Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1896 — TERRORS IN THE TOILS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TERRORS IN THE TOILS.

The Whole Gong of Chicago Robber* Now Voder Arrest. i After five months of terror, caused by a series of the most daring robberies ever perpetrated in any city, Chicago now rests easily, for the perpetrators are in custody. For some time the police have had out their drag net and have arrested every suspicious character they have

found in the city limits. More than a hundred have been hauled into the cells, but it is now almost certain that only ten men have been I implicated in the robberies. These ten are Red Sul- . itvan auJ* Jghn I Orme, the MhndI ers of the gang who have become famous as “the long and the

short men,” Thomas McGettan, chael Monahan. .James Dempsey, Barney Hunt, Alfred alias “Sleepy” Burke. Joseph Gordon, Jesse Thames and John McLane. The police are still looking for Thames. The others ure under arrest. . All of the prisoners are under 22 years of age, but are old in crimes ■ Some of them were waifs and Itootblpcks who never knew n home: others are the vicious children of respected parents. It was

while confined in the Pontiac reformatory last year that n criminal organization was formed among tlu-m, at the instigation of Orme, who is 21 years old. Au oath bound each member of the society to the other 'by a pledge of death. Any one who betrayed another member of the society was to be put to death. If arrested and jrut on the witness stand and lie told the iruth there, he was to be shot in the court room. If he was put in a police sweat box nnd betrayed his comrades a bullet, was to end his existence nt the first, opportunity. On the other hand, if one of them was captured and remained loyal, every effort was to be made for his release. Money was to be used mid this failing, it was arranged that the others were to go into whatever court room their associate might be in with their pistols, stand off the bailiffs, shoot down the police who might resist them, nnd liy with the rescued one. In the event rescue in a court ropm ,was not favorable, they had another scheme for rescue. That was to follow the train on which their convicted associate would be, hold it up when it was in the country and take him off. That is the kind of young fellows the police department lias been fighting against all spring and summer. Chief Badenoch says that in bis lifetime and witli the knowledge which he has of once famous Chicago criminhis, he has never met with a more bloodthirsty or better organized band of thieves than the one which Orme put together. In February the gang who had finished their terms at the reformatory began their depredations. Citizens wore held up on their way home at night. In almost every instance assault folowed the robbery and the victims in some cases were found unconscious in the streets. The thugs transferred their o[>erations to the large stores and the depredations there have been alarming. More than a score of business places have been rollbed nnd onegmurder has been committed, 'fhnt more lives have not been sacrificed is due to the fact that the robbers have not met

with resistance, for they w<*re ! prepared at all times to shoot down whoever opposed them. Their method almost invariably was to enter a store, draw revolvers, get the drop on all present and then grab the money box and escape before the frightened employes or customers could regain their senses sufficiently to act. Sometimes two men did the robbing, sometimes three, four or five, ,but in nearly every case a tnll man and a short man took a leading part, and fully half the robberies were committed by these two without assistance. The tall man was wry thin. The short man had a red face covered with blotches and pimples. For weeks the police seemed dumfounded. Almost in their sight the robbers operated as boldly as if no police officer existed. The activity displayed by the gang was something surprising, and the detectives never knew where they were going to operate next. One night they’would do a job in the center of the city and a few hours Taler they would complete'another ten miles nway. This they’kept up for weeks. Finally iiboiitlWo weeks ago Ked Sullivan was captured while drunk and. from him was obtained information which led to the arrest of the others. Orme, Dempsey and Monahan were the lust to be arrested. They were captured in Detroit. where they bad laid plans fqr similar work. Orme, the leader, is a good dresser and would lie taken for a student. There is nothing about him to suggest it brrinioa! and on this account he succeeded so well. Orme generally walked into the stores first and the soft smile on his face would disarm suspicion until be got close to the person hi' intended to cover, when be would pull out the big revolver and shove it at the man. saying in a low voice: "Now be quiet or I will blow daylight through yotr.” Serious floods have beeurfed in the Berlez Alps, the Jura mountains and the canton of Vaud and the lower vallais. of Switzerland. Bridges have been carried away, roads destroyed and railway travel interrupted. Much damage has U'en done to crops. 'No fatalities are reported. Another bine book on Venezuela has been issued by the English foreign office.

“RED" SULLIVAN.

CHIEF OF POLICE BADENOCH.

MONAHAN. ORME. DEMPSEY.