Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 137, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1903 — HOW GANG KILLED AND ROBBED. [ARTICLE]

HOW GANG KILLED AND ROBBED.

Many Desperate Crimes Crowded Into Short Space of Time. Never before in Chicago, and perhaps never, in all the country, have so many desperate crimes been crowded info so short a time as is the case with Van Dine, Niedermeier, Roeski nnd Marx. Previous to the bnttle of Friday, the Tour youths had a criminal history extending over less than five months, with the exception of small offenses of larceny. In that time they killed seven men, wounded several others, robbed five saloons, a railroad ticket office, the car bams at Sixty-first and State street, and attempted- to dynamite a train. Five of the murders were committed within two months.

So far as is told by police reports and the confessions of the men, the first crime of note committed by them was the robbery of the Clyboum Junction station of the Northwestern Railway July 3. Niedermeier and Roeski carried out tins' robbery. T. W. Lnthrop, the ticket agent, and Martin Daugherty, a telegraph operator, were in the station when the men pointed a revolver through the lattice work and demanded the money in the drawer. Lathrop reached for a revolver and was shot through the body, but not mortally hurt. Datfeherty gave up and the robbers secured S7O. Less than a week later, July 9, Van Dine, Roeski and Marx robbed the saloon of Ernest Spires, 1820 Nerth Ashland avenue. Roeski went in the front door and ordered a glass of bder. Marx and Van Dine appeared at the side door and commanded all inside to hold up their hands. Otto Bauder, 19 years old, started to run, and Roeski shot him to death. Roeski then went behind the bar and robbed the cash till, while his companions guarded the men lined against the bar. Roeski and Van Dine on July 20 found Peter Gjorki alone saloon at 2011 Milwaukee avetaqe. When confronted by the robbers the saloonkeeper crouched behind the bar and readied for n revolver. Before lie could secure it four shots had been fired at him, one of the bullets striking him in the head. Gorki was conscious, but gave no sign of it, and could hear the robbers say in a matter-of-fact way as they opened tho cash drawer, “11c is dead." Gorki recovered. The murder of Benjamin C. La Gross and Adolph Jensen on Aug. 1 in the former’rsaloon at 2120 West North avenue came next. The saloonkeeper and Jensen were playing cards when the robbers entered. La Gross and ills customer held up their hands when ordered to do so, but botli were shot, Ln Gross dying at once and Jensen a day later. There was SO4 in the till.

The lnpst desperate crime of the men was the car barn robbery on Aug. 30. Roeski and Marx arranged the details, but Roeski was not an active party to the robbery. Two men were killed nitd $2,250 was taken. The responsibility foe the murders is the one point on which?" tho other prisoners say that Marx did not tell the truth in his confession. Marx, Van Dine and Niedermeier inwaded the barns at 3 o’clock in the morning and began shooting without warning. Francis W. Stewart, a student at the Armour Institute, at work at a desk in the cashier’s office, was shot through the body and diad soon afterward. William B. Edmond, receiving cashier, also was shot, but not mortally. James B. Johnson, a motorman, was killed as be rose from a bench op which he had tpen sleeping. The IB4n made a muss of their plan for dynamiHag the limited train of the Chicago and Northwestern Bail way.