Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-04-29
CAR=BARN BANDITSHANGfD
Niedermeyer, Who Tried Suicide, Was
Carried to the ScaffOld.
SHORT But THRILLING CAREER.
Marx and Vandne, Who Had Professed Cath
oIicism, Went Calmly to their Doom, While
Neidermeyer, Who Had Boosted OF His Nerve
Was Carried Half Dead to the Scaffold-
Incidents of the Execution.

Chicago, (SpeciaD Peter Nieder'
meyer, Gustav Marx and Harvey
Vandine, the notorious car-barn ban
dts and confessed murderers of eight
men. were hanged here separately
Friday.
Niedermeyer, who was hanged first,
had to be carried to the scaffold be-
cause of his desperate attempt at
suicide last Monday. Straps were
placed over his ankles and just
above his knees. He was then placed
on a truck and wheeled to one OF
the lower floors of the Jail, after which
he was carried to the scaffold and
placed in chair on the trap. He
wore red rose, but no coat. lie was
not asked the customary question II
he had anything to say, and the rope
was quickly placed about his neck
He instinctively settled his neck into
the moose and the trap was sprung
at 1895 A. NJ. The physicians, an
nounced that his neck had been
broken. =,
During the reading of the death
warrant Niedermeyer snatched the
paper from the chief deputys hano
and placed it in pocket. He. made
angry remarks at this time, and once
or twice, when he was being taken to
the scaffold.
Shortly after II o'clock Marx was
led to the scaffold, neatly dressed
and with a white rose, which had been
given him by his small sister the night
before. He was pale, but his courage
never left him. He made no state
ment. Two priests of the Roman
Catholic Church, of which Marx had
become a member, accompanied him
to the gallows. He repeated the lit
any with them, kissed cricifix, after
which the jailer adjusted the moose;
and sprang the trap at lily. lie was
pronounced dead at II.34, his neck
having been broken. =,
The hanging of Vandine occurred
at II.55, and was without particular
incident. The priests accompanied
him and, he, too, wore white rose.
AT first it was the intention OF
Sheriff Barrett to hang the trio SIM
ultaneously on one scafold, as the
Anarchists were executed some years
ago. The plan, however: was aban-
doned, mainly on account OF Nieder-
meyer's attempt at suicide, which
made it advisable that he be hanged
alone
Attorneys for Vandine were trying
to see the Governor. to obtain stay
of execution for the bandit, Jailor
Whitman said, and that was why
consent was given to hang Vandlne
last.
Marx and Vandine, who joined the
Catholic Church recently, spent their
last hours in reading, writing and
praying, several nuns and priests be-
ing constantly with them. .,
Niedermeyer continued to reject all
spiritual advice, and it seemed that
he would carry out his idea OF dying
an atheist.
When the last death watch was
placed before his cell for the night
Niedermeyer shook hands with the
guard who was leaving, and said that
he had been a good guard" mas
much as he had planned to trick him
number of times, but had been I'm
able to do so.
A large crowd assembled at the
Jail preceding the hour of execution
and sought admission, but were turned
away. Only limited number, provid'
ed by law, were allowed in the Jal
to witness the execution of the ban
dts.