Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-22

section men were working, stood an
engine and train of cars. Then fol-
lowed the execution of Il quickly form
| ell plan To seize the train and escape.
| The three outlaws jumped into the cab
and confronted Fireman Frank Coffey.
the engineer being away at the time.
At first Cofrey did not notice that they
were armed. Brakeman Joe Sovia did,
however. and crawled over the ten
der evidently to warn him. Sovia at
tempted to take the revolver from
| Neidemeier while the other two ban
dts pointed their revolvers at Coffcy.
| The scufle was short and Sovfa pitched
headforemost out of the cab with
bullet in his brain. dying almost in
stantly.
Start on Wild Run.
With their guns still pointed at COT
! feys head the trio ordered him hastily
to take the train out Of the siding, and
| il started on wild run to Liverpool.
! In the woods short distance away
were a number of armed farmers,
who. having heard of the escapade and
escape of the outlaws. had started to
intercept them. The posse reached
Tol!iston about noon. Just as the train
passed. They rushed across the prai-
RE to Il point where the road curves
and where there was a locked switch,
compelling Fireman Coffey to stop.
| The posse opened fire as the train
stopped and the trio fled to a corn
field. exchanging shots as they ran.
| Charges from the guns of the farmers
under the leadership of Charles Ham
! iltcn. struck Neidermeier and Van Dine
but did not seriously wound either.
The bandits who had now made their
last stand were not deferred and fired
frequent volleys at their pursuers.
knowing they were surrounded and
| that further resistance would be use
less. the criminals some minutes later
decided to surrender. Neidermeier, the
leader of the gang. who Marx had said
would never be taken alive. being the
first TO do so. y few minutes after
wards Van Dine abandoned the fight.
While Van Dine and Nedemeier were
giving themselves up. Roeski fed TO
the woods beyond Liverpool. The posse
found him later in railroad station
at Aetna. waiting for a train for Chi
cago. He made no resistance, was
disarmed. and brought to the city with
the two other bandits.
Detective DriScoll. who was shot by
Neidcrmeier. died four days later.
While in Jail Neidermeier smilingly
boosted of having killed % men. Marx
asserted that he had murdered five. In
vestigation proved the statements to
he untrue. 1t developed that these
l''confe.s onS" had been made TO obtain
notoriety. or for as small considera-
ton a. chew of tobacco. OF the
eight known victims of the bandits,
four are thought to have been killed
| by Neidermeier alone.
Little Defense Made
On Ian. 8 the trial of Neidermeier,
Van Dine and Marx. who had been in
dicted the day after the capture. be-
gan. But little testimony favorable to
them was offered. No defense at all
was made for Neidermeier.
In the case of Van Dine evidence was
introduced to show that he had been
| since birth afflicted with a form of cpl
| lepSy. which had made him irresponsi-
BILE. The state introduced expert testi-
mony to the effect that Van Dine was
mentally responsible when he took
part in the deliberately planned
crimes.
4 plea for clemency for Marx was
! made on the ground that his confess