The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-03-11

ST. LOUIS. March 1l.-Covernor Dock.
cry has respited George Collins, who wa
TO have been hanged today in the county
jail yard at Union. The respite gives tn,
desperate until March 2s to hive.
Collins is one of the Union bank rob.
beers and murderers. He was convict.
ed Of the killing Of G. J. Schumacher
a pinkerton detective, who was a member
Of the posse that sought to capture Col.
Inns and his pal, William Rudolph after
the daring robbery of the Union bank
Rudolph is yet TO be tried for his part in
the crime.
To find anything like a parallel to the
career Of these two youthful desperadoes
Il is necessary to turn back the criminal
records Of Missouri to the days when the
James boys and the Younger brothers
telrorized the state. Though neither Col.
Inns nor Rudolph is much over q, long
series Of crimes, including highway rob
berries and bank robberies. has been traced
TO them Their most daring exploit, how
ever. and the one that led to their
downfall. was the robbery of the Bank
OF Union. at Union, Mo, December q,
1902. On that date the two youths rode
into town. blew open the safe of the
bank and obtained about 1900. The act
was committed in the open, the outlaws
keeping the citizens at bay by using
their revoivers
Charles J. Schumacher, a Pinkerton de
tective assigned to the case, learned Of
an unknown stranger who had been seen
in the town on several occasions prior to
the burglary, and persistent inquiry devel
oped the fact that at the time of his last
visit he had been observed to walk toward
Stanton, Mo. Following this clue, Schu
maeher was led to the home of William
Rudolph, near Stanton. Several years be.
fore. Rudolph had disappeared, after tor.
turing and robbing an aged couple, and
had recently returned, bringing with him
companion, whom he introduced as
Frederick Lewis, who. Schumacher. found.
answered the description Of the stranger
seen frequently at Union Both were re-
ported to be unusually well supplied with
money.
Rudolph's home was deserted miners
Boarding house situated on hill, com.
r1anding a good view OF the surrounding
country. SO confident was Schumacher
that he had located the two robbers that
he communicated with the Franklin coun.
~ authorities, obtained the necessary war
rants, and on January %, 1903, accompa-
MED by a posse planned to arrest the
suspects and search the Rudolph premises
for the stolen booty.
As the posse neared the house one of
The doors was suddenly thrown open by
two men, who afterwards proved to be
Rudolph and Collins, alias Lewis, and who
opened fire on Schumacher Two shots
entered the detectives head, killing him.
Before the posse could he reinforced the
two desperadoes escaped from the house,
forced a neighboring farmer to supply
horses, saddles and brides. aud rode away
In the search of the Rudolph house a
sheet of paper was found on which was
written several times, Erred Lewis. George
Collins, Hartford, Conn" This led to an
investigation in that city. where. after
ten days search. the Pnkerton men
learned that one George Collins had re.
sided there some FIVE years previously
but had gone West and had not been heard
from since. 1t being surmised that he
probably would return East to spend his
share of the money, his step-brothers, who
were still residing in Hartford, were kept
under surveillance by the Pinkertons. who
eo-operating with the Hartford police, kept