Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1903 — IN A RIOT OF CRIME. [ARTICLE]

IN A RIOT OF CRIME.

BANDITS HAVE DEBPERATE FIGHT WITH DETECTIVEB. Chicago Car Barn Brigands, Trapped In Cave, Shook Two Policeman—Kill n Brakeman and Seise Train In Effort to Get Away. Pursued by a posse of more than fifty Chicago policemen, two of whom they shot, perhaps fatally, three men, supposed to be Harvey Van Dine, Peter Niedemeyer and Emil Roeski, the Chicago car barn bandits, held up a Pennsylvania train at East Tollestou, Ind., Friday, killed the brakeman and compelled the fireman to run the engine with them aboard to Liverpool, Ind., where they leaped off, carrying their weapons and disappeared north. Tracked to a lonely cave near Miller’s Station, lud., Thursday night by Detective John Sheehan of Chicago and a detail of seven men, tfi% brigands, who swore never to be taken alive, made a desperate stand, shot Detectives Zimmer and Driscoll and escaped through the anow to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks near East Tolleston. There they held up a Pennsylvania freight train, shot and killed Brakeman T. J. Fabio, and at the points of their weapons compelled the firemen to cut off the engine fyom the train and take them to Liverpool, Ind., where they disappeared in the wild country, going northward toward the Michigan Central tracks. Police Armed With Rifles. The “shoot to kill” desperadoes realized their danger when Detective Sheehan and his posse surrounded them. As soon as Sheehan could get word to Chicago that he had cornered the human quarry active preparations were made in the city linll for a posse of police armed with rifles. To stay in that desolate hole meant to be riddled with Winchester bullets. They got out of the ambuscade, ran through the snow and found the freight train on a siding. The engineer and the conductor were in the telegraph station waiting for orders. The engine had plenty of stenm up. Distance had to be “annihilated.” The deadly guns that had played so steadily on the police but a short time before were broughtinto play. The brakeman may have made a display of resistance. No one will ever know. He was ruthlessly shot dowu. The fireman whose practiced hand was needed to guide the engine was spared. But he felt the muzzles of revolvers nt his head and dared make no resistance. With a snort the Pennsylvania engine fairly darted out on the main line, bearing its freight of desperadoes aud the frightened fireman. Meanwhile Assistant Chief Schuettler at the head of the most determined posse of heavily armed police Chicago haa ever had to send out in a ©an hunt had arrived at the retreat on the snow-cov-ered sand dune near Miller’s Station. Tho quarry had fled in time. Hundred Shots Exchanged. More than a hundred shots were exchanged in the morning between the fugitives in the cave and the eight detectives who had them ambushed. The police were forced to fight in tho open, having the embankment of the railroad tracks aa their only protection. Only on£e during the morning was sight caught of the fugitives. They remained hidden in the cave, their rifles alone showing. The cave is out in the open, about two and a half miles from the station of Miller. There was absolutely no protection for the officers who surrounded the cave all night and approached at 7 o’clock in the morning. The first thing they met was a rifle snot The shooting became so hot that they were forced to take shelter behind the tracks. When they dodged behind the railroad embankment the shooting stopped. Driscoll and Zimmer had stepped to the top of the tracks to take a survey of things when the fugitives fired from Winchester rifles in rapid succession. Zimmer fell, shot in two places, once in the head, once iu tho arm. Driscoll was shot in the abdomen and became unconscious soon after. Th# scene of the shooting would stage the wildest of vendettas. After a careful study of the surroundings Detective Sheehan said that he was of the firm opinion that the cave had been picked out as a refuge by Mnrx’s associates long ago. Two Brigands Captured. After a pitched battle in the sand pits near East Tollestou, Ind., sand heavers and section hands in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad shot two members of the car barn trio and captured them late Friday afternoon. The men were disarmed, placed on a special train of Captain Briggs and taken to Liverpool. The third member of the party, who shot Brakeman Favio, escaped after exchanging shots with the railroad men. The two members of the car barn gang who were caught are said to bav* been Beriously injured, being shot from shotguns which the railroad men carried.