Evening star., 1933-06-18
j. 5. AGENTS Join
HUNT FOR KILLERS
Entire Force Put on Job Fol-
lowing Massacre at
Kansas City.
Continued From First Page)

Aor tlleHl W slouP eACAseAFcs aooue eie
automobile.
I'VE went to the station to meet the
officers who were bringing Nash back
from Hot Springs" Vetterli continued.
Raymond Caffrey and I drove to
the station in his car. The two Kansas
City detectives, Hermanson and GroOms.
drove to the station in their car. We
met the Missouri-Pacific train and
started over to Caffrey's car, headed
south on the station drive across from
the east door of the station.
There were eight of us, including
Nash, the prisoner and seven officers.
We were to enter Caffrey's car and the
Kansas City detectives were to follow
us to Leavenworth in their car.
"I was standing at the rear and west
side of Caffrey's car. In the back seat
were Lackey and Smith, the agents
from Oklahoma, and Otto Reed. chief
of police at McAlester, who came up
with the prisoner.
Put EN- Up Command Heard.
"Caffrey was to drive. Nash had sat
In the drivers seat temporarily until
the car was loaded and then he was to
move over into the other front seat
which was folded up to allow the three
men to enter the rear seat.
"Caffrey stood on the pavement be-
side Nash on the east side Of the car
waiting for Nash to slide over into the
folding front seat. Hermanson and
Grooms were standing on the west side
of the car and toward the front. Sud
denly heard a man say Put 'em up,
up, UP. .,..,
away with a machine gun from near
the southwest corner Of the car. He
seemed to be standing on something
perhaps the running board of a car.
I don't know exactly. But he was
very close to us.
II crouched under the murderous fire.
I believe there were other machine guns
working too. Hermanson and Grooms
fell to the pavement in front OF me.
their bodies riddled. The windshield OF
Caffrey's car was splintering. The men
inside of 1t were powerless before the
red fire from the rattling guns.
IT fell to the pavement. I felt
singing pain in my left arm. When
the firing ceased-and it was all over
in a flash-I leveled pump gun at
the escaping car, which roared west
ward out of the station parking lot"
Three or Four Assailants.
Prom accounts OF the ambush. ON
GERS believe three or possibly four men
fired upon the officers from the right
and left at the same time. They be-
lieve the death car was parked near
that of the officers Tn anticipation OF
their appearance and that the assassins
were concealed among other automo-
biles nearby.
Across the plaza stood the shattered
car. On the pavement beside the car
were the bodies Of Caffrey, Hermanson
and Grooms. The two Kansas City
detectives had fallen together. on their
backs, their heads riddIed with machine
gun slugs.
Nash was q friend of Harvey Bailey,
O leader of the IL conHcts who escaped
from the Kansas prison in the Memorial
day break.
He had been sought by Federal ON
GERS for questioning In connection with
the prison break at the Federal peniten-
tiary at Leavenworth In December, 1891.
when Warden T. B. White, then in
charge, was kidnapped and wounded by
He was a friend of Harold rontaine,
smuggling firearms into the prison for
the break.
T. ]. Higgins, chief Of detectives, ex-
pressed belief that the attack was .
plot for the release OF Nash, probably
engineered by Harvey Bailey, who may
net have been present at its execution.
Floyd Participation Doubted.
The chief said he doubted that
Charles (Pretty Boy Floyd, another
Oklahoma killer, was involved although
Floyd released kidnapped sheriff near
Lees Summit, Mo, about 20 miles from
Kansas City, last night.
The sheriff, Jack Killingsworth Of
Bolivar Mo, who was with Floyd IA
hours yesterday, declared his belief that
Floyd and his companion, Adam Ric-
chetd, who kidnapped him at Bolivar
yesterday, had nothing to do with the
killings.
Omcers received report that the
car used by the killer had been seen
driving on Mission road, a route that
leads toward Oklahoma. Armored cars
cruised In pursuit. A rumor filtered
into police headquarters that the assss-
sins had followed the train to Kansas
City from Oklahoma last night
The slayers were the object Of prob
ably the most intensive search this
city has ever witnessed. Hundreds Of
police and Federal authorities were
securing the city and peace officers
lTOU1 tNtTy HtdIDY were
guarding highways.
1t was Federal agents who ended
the violent career of Nashs chief AL
Spencer, when they cornered the robber
and killer in the Usage Hills Of Okla
homa 10 years ago.
Nash Member Of Foursome.
Caffey arrested Bailey, former COM
panion OF Fred (Killer) Burke. as he
was playing golf on a Kansas City
course year ago Arrested with Bailey
were Thomas Holden and Francis
Heating, train robbers escaped from
teavenworth
Officers said they had positive in
formation Nash was a member of that
foursome, but managed to elude the
officers who arrested the other players
Frank Smith. the agent from Okla
homa City who arrested Nash in Hot
Springs, sat unscathed through the
deadly fusillade Il guess it just wasn't
my time" he said
1T was a wonder" he continued.
''that We weren't killed when we took
Nash in Hot Springs. He had been
there for some time and was sur
rounded by his own gang Of outlaws
and criminals. Our method was TO
work fast and get him out OF the coun-
try before any one could get hold OF
US. Nash has been a nortorious bandit.
train robber in the Al Spencer gang
and with other gangs, for years.
Nash has been one of the desperate
killers and bandits of the Middle West
We knew that. That's why We acted
cautiously. That's why when learned
that Nash was in Hot Springs, asked
Chief Reed to go with Lackey and me. -
Woman Describes Shooting.
Mrs Lottie West Travellers Aid
worker at the Union Station here, gave
the following account OF the slaylngs
Il saw the killers Of the Government
agent, city detectives, the Oklahoms
police chief and Frank Nash in front
OF the Union Station this morning
calmly awaiting their victims to grouI
themselves about the motor car which