Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1904 — BANDITS TO HANG. [ARTICLE]

BANDITS TO HANG.

Chicago Car-Barn Murderers Given the Death Penalty. Gustav Marx, Peter Niedemeyer and Harvey Van Dine, the “Chicago caf-bam bandits,” must hang for the murder of Francis W. Stewart in the Gist street barns cf the City Railway Company. Such was the verdict of the jury returned in Judge Kersten’s court at 10 o’clock Saturday morning. The decision came as a surprise, for the long deliberation—since 12:15 p. in. led to a belief that lighter punishment was in store for at least one of the defendants. . When court convened the mothers of Van-Dine and Niedemeyer were in the room. They looked worn and sad. Ynn Dine turned and smiled at his mother while the jurymen were filing in. Mrs. Marx was at home in a stato of prostration. When llie jurors appeared they were pale and disheveled. The verdict was read. Then the formal question was asked of each: “Was this and is this your verdict?” An affirmative reply was given by each of the twelve. Mrs. Niedemeyer stood in the center of the .court room for over an hour after the verdict came. She seemed to be in a daze. Standing near the chair where her son had sat, she held her hands over her face and said to attorneys and friends: “Lot mo alone.” Mrs. Van Dine pitched and then recovered herself. One juror, Charles Walton, caused the long delay. He insisted that Van Dine had some good in him because he did not kill Cashier Edmond, who was in the car barn at the time of the raid. With the exception of the Luetgert trials, the case has been the longest drawn out and most expensive ever tried in the Chicago criminal court. The work of securing a jury commenced on Jan. G. Four weeks were consumed in filling the panel, one juror having been dismissed after he had been accepted because of his false answers to questions put him in qualifying for service. The time of the jury was GG3 days, which, at $2, makes a cost of 91,200, exclusive of mileage and their board at the hotel. The time of the court, prosecuting attorneys, police and deputy sheriffs represents an outlay in salaries of $50,000, exclusive of the cost of the stenographic report of the case. ».■ Another item of expense in the case was the pay and mileage of some 700 veniremen who were summoned for jury service and not accepted. This will aggregate at least $1,500. Other expenses, including expert testimony, expenses of travel of detectives, ami the fees and mileage of witnesses, who were called from Indiana, Denver and other points outside the State, will bring the total expense of the trial to about SGO,OOO.