Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-11-10
DESPERATE ENCOUNTER
Two Young Men Rob George Schmidt and
Were Later Captured One Killed.

/ weapon. VIM. Peterson, the officer,
testified of his notification of the
desperadoes; of the information he
had received of their desperate char
aStars and to take no chances in
arresting them as they were heavily
armed; how he discovered them that
morning in a saloon and followed
them TO the hotel and how he and
Hermanson entered the dining room
and the covering of Dale by him with
his gun and ordered his 'hands up"
which startled Dale and as he arose
from his. chair he pulled his gun.
Peterson fired his gun and Dale sank
back in his chair-shot in the head.
Peterson then went to the assistance
of Hermanson struggling with john
son on the floor, Johnson firing his
gun several times during the scuf1ie
and shot Dale in the hip. Johnson
finally broke away and started for a
swamp near by and Peterson fired at
him several times and the superstition
is that one of the shots struck him in
the nip. Fred Eyert of the hotel
said the men came there early in the
morning and asked for breakfast, and
after being seated at the table john
son placed his gun in his lap. When
Peterson and Hermanson came into
the room he told them of the weapon.
There were other persons in the din
ing room at the time Of the 1racas,
but they were not called as witnesses.
After hearing the evidence as above
given the jury rendered the following
verdict:
THAT the said Elmer Dale, on the
It'll day of November, 1914, came to
his death while resisting arrest, by a
gunshot wound in the head inflicted
by marshal Peterson while perform
ing his lawful duty as marshal. We,
the jury, further agree that marshal
Peterson committed justiiable homi-
eide in self defense"
Johnson, the older of the two men,
appears TO be close-mouthed, but did
state at one time that this was his
first offense and at another time that
he was engaged in similar business
previous to this. He also stated that
he was a resident of St. Paul.
Little credence, however, can be
placed in his statements, his name,
address, etc. Johnson is still at the
hospital, being seriously shot in the
left thigh, breaking the fumer bone
and it may put him out of future act
ivity in his chosen line of previous
adoption. A statement from him is
looked for later
On the persons of the desperadoes
when captured were found, includ-
ing the four guns as above mentioned,
a gold watch and chain and on the
inside of the watch case the following
engraved inscription ED. A. Back
haus, 12-25-1910," two flash lights,
two memorandum books, a bunch of
Yale keys, jack-knife, colored pic
ture postal card, representing the
holding up of victim with gun point
ed in his face and on which was printed
the words, 81 Am Making 1t Pay"
which was rather suggestive, some
pipes, tobacco, cartridges, etc. The
watch and chain were in possession
of Johnson.
G. just & Sons store at Whitcomb
was burglarized Monday night of last
week, the safe combination worked
and the burglars helped themselves to
Sl25 in cash and other contents. Fred
Just was in Wausau Saturday to iden-
tify the bad men held here but found
they were not the suspects.