Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-09
police as they fed, the fire was returned,
and two of the bandits were shot
Tat nAa 1r~a4~ Eno-A

anu ISo OF Ine DanultS were Snot
Last Desperate Effort.
Tortured by wounds which handicap
ped their fight, the outlaws made last
desperate effort for freedom. Now hid
ing in sand pits now seeking shelter un-
der heaps of brush, darling among sand
dunes and hunting protection of the trees.
leaving a trail of blood in the snow which
covered the barren fields of the lake re-
gion, the men succeeded for a short time
in eluding the law.
But human endurance had reached its
limit. Other means of flight must be
secured, and that quickly. Making for
East Tolleston, where the men knew a
Number of trains were always in waiting
while cars were loaded with sand, they
determined to steal locomotive.
They approached one Of the engines,
and Brakeman Soyea was standing near.
They commanded him to take them to
Liverpool, and on his refusal Nieder-
meier shot him dead. They then board
ed the engine and, covering the fireman
with their revolvers, compelled him to
open the throttle and thus aid them in
continuing their fight.
Police with Rifles.
In the meantime re-enforcements Of
police had been summoned from Chicago,
and fifty men, armed with rifles, had been
dispatched to the scene Of the chase. In
addition to these the farmers and rail-
road men had armed themselves, and,
forming an Independent posse, had taken
up the hunt 1t was then the beginning
of the end.
Abandoning the engine at Liverpool,
Van Dine, Niedermeier and Roeski limp
ed into cornfeld, and there they made,
their final stand. The cit en- posse was
upon their heels, and a wel-lirected shot
had wounded Niedermeier Another vol
ley was fred among the cornstalks, and
it brought a response in an appeal for
mercy.
Having taken the lives of innocent
men, the desperadoes at least reached
the point where they weakened and
pleaded to be allowed to live.
BE merciful," cried Van Dine 81
have a mother l want to see before l
die"
Commanded to throw away their
weapons, the trio did so with alaelity,
announcing that they depended on their
captors' spirit of fair play to protect the
captives from harm.
Roeski, however, dragged him self
away from his companions, and succeed
ed in reaching the railroad station at
Aetna, Ind. There, weak from loss Of
blood, exhausted by his long fight, and
repentant, he threw away his arms and
lay down to sleep. Thus was he taken
prisoner and the noted man hdnt ended.
Captured by Rabbit Hunters.
The ca0tors were not a company of
farmers organized as man hunters; they
were not detectives nor policemen in dis
guise; they were not men of any kind or
quality resolved to face the deadly rifles
and fearful magazine revolvers of the
bandits, risking their own lives for the
sake of bringing to justice the men of
many bloody crimes. They were a party
Of peaceful rabbit hunters. led by Charles
Hamilton, the East Tolleston village
blacksmith. But they were fully equal
to the occasion.
The capture was as easy as shooting
the rabbits for which they had started
out In the early morning The despera-
does who had dehed the Chicago police
and terrorized the city for six months
offered no resistance.
Il want to see NY mother" walled
Van Dine. throwing away his revolvers
and emerging from behind the corn
shock with upraise1 hands.
Nicdermeier, who coolly murdered
Frank Stewart at the car barns and had
less than two hours previously shot Dris-
coll, followed him, echoing his words.
Roeski. who is a family outcast, as
well as n murderer, cursed his compan-
ions and fed under cover Of their sur
render.
You're honest men," added Nieder-
meier. IF you had been policemen we'd
have killed you"
Arrogant. even with their death war
rant sealed, the two walked haughtily
back to the engine they had just left. |
With the shotguns prodding them in
their backs, they mounted into its cab.
"Come up and see US hung" joked |
Niedermeier.