The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-05-17
BANDIT SLAIN in
DUEL WITHPOLICE
OF GRAND TOWER
Two Men Caught In Mer-
camille Store by Marshal
Cady and Proprietor.
ROBBERSARE BETRAYED
BY BURGLAR ALARM
Had Opened Safe and Piled Up
Goods, When Police Arrived
Slain Man Buried.

An unidentified bandit was shot and
killed and another was captured in
Grand Tower, Ill.,, early yesterday
morning after a revolver duel with
City Marshal D. H. Cady and C. C.
Hutmacher, in whose store the two
were caught about 2 o'clock in the
morning. Neither the marshal nor the
owner of the store was wounded in the
battle. The slain bandit was buried
yesterday forenoon at Grand Tower
after the coroner had held an inquest
and the jurors had returned a verdict
of justifable homicide.
The second bandit, who is being held
at the Jackson County Jail in Muir
physboro, gave his name as George
Williams. He told the marshal and
the county officers that he did not
know the dead man, and that he had
met him just a few hours before the
shooting. He said they arrived in
Grand Tower about II o'clock Tues
day evening.
Mr.. Hutmacher, who is president of
the Hutmacher Mercantile and Lum-
Der Co., has his home connected with
the store by burglar alarm. He was
awakened shortly before 2 o'clock by
the ringing of the bell. He dressed
hurriedly and called the marshal who
lives in the same block. Both armed
with automatic rifles, ran to the store,
which is about three blocks from the
Hutmacher residence.
When they reached the corner the
turned out the street light,
he told a reporter for The Tribune last
night. Evidently, he said, the bandits
were alarmed by the turning out of
the light, and ran to the front door
of the store. When he and Mr.. Hut
macher came within a few feet of the
store, one of the robbers opened fire,
shooting about five or six times. The
returned the fire and killed
the bandit who was standing in the
doorway. Of the three bullets, two
took effect, one in the head and the
other in the left side of his chest. The
other man surrendered and was taken
to the city Jail.
The surviving robber refused to
make any statement. He told Marshal
Cady that he had met the dead man
three hours before the shooting and
vent to the store upon his solicitation.
lie would not say where his home was,
lad claimed he did not know the Zane
If the slain man. Nothing Was found
m the dead man to establish his i,ien-
lily. He had a number of skeleton
Keys and So in his possession. He
vas dressed in a brown suit and wore
/ dark cap.
When Marshal Cady and Mr.. Hut
nacher searched the store they found
hat the combination on the safe had
'een worked and the inside drawers
pencd, but no money had been taken
" the robbers. Several suits, wrap
'ed up in bundle, had been placed |
ear the safe ready to be taken out, |
he marshal said. Besides they found |
ound several burglar tools and three
Gather straps on the floor.
Coroner DR.. Vorshee of Murphys-
orc was summoned yesterday fore
con and held the inquest. The mar
nal was exonerated from any blame
Or the death of the robber. The lat
Fl was buried shortly after the in
uest.
Marshal Cady said be believed that
9th men had criminal record. The
act that they knew how to work the
of the safe and that they
ere equipped with all kinds of bur-
larry tools convinced him that theI
air were not novices. He said he
as informed that the men had been
Grand Tower for several days be-
ire the shooting, but the captured {
'bber maintained that they arrived
lily few hours before thew were
Iught. K
Grand Tower is railroad center on
e east side of the Mississippi, about t
miles upstream from the Cape. t