The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-12-01
BANDITS FIERCE FIGHT
Chicago Des?eradoes Kill One and
Wound Two Before Surrendering.
CONFESSED TO EIGHT MURDERS
They MORALLY Wounded One Of Posse
XIII Brakeman and Force Passage
On Train Before They Were Cap
tured-Are 6eardless Boys.

tured--Are 6eardless Boys.
Chicago. Nov. Exclaimed wrist to
wrist their hair matted with dried
blood. their clothing covered with dust
and dirt. two beardless boys-Peter
Niedermeier and Harvey Van Dine
sat in the presence Of Mayor Harrison
and Chief of Police O'Neil. calmly con
Tossing to their share in three
months career of crime, which has in.
cluded eight murders, the wounding OF
five other men and long series OF
robberies. The two yOung bandits.
neither OF whom is over p years OF
age. together with their companion,
Emil RoesIie. who is no older. were
captured near Liverpool, Ind, after
fight in which they battled against
policemen. railway detectives, railway
laborers and farmers. one man was
killed. another fatally wounded and all
three OF the young bandits were
wounded. but not seriously.
The dead. r. J. Sovea. brakeman on
the Pennsylvania railroad.
Wounded; Joseph Driscoll. detective
on Chicago police force, shot through
abdomen. cannot live; Matthew Zim
mer. detective on Chicago police force.
shot in head and arm
Niedermeier was wounded in the
head by birdshot; Van Dine was SINH
larly injured. and sustained in adds~
ton a flesh wound in the left thigh
Roesh was shot in the right hip. HIS
wound is the most serious Of any IN
aicted upon the three men, but was
not sufficiently serious TO prevent him
from travelling a long distance after
receiving IL.
The three men were wanted by the
. police for completely in the murders
at the car barns of the Chicago City
Railway company. on August go, when
two men were killed. a third badly
wounded. and $3.50 stolen from the
company. Gustaye Marx, who last
Saturday night murdered Officer John
Quinn when the policeman endeavored
20 place him under arrest, confessed
after his capture that he. in company
with the three men. had committed
the crimes at the car barns The hunt
for Van Dine, Niedermeier and Roeski
has been hot ever since On Wedncs-
day they LEFT Chicago. going to a dug
out made by railway laborers near the
tracks Of the Michigan Central rail
way. near Millers. Ind. They spent
the night in another dugout
near Miller's Station, Ind. and there
they were surprised by the police.
Word was brought to the police by
T. S. Reichers. a school teacher near
Clark Station. Ind. that three men
answering the description OF those
wanted for the car barn murders were
living in the dugout and eight detec-
tiyes were sent there.
Desperate Battle With Posse.
As soon as they were in sight Of the
place the officers advanced in a cir.
Gle upon the dugout where the three
robbers were supposed to be concealed.
Detective Driscoll. who was walking
in closer than the others, called out.
1T doesn't look as though there is
anybody in there
Don't anybody fire." ordered Shee-
han. until we know II they are the
right people
As Sheehan spoke Driscoll picked
up a chunk Of wood and hurled II at
the dugout Instantly there was a
fash. a report and DriscOll fell in a
heap. shot through the abdomen. One
OF his fellow-ofiicers stopped to raise
him. and the other six opened fire
on the dugout. from which the shots
were now coming thick and fast While
the fire was at its hottest. Van Dine
and Roeski rushed out. followed few
minutes later by Niedcrmeier. The
latter ran to the tracks Of the Michi
gan Central railway. and, throwing
himself fat on the rOadbed. steadied
his arm on the rail as he kept up a
rapid fire with three revolvers. Roesh
ran for the brush, but Van Dine re.
treated slowly. although the air around
him was filled with bullets and the
snow at his feet was kicked up by
them. He is splendid marksman,
and. catching sight Of Detective Zim-
mer. who was behind a tree. he fired.
thinner went down with bullet in the
head As he fell. Van Dine fired
again, and the second bullet tore
through Zimmer's arm.
Roeski had by this time disappeared,
and Van Dine and Niedermeier. plac-
ing their revolvers in their pockets,
made q run for freedom. The detec-
tlves fred 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 train Of cars, was close
at hand, and, hurrying up to II. the
men ordered Brakeman Sovea 10 I'M
couple the train from the locomotive.
lie refused and attempted to take
Niodarmeiers revolver from him The
latter instantly sent a bullet through |
the brakeman's brain. laying him dead !
in the snow Springing past Sovea's |
body the bandits mounted the locomO-
tive with revolvers in hand and or
dered the engineer to move out in a
hurry. which he did, going in the direc-
ton of Liverpool. Ind After two miles
had been covered. the men ordered the
engineer TO slow down, and, leaping |
to the ground. disappeared in the |
woods.
Surrendered TO Posses.
When they left the train, both men |
were nearly exhausted and unable to
travel. The country at that place is
rough. sandy and cut up by gravel |
pits. The farmers, faiiway iaDores
and officer OF the Pennsylvania road |
we're coming up fast, and soon were
close on the fugitive's heels. IL was
easy to track them In the newly fallen |
snow, and the hunt was speedily |
closed. The men were seen as they |
lodged about in the sand dunes, and |
the farmers, most OF whom were arm
ed with double-barreled shot guns,
opened fire on them. Neidermeier re-
ceived 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 OF some OF his