The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-08-15
TW0SLAINAS
THUGS AVENGE
BANDIT DEATH
Gangsters Wreak Double Toll
for Hanging of Gerald
Chapman
MAN, WIFE MURDERED
Muncie Desperate Taken In
to Custody Following Sen.
satiOnal Killing

Muncie. Ind. Aug. l5-(P)-Ven-
geance trailing those who testi-
fled against Gerald Chapman,
notorious bandit, condemned tO
die for the murder Of u COnnecti-
cut policeman. struck down Ben
Hance and his wife near here
yesterday.
The Hances were shot to death
on the Anderson. Muncie High
way.
In u dying statement, Hance
laid the crime to the door Of
George Dutch) Anderson. pal Of
Chapman. and Charles (One.arm)
Wolfe of Muncie.
1t was at the Hance home that
Anderson and Chapman lived after
their escape from Atlanta Peniten-
tiary. and after Chapman attempted
the robbery Of a New Britain. Conn.
mercantile establishment which re-
suited in the Staying Of q police Off
Ger.
Principal Witness
Hance was one of the principal wit
nesses against Chapman following his
arrest here.
Wolfe, arrested in Muncie last
night. refuses to talk. Mrs. Hance
died instantly while Hance lived long
enough to gasp out an accusation
against Anderson and Wolfe.
A terrified farmers wife, Mrs.
Charles Cromer, standing on her front
porch witnessed the tragedy. She
related:
"Three machines were coming down
the road, one a small coupe carrying
an Ohio license, a large red automo-
bile and the Nanca car
Red Machine
THE red machine passed the others
almost in front Of my house. A coupe
pulled up in front Of the Hance car
and stopped. Mrs. Hance was the
first to alight from the machins.
She was barefoot.
"Her husband stepped out n second
later. A few words were exchanged
and the bandits shot Mrs. Hance
fell dead with bullet through her
head. Hance and a man supposed to
be Anderson began wrestling in the
road. Several shots were fired ut
close range. Other shots were fired
and Hance fell mortally wounded just
as he leaped over fence into
corn field"
Escape In Coupe
"The gunmen then turned weapons
on the red machine which had stop
ped 200 yards up the road, another
machine which passed, also was fired
at, before the two slaycrs jumped
into the coupe and drove away.
ITO Middletown officer, called
to the scene by Mrs. Cromer, who
had found Hance, the stricken man
sasped: He stayed at my home. l
told on him, they shot me-Chas.
Wolfe and Dutch Anderson"
Arrest Wolfe
Several hours after the shooting.
Wolfe was arrested at the home of
his mother in-l law, Mrs. Myrtle
Strahan. Wolfe maintained a stolid
silence, according to local officers.
The Hances lived in constant dread
of death since Chapman's execution.
Friends Of the condemned man
have sworn vengeance on Hance for
giving information against MIN. 1t
was due to Hance's knowledge of the
movements of the Chapman gang
that he was arrested.
Vengeance Theory
When Chapman was taken into Gus
tody by local police early this year,
he readily admitted his identity,
threatening to get the men who
turned me up for blood money"
In addition to the vengeance
theory, there is a supposition that
Hance had obtained information of
the whereabouts of Anderson and that
he was slain before he could "tip off"
Officers