Evening star., 1925-08-15
CHAPMAN AWNGER,
KILLER Of Z, ELUDES
NATIONWIDE HUNT
"Dutch" Anderson, Pal of No
torious Bandit, Stays Man
and Wife iNho Told.
VICTIMS HAD SHELTERED
TRIO AFTER CELL BREAK
Husband Testified Against Chap
pie, Finest Man He Ever
Met" in Hartford.
By tho Associated Press.

By tho Associated Press.
MJTNCIE, Ind, August 15.-Ven-
geance trailing those who testihed
against Gerald Chapman, notorious
bandit condemned to die for the muir
der of a Connecticut policeman, struck
down Ben Hance and his wife near
here Yesterday. The Hances were shot
TO death on the Anderson Muncie high
way, In a 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 An
derson and Chapman lived after their
escape from Atlanta Penitentiary and
after Chapman attempted the robbery
of a New Britain. Conn.,, mercantile
establishment, which resulted in the
Staying of a police officer. Hance was
one of the principal witnesses against
Chapman following his arrest here.
Just what occurred on the highway
before the fusIllade Of shots riddled
Hance and his wife has not developed
although Wolfe, arrested In Muncle
last night, is held under heavy guard
Wolfe refuses to talk. Mrs. Hance
died instantly, while Hance nVed long
enough to gasp out an accusation
Woman Witnesses Deaths.
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 small coupe carrying
an Ohio license. a large red automooile
and the Hance car. The red machine
passed the others almost in front OF
my house. The coupe pulled up In
front of the Hanee car and stopped.
Mrs. Hance was the first to aight
from the machine. She was bare
footed. Her husband stepped out
second later. A few words were eX-
changed and the bandits shot. Mrs.
Hance fell dead, with bullet
through her head, Hance and a man
supposed to be Anderson began wres-
Ting In the road. Several shots were
fired at close range. Other shots were
fired after him, and he fell mortally
wounded just as he leaped over
fence into cornfield.
The gunmen then turned their
weapons on the red machine, which
had stopped 200 yards up the road.
Another machine which passed also
was fired at before the two slayers
jumped into the coupe and drove
away"
To a Middietown officer. called to
the scene by Cromer, who had found
Hance. the stricken man gasped:
He stayed at my home. told on
him. They shot me-Charles Wolfe
and Dutch Anderson" Hance, after
being rushed to Muncie hospital.
called for Fred Puckett, chief of de-
tectives. but before Puckett arrived
Hance died. Puckett was one of the
officers who aided in the capture of
Chapman last January.
Wolfe Arrested, Silent
Several hours after the shooting
Wolfe was arrested at the home of
his mother-in.law. Mrs. Myrtle Stra-
han. A coupe resembling the machine
seen at the tragedy was parked in
front of the Strahan house. Wolfe
maintained a stoical silence.
According to local officers, the
Hances lived in constant dread of
death since chapmans conviction.
Friends of the condemned man have
sworn vengeance on Hance for giving
Information against him. 1t was due
to Hance's knowledge of the move
ments of the Chapman gang that he
was arrested. When Chapman was
taken into custody by local police early
this year he readily admitted his iden-
tity. damning the man who turned
me up for blood money"
At the time Hance went to Hart
ford, Conn. TO testify mis- wife refused
to go, fearing she might be killed.
Several times during her husbands
absence she appealed to the authorities
for protection. declaring her home was
being watched.
1t has been known to both local po.
lice and Federal officers that Anderson
has been in the neighborhood OF Mum
Gle for several weeks. Anderson, 1t is
believed, was engaged in bootlegging in
Indiana. 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" Of
fcers.