The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-23
ONE HANGS FROM CHAIR
AND DIES AN ATHEIST,
TWO KISS THE CRUC|FX
Execution of the Three Car-Barn
Bandits on Same Scaffold Twen-
ty Minutes Apart.
NEIDERMEYER COLLAPSES
But Asks for Death Warrant to
MAKE a Complaint to St.
Peter" He Said.
IS CARRIED TO TRAP
Marx and Van Dine Stand Erect
and Die Without a Tremor-
Their Many Crimes.
NEIDERMEYER COLLAPSEs
IS CARRIED TO TRAI

CHICAGO, April 22.-Atheist to the last,
but completely unnerved, Peter Nieder-
meyer. the leader of the car-barn bandits.
was hanged to-day from chair, contrast
ing with his companions in crime, Gustav
Marx and Harvey Van Dine. who. standing
erect, kissed an image of Christ and died
without a tremor. The three executions
were separate, twenty minutes apart, the
same scaffold being used for all.
Only once before in the large number of
executions that have taken place at the
Jail in this city has it been necessary to
carry condemned man to the gallows as
Niedermeyer was to-day. Niedermeyer had
boasted continually of his courage but as
the last moments approached ne collapsed
and was unable to take three consecutive
steps of a march to the gallows. When he
gave way his feet were strapped together.
He was then handcuffed. placed on a hos
pital truck and wheeled to the end of a tier
of cells. Three deputies carried him down
a fight of stairs. Entirely contrary to gen.
eral expectation, Nledermeyer made no EFFORT
at resistance. Saying nothing, and appear
ing almost in daZe. he was seated upon
chair placed over the trap of the scaffold.
No minister or priest accompanied Me
dermeyer. he having finally said, when Of
fered a last opportunity before leaving his
cell, he could dies as he had lived-an
atheist.
ON THE SCAFFOLD.
On the scaffold Jailer Whitman disre-
garded the custom 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 ar
ranged. took a last glance at the specta-
tors. He appeared as if in a stupor. A
- Tol1
the chair being quickly removed from be-
hind as the body shot downward. The
shroud became partly disarranged, and
fearful muscular struggles of the dying
continued for fifteen minutes in view
of the witnesses of the execution. The
body while he was suspended at the ropes
end led the physicians at first to believe
that he had horribly strangled to death.
After an official examination, however, IL
said his neck had been broken.
Shortly before the hanging, Neidermeyers S
mother had asked TO be admitted TO the
Jail. but her request was refused
In the opinion of some witnesses, Neider-
meyer was half crazed when the death
warrant was read. He became angry and
protested against execution, saying he did
not wish TO disgrace his family.
Peter said the prisoner. ''let me look
at that warrant.
After excitedIy reading the warrant.
Neidermeyer nervously folded it and started
TO put it in his pocket.
You can't do that, said the chief dep
uty II have to return il to the court"
Neidermeyer looked up quickly and with
a CHASTITY smile, said Il want TO take
this along with me to prove case of MUIR
St Peter" He also entered into discus
sion with the deputy sheriff on murder.
MARX AND VAN DINE.
The only requests that the other bandits,
Marx and Van Dine, made were that they
be allowed to bid another goodbye,
which was granted. They counseled each
other to be brave, and Joined in hoping that
they would meet again. The men had
been bitter enemies until a few days be-
fore the execution, Van Dine being incensed
at his companion for having made the con-
fession which led to their capture.
When the body of Neidermeier had
stopped quivering and had been removed,
Marx walked slowly to the scaffold with
several priests, after having confessed, re-
pented and received 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 attred in black and
IN the coat lapel of each was a white rose.
Neidermeer, unlike his comrades, wore a
rose of dark red. Marx showed no emotion
while on the scaffold and in a steady voice
repeated a litany. after the priests. He
ferventiy kissed the crucifix, and at IL II
o'clock was hanged. His neck was broken.
The execution of Harvey Van Dine was
varied by curious incident. While he
stood on the drop praying and waiting for
his arms to be pinioned and his legs Sc
cured, the moose fell from the crosspiece
of the gallows and dangled before the eyes
of the bandit about to die. Disregarding the
moose. the bandit continued praying stead
lily to the end. Death in his case, as in
that of Marx, was almost instantaneous
and not being due to strangulation, but to
the fall.
Mrs. Van Dine. the mother of the last
of the bandits. was at Buda, Ill. pleading
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