Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-04

C0NvlCTS ASSAULT
and ROB PASSENGERS
A wild ride with murderers and rapists as their
overlords was the terrorizing experience of four
Ottawans late last night, when band of thirteen

ZlIiS CAoCIlCiiCC VI IOO1
when a band Of thirteen
convicts W h o escaped
from the Joliet peniten-
tiary yesterday morning
took possession Of the 12:42 c. o. 4
p. car, held up and robbed the pass
ensers at the point Of guns, dlvested
men Of their clothing, and then drove
the car at a terrific rate over twelve
miles TO a point where they consider
ed they could make their escape.
Not content with robbing their vic.
Tins of their valuables, the convicts
assaulted two OF the passengers and
fired 4 shot in an attempt to kill
Motorman Mel b. Richards then
drove him from his cab and one OF
the molly crew took hold OF the con.
troler and operated the car as skill
fully as any veteran motorman.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Reynolds. Of
Ottawa. were on the car, the latter
being the only woman among the pas
sengers. Mr. Reynolds Is q former
philadelphan and came here last
spring to change positions with Rob.
ert Hayward, who had a r. F. D. route
northwest OF town. The Reynolds
spent the day in Chicago and were re-
turning by interurban after they had
missed their train at Joliet
The first evidence of trouble came
when the crew stopped to take on
passengers at Dupage crossing, three
miles east Of Mirooka. The thirteen
men. garbed in nondescript layouts.
came aboard. The men scattered
about the car, some Of them going
into the smoker, other remaining at
the dividing partition and the rest
hanging about the rear vestlbule.
The first warning of hold.up came
when one OF the prisoners at the en-.
trance to the smoking compartment
shouted. Don't move or I'll shoot"
The startled passengers looked up to
find themselves facing menaclng re.
volver Behind the gun was deter
mined face that bore every evidence
Of ninth degree vilany. The rest Of the
convicts came to the aid Of their COM
panon and in few seconds had the
motorman conductor and other occu-
pants of the car entirely subdued.
Motorman Mel Richards was com.
manded to leave his cab after shot
plowed thru the door and struck the
wall near his head. The bullet fiat.
tened against the steel wall and is now
being kept by him as a souvenir.
Needless to say he obeyed the com.
mand, crawling thru the small door to
the smoker, where one of the men
stood guard over him
= Conductor Herman kammerer was
car, where the convicts began empty.
ing his pockets of whatever money
he had They obtained something
like $3.50 from him, the bulk of which
was company money. Unfortunately
he had Saturdays and Sundays turn
ins in his pockets, besides goodly
sum of his own money A diamond
ring he wore on his finger he slipped
from view by dropping it onto the
floor behind his seat. The robbers
did not get this jewel and it wal
recovered after they abandoned th'
I Ct'
Joe Corgas, agod 80, an Austrian
was hit over the head with a bee
bottle, when he fought against givinl
II up his clothes. He said he willingl.
+ turned over what money he had--$3
T. but he wanted to keep his clothing
81 One of the men grabbed him by tn
throat and started to choke him. Ar
u other came up from the rear an
crashed the bottle down on his heat
u Lewis Copy aged %, another AM
II trian was hlt in the face and relieve
It of sos In ransacklng the suit case
or Of the men the felons used knives !
~ spli them open, secured what clou
90 ing was in them and then gave theI
~ back to their owners
~ William Donaldson, Seneca ageI
for the G.. o. 4 7. was assaulted. bl
as the thieves got none OF his money.
~ After boarding the car at Dupat
II" crossing the escapes ran the car
'c a point within three miles OF Morr
VI where they elected Conductor kaI
merer and Motorman Richards. Fo
tunately the motorman was put of
Il siding and there managed to get
n telephone and communicate with u
" dispatcher at Ottawa, who notified u
sheriils OF win and Grnndy county
.aS At the place where they left the G
HIS in charge of Mr.. and Mrs. Reynoll
ass the conyicts had trouble with the tr'
us ley and were unable TO keep il on q
ner wire, This aided them in their det'
- a !. a.x.l