The Bourbon news., 1904-04-26
THREE MEN EXECUTED.
The Chicago Car Barn Bandits
Pay the Penalty.
Neidermeier Had to Be Carried to the
Gallows, While Marx and Van
Dine Showed No Emotion
on the ScaffoId.

Chicago, April 23.-Atheist to the
last, but completely unnerved, Peter
Neidermeier, the leader of the car barn
bandits, was hanged Friday from a
chair, contrasting with his companions
in crime, Gustav Marx and Harvey
Van Dine, who, standing erect kissed
an image of Christ and died without
tremor. The three executions were
separate, 20 minutes apart. the same
scaffold being used for all. Only once
before in the large number of execu-
tions that have taken place at the jail
in this city has it been necessary to
carry a condemned man to the gallows
as Neidermeier was Friday The crime
for which the three bandits paid the
penalty was one of eight murders
! which the three men are known to
have committed-that of Francis w.
Stewart clerk in the car barns Of
the Chicago city railway Neidermeier
had boasted continually of his courage
but as the last moments approached
he collapsed
i DR.. F. w. Mcnamara, the jail physi-
clan, had visited Neidermeier previ-
Ously and said that Neidermeier's phys
ical condition was satisfactory. The
bandit leader himself told Chief Dep
uty Peters, who appeared with the
death warrant, that the last walk
would be without aid. Deputy Peters
then read the document, and Neider-
meier started from his cell. He had
gone only two steps when he sank, and
1t was found it would be necessary to
lift him to the scaffold. Immediately
gether. He was handcuffed, placed on
hospital truck and wheeled to the
end of tier of cells Then three dep
Uties carried him down a flight Of
stairs. Entirely contrary to general
expectation Neidermeier made no eff
fort at resistance. Saying nothing and
appearing almost in a daze, he was
seated upon chair placed over the
trap Of the scaffold.
No minister or priest accompanied
Niedermeier he having finally said,
when offered last opportunity before
leaving his cell, he would die as he
had lived, an atheist. On the scaffold
Jailer Whitman disregarded the GUS
tom of asking whether the condemned
man wished to say anything. The
shroud and hood were quickly adjust
ed, the bandit instinctively moving his
head that the rope might more easily
be arranged, took a last glance at the
spectators. He appeared as if in a
stupor. A moment later, at 1875
o'clock, the trap fell, the chair being
quickly removed from behind as the
body shot downward The shroud be-
came partly disarranged and fearful
muscular struggles of the dying man
continued for Is minutes in view Of
the witnesses of the execution.
The convulsive movements of ME-
dermeier's body while he was suspend
ed at the ropes end led the physicians
at first to believe that he had horri-
bly, strangled to death. After an Off
cial examination, however, it was said
his neck had been broken.
Shortly before the hanging Neidcr-
meier's mother had asked to be admit
ted to the Jail, but her request was re-
fused.
The only requests that the other
bandits, Marx and Van Dine. made
were that they be allowed to bid ali
other goodbye, which was granted.
They counselled each other to be
brave, and joined in hoping that they
would meet again" The men had
been bitter enemies until a few days
before the execution, Van Dine being
incensed at his companion for having
made the confession which led to their
capture.
When the body of Neidermeier had
stopped quivering and had been re-
moved, Marx walked slowly to the
scaffold with several priests, after
having confessed, repented and receiv-
ed the last sacraments, as did Van
Dine, both men having been converted
to the Roman Catholic faith following
the death sentence.
Marx, like Van Dine. was neatly at
tired in black and in the coat lapel Of
each was a white rose. Neidermeier
unlike his comrades, wore a rose Of
dark red. Marx showed no emotion
WHIIe Oh the ScdHOlu, anu III SIeduS
voice repeated a litany after the
priests. He fervently kissed the cru-
cifx and at 11:17 o'clock was hanged.
His neck was broken.
The execution of Harvey Van Dine
was varied by a curious incident.
While he stood on the drop praying
anG waiting for his arms to be pin
| ioned and bic Iaoc cooured tbo nOOSa
fell from the cross piece of the gallows
and dspgled before the eyes of the ban
dit about to die. Disregarding the
moose the bandit continued praying
steadily to the end Death in his case,