Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-22
THE BOY BANDITS
HANGED TODAY
Continued From First Page.)

Instead. he darted back into the cave.
No sooner had he done so than firing
began, and volley after volley aimed
lat the officers came from the maya
zine guns of the bandits.
| Concealing themselves behind trees
and bushes as best they could, the po-
| lice returned the fire.
| In this manner the fight continued
for short time. Suddenly two of the
outlaws jumped from the cave and es-
capped across the frozen prairie, keep
ing up a fusilade as they ran.
| Detective Driscoll advanced to the
| "dugout' and was firing Mt the fleeing
desperadoes when Neiderneier-the po
lice thought here had been but two in
hollow-eme rged, fatally shot him In
back and joined his companions, while
the other policemen Were Still engag-
| ing the outlaws. A moment later De-
ltective thinner fell, seriously wound
| ed, but neither side yielded. Some min
utes later, however, the police, being
Obliged to care for the two wounded de-
tectfves, and finding their fire falling
short, decided to give up the fight tenn
porarily, and send to Chicago for rein
forcements. The bandits continued
| their flight.
| A special train with fifty policemen
arenled with rifles was rushed to the
scene. and the hunt renewed.
| Although escape was now impossible
| the men showed no signs of submission.
They had not halted since firing their
last volIey, and arrived at Tolliston ex-
hauted but still determined to avoid
capture.
On a side track at Tohliston, where
section men We're wording stood an en-
CINE and TRAIN OF cars. Then followed
the execution of quickly formed 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 Coffey did not notice that they
were armed. Brakeman John Sovia
did however, and crawled over the ten
der evidently to warn him Sovia at
Itempted to take the revolver from
Neidermeier while the other two BAN
dts pointed their reviewers at Coffey.
The scuffle was short and Sovia pitched
head foremost out of the cab with
bullet in his brain, dying almost in
stantly.
With theil. guns still pointed at Cof-
feys head the trio ordered him hastily
to taxa the train out of tise siding, and
lit started on wild run to Liverpool.
In the woods a short distance away.
were a number of armed farmers, who,
having heard of the escapade and es-
cape of the outlaws, had started to In
tercept Them The posse reached Toll
|liston just about noon Just as the train
passed. They rushed across the pl'aa-
RE to a 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 d corn field.
exchanging shots as they ran. Charges
from the guns of the farmers, under
hhe leadership Of Charles Hamilton.
struck Neiderrneier ana VanDine, but
did not seriously wound either. The
bandits who had now malde their last
stand were not deferred and fired fire.
auent volleys at their pursue1's.
Knowing they We're surrounded and
that further resistance would be useless
the criminals some minutes later de-
cided to surrender. NeiGiermeier, the
leader of the gang. who Marx had said
would never be talsn alive, being the
first to do so. A few minutes after
wards Van Dine abandoned the fight.
While VanIine and Neidermeier were
giving themselves up Roesski fled to the
woods beyond Liverpool. The posse
found him later in railroad station at
Aetna, waiting for train to Chicago.
He made no resistance, was disamed,
and brought to the city with the two
other bandits.
Detective Driscoll, who was shot by
Matchmaker died four days later.
Killed Twenty three Men.
While in Jail Nelderneder smilingly
boosted OF having killed twenty-three
men. Marx asserted that he had muir
dered five Investigation proved the
stat ements to be untrue. 1t developed
that these Cornerstone had bsen
made to obtain notomety, or for as
small consideration as a chew of to-
bacco OF the eight known victims of
the bandits four are thought to have
been killed by Neidarmeir alone.
on January 6, the trial of Neider-
meier, Vanloine and Marx, who had
been indicted the day after the capture,
began. But little testimony favorable
to them was offered. No defense at adj
was made for Neidsrmeiel-. In the case
of Van Dine evidence was Introduced
to show that he had been since birth
afflicted with form of epilepsy, which
had made him irresponsible. The state
introduced expert testimony to the eff
feet that Van Dine was mentally re-
sponsible when he took part in the de
lfberately planned crimes. plea for
clemency for Marx was made on the
ground thar his confession had led to
the capture Of his comrades. The case
went to the jury March u, and the next
day Marx. Neiderneier and Van Dina
We're found guilty. Hanging was the
punishment fixed by the jury.
The aged mothers of Marx. Neider-
meier and Van Dine We're in court dur
ing the progress of the trial, as were
tile widows of some of the men, who had
been slain. and there We're a number
of impressive incidents connected with
the hearing of the case. None OF the
bandits had yet reached THE age of
twenty five years.
Sedalia, Mo.--FrarlS Elustis Kunller,
livestock agent for the Missouri Pacific
at Little Rock, Ark, died of pneu-
monia yesterday, aged 26 years. The
remains will he taken to Sigel, Ill. for
buria.