Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-27
A RUNNING FIGHT
With Gang Of Burglars from
Danvers, Mass.
Seven Arrested at Lynn and Bad Gang
Is Broken Up.
panvsrs Station Agent Roughly Han
died and Robbed.

LYNN. Mass, Jan. 26.-By the arrest
NJ seven men in this city, today, two OF
whom were captured after pattie
with bullets. the authorities STATE
county and city. believe that they nave
at last rounded up the gang OF DUR
glars, highwaymen and desperadoes
who for nearly four months have been
making Essex county VerltaDle not
he'd of crime. One Of the men. Frank
HAYDEN. a native of Wisconsin, and
tho most desperate man Of the aggre-
cation. was identified, today, as the
leader in the holding up of Chief of
Police Nixon of Merrimac, Nov. IS, the
robbery of the safe OF the MetrOpoli-
tan Coal Co in East Boston, which re-
suited in another battle with the police
and the death of the robbers, and the
assault at an early hour today, on Sta
ton Agent Whitman at Danvers,
Mass.
HAYDEN is said to have a criminal
record. having served three years in
the Essex county Jail in Lawrence.
from which institution he escaped,
April 4, 1900, being captured in Thomas
ton, Me-, a few weeks after.
The other men under arrest are
George Dart. a native Of Maine. John
McDermott and Hartley Carver of
Lynn, and Frank Murray. said to be
from the West. These men, with Hay
den, the police believe to be the ring
leaders in the series Of crimes. but the
police also took into custody William
Higgins and John Nestor, principally
Tor the reason that they were the as
sOciates Of the other five.
ole
tilted. today. by Station Agent Whit
man. as being with Hayden during the
assault on him and the robbery Of the
railroad station.
McDermott, Carver and Murray,
Higgins and NestOr, were all taken into
custody. this afternoon. without diff
Guilty. In fact. the local police as well
as the state officials have had them UNI
der surveillance for more than month.
It was with Hayden and Dart that the
officers had their battle, and it is sur
prising that with numerous exchanges
of shots at close quarters someone did
not fall. The chase after the two men
through the suburbs of Lynn, this af
ternoOn. was one of the most sensa-
tional that ever occurred in this city
and the local police showed great BRAY
cry in attacking the men.
After the robbery at Danvers railroad
station and the desperate assault upon
the agent. Mr.. Whitman. all the local
officers throughout Essex county were
notified to be on the outlook for sus-
piciOus characters. Feeling that the
men must belong to this city. the po
lice have been on the watch for them,
and. this afternoon. three of them were
discovered i'm the outskirts of the city.
One succeeded in Guiding the police
and escaping. but the officers followed
Hayden and Dart so closely that after
jumping fences and dashing through
houses. they at last cOrnered Hayden
in yard. He fired point blank at the
officers. but missed them and was at
once beaten and Overpowered. Dart
was located later i'm a house. and he
also fired at the officers as he met them
coming up stairs. Fortunately his aim
was no better than Haydens. AS soon
as the men had been taken to the police
station State Officer Neal. who had
been working on the case for a month
and had a number of the men under
surveillance. ordered the arrest of the
other five men.
All the men were measured. tonight,
under the Bertillon system by one of
the Boston police officials and photo
graphed.
They all will be arraigned in the local
court. tomorrow morning. but the
police. feeling that they have not suffi-
Gent evidence as yet to hold them for
all the recent numerous robbcries, will
prefer technical charge of breaking
and entering the establishment Of the
National Popcorn Co. in this city. Jan.
II. and request postponement of the
case. Subsequently they hope to iden-
tify nearly all as being concerned in
one or more of the rObberieS through
out the county. AS the superior court
is now sitting at Salem. the district
attorney will be asked to call a spec
ial session Of the grand jury that the
various cases may be placed before
that body.
The list of burglaries in Essex
county alone since October is n formi-
dable one and in numerous instances
the robbers have not hesitated to en-
gage in pitched battles with revolvcrs
with the police and citizens.
THE DANvERS BREAK.