The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-22
DAY OF DOOM.
Car Barn Bandits Pay Penalty
of Their Misdeeds.
Plan to Hang All at One Time
Is Changed.
---4 -~-,r,
HISTORY OF GRIMES.
Committed Eight Murders in
Period of Six Months.
Emil ROeski Received Sentence
of Life Imprisonment.

/ 0ulCdBOs april ZZ-"COI1p pelleQ 10 De
carried to the scaffold. Peter Nfeder-
meier, leader OF the car barn bandits.
was hanged here today at 1875
o'clock. Weak and pale but with a
slight suggestion of q smile, the ban
dit failed to carry out his oft repeated
boast that he would die before reach
! ing the gallows. The hanging of his
associates, Gustav Marx and Harvey
Van Dine, followed quickly. Although
it was expected at first that Nieder-
meier would be able to walk to the
galIows with but little or no assist
ance, it was found at the last moment
that he was too weak. Straps were
placed over his ankles and just above
/ bis knees. He was then placed on
truck and wheeled to one of the lower
floors of the Jail. after which he was
carried to the scaffold and placed in a
chair on the trap. He was not asked
the customary question if he had any
thing to say, and the rope was quick
! ly placed about his neck. He in
4 stlnctvely settled his neck into the
moose and the trap was sprung. The
/ BODY shot through the trap and for
20 minutes after it moved convulsive-
/ ly, the physicians at first being of the
opinion that he was strangling to
too low After examination, however,
! the physicians announced that his
neck had been broken.
! Niedermeir appeared on the scaffold
/ without coat Previous to the exc
cution and during the reading of the
death warrant Niedermeier snatched
/ the paper from the chief deputy's
hands and placed it in a pocket and
made remarks in anger at this time
and once or twice when he was being
1 taken to the scaffOld.
/ Shortly after II o'clock Marx was led
/ to the scaffO1d He was neatly dressed
q a h11 ff,T171 17eaFse
given him by his young sister, the
night before He was pale, but his
courage never left him while he stood
on the ScamOld- He made no state
ment. Two priests of the Roman Cath
olic church, of which Marx had be-
come a member accompanied him to
the Eallows. He repeated a litany
| with them and kissed a crucifx, after
which the jailer adjusted the moose
and sprang the trap at 11:17. He was
pronounced dead at 1874, his neck
having been broken.
Harvey Van Dine was hanged q
short interval after his companion,
Marx, a few days before a bitter enemy
of Van Dine. but now the best of
friends in their last hours of life
Incidents in Van Dimes execution
were similar to those that character
lied the execution of Marx. Like Marx
Van Dine was composed preceding his
execution.
With the Catholic priests who accom-
tpanied him Van Dine walked unfalter-
ingly to the scaffold attired neatly in
black like Marx and wearing a white
Waistcoat and a. white rose Wan Dine
seemed to be even more calm than his
companion, Marx, who went to death
shortly before.
| Van Dine made no statement of any
kind while on the scaffold, but the
prayer which he repeated with his
spiritual advisers was quite audible
With Van Dimes lips still moving in
prayer the trap was sprung at 11;5o-
His neck was broken.
Before Neidermeier was taken to the
gallows he was asked if like his conf
panions, he wished to accept the sac
raments. He answered that he cared
nothing for spiritual and wished no
priest to follow him to the gallows.
When the drop fell the shroud about
Neidermeier's body fell apart and to
the onlookers was revealed for 20 mlll-
utes the horrifying struggles of the
desperate.
The death Of Marx and Van Dine was
unaccompanied by any similar spec
4 4 dramatic incident, however, preced-
ed the execution of Marx and Van
Dine When the jailer entered Marx s
room to give notice to prepare Tor the
end Marx said
Il want to see Harvey"
Van Dine was brought from his room
a few steps away into Marks room
When the two men faced each other,
Marx said:
Harvey, I hope to see you soon and
: think we will meet again
Van Dine seemed to be more affected
than Marx. He replied:
} Il hope So"
Marx said: "I am ready" and went
to the scaffoId with the priests.
Preparatory to the third execution.
the rome was tested with a bag of
sand. 1t was feared the strands might
have become weakened by the strain
of the two previous hangings. The
rope. however, was found to be salts
factory
Preparing for the End.
Chicago. April 22.=With execution
so near as to be awaited by minutes,
Peter Niedermier, Gustav Marx and
Harvey Vandine, the car bandits, to-
, day, after a practically sleepless
night, prepared for the end. At first
it was the intention of Sheriff Barrett
to hang the trio simultaneously on
one scaffold, as the anarchists were
executed some years ago The plan
however, was abandoned mainly on
account of Niedermiers attempt at
suicide, which had left him in a weak
ened condition, and made it advisable
that he should be hanged alone.
A large crowd assembled at the jail
preceding the hour of execution and
sought admission, but were turned
5 away. Only a limited number provid-
ed by law were allowed in the jail tC
witness the execution of the bandits
z whose careers-with Emil RoeslHi i'm
prisoned for life but a few days be-
2 fore-were closed at practically the
{ same time.
Nefdermeier continued to reject al
] spiritual advice and it seemed that he
would carry out his idea of dying an
meier would be able to walk to the
= gallows without assistance.
Marx and Van Dine, who had joined
1.-The Catholic faith recently, spent theil