t is thought that his anxiety
over his mothers welfare has prompt
ed him to make himself the author of
crimes he did not commit. From the
assertions made by Neidermeier and
Van Dine today 1t is said by the pc.
lice that more arrests will be made.
Chief O'Neil tonight asserted that
there is a strong probability that
Neidermeier and Van Dine would tell
Of all their accomplices in other
crimes in which both men have &C.
knowledged they had helped.