The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-23
CAR BARN BANDITS
HANGED IN CHICAGO
DEATH PENALTY WAS PAID
FOR ONE OF MANY CAPITAL
CRIMES THEY COMMITTED.

How the Three DesperadOes Met
Their Fate-Neidermcyer, Regard
ed as the Most Desperate, Met
Death With Less FOrtitude Than
Marx and Van Dine Closing
scenes in the Terrible Lives of
the Young CriminaIs-Van Dimes
Mother Plead With Governor.
Chicago April 22.-Atheist to the
last, but seeming to be unnerved COM
pletely, Peter Neidermeyer, the leader
of the car barn bandits, was hanged
to-day from a chair, contrasted with
his companions in crime, Gustav Marx
and Harvey Van Dine, who, standing
erect, kissed an image of Christ and
died without tremor.
The three executions were separate,
twenty minutes apart, the same scaf-
fold being used for all. Only once
before in the large number of execu-
tions that have taken place at the
Jail in this city has it been necessary
to carry a condemned man to the gall
lows as Neidermeyer was to-day.
The crime for which the three bandits
paid the penalty was one of many
murders which the three men are
known to have committed-that of
Francis w. Stewart, a clerk in the
car barns of the Chicago City Rail-
way.
Neidermeyer had boasted continually
of his courage, but as the last mo-
ments approached he collapsed and
was unable to take three consecutive
steps of a march to the gallows.
Neidermeyer had gone only two steps
from his cell when he sank, and 1t
was found it would be necessary to
lift him to the scaffold. Immediately
Neidermeyer's feet were strapped to-
gether. He was handcuffed, placed
upon a hospital truck and wheeled to
the end of a tier of cells. Then three
deputies carried him down a fight of
stairs.
Entirely contrary to general expecta-
tions Neidermeyer made no effort at
resistance. Saying nothing, and APP
pearing almost in a daZe, he was seat
ed upon a chair placed over the trap
accompanied Neidermeyer, he having
finally said when offered a last op-
portunity before leaving his cell, he
would die as he had lived. an atheist.
Died COnvuIsiveIy.
On the scaffold, JaiIer Whitman dis
regarded the custom of asking whether
the condemned Man wished to say
anything. The shroud and hood were
quickly adjusted. The bandit instinc-
lively moved his head that the rope
might more easily be arranged and
took last glance at the spectators.
He appeared as If in a stupor. A mo-
ment later, at 1926 o'clock, the trap
fell, the chair being quickly moved
from behind as the body shot down.
ward. The shroud became partly dis
arranged and fearful muscular strug-
giles of the dying man continued for
fifteen minutes in view of the witnesses
of the execution.
The conclusive movements OF Neid-
ermeyer's body while ne was suspend
ed at the ropes end, led the physicians
at first to believe that he had horribly
strangled to death. After an official
examination, however, it was said his
neck had beeh broken
Shortly before the hanging, Neider-
meyers mother had asked to be ad-
mitted to the Jail. but her request was
refused.
The only requests that the other
bandits, Mark and Van Dine, made.
were that they be allowed to bid each
other good bye, which was granted.
They counselled each other to be brave
and joined in hoping they would meet
again. The men had been bitter enc
mics until a few days before the execu-
ton.
End of Marx and Van Dine.
Marx walked slowly to the scaffold
with several priests, after having con-
fessed, repented and received the last
sacraments, as did Van Dine, both men
having been converted to the Roman
Catholic faith following the death SEN
tence. Marx. like Van Dine, was neat
ly attired in black, and in the coat
lapel of each was a white rose. Neider-
meyer, unlike mis- comrades, wore a
rose Of dark red.
Marx showed no emotion while on
the scaffold and in a steady voice re-
peated a litany after the priests. He
ferYently kissed the crucifix, and at
11:17 o'clock was hanged. His neck
was broken.
The execution Of Harvey Van Dine