Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1906 — Robbed Safe And Murdered Policeman. [ARTICLE]

Robbed Safe And Murdered Policeman.

The safe in the grocery store of J. J. Aust gen, at Hammond, was blown open by burglars, late Sunday night, and robbed of about 1200 in money and valuable papers. The burglars were pursued and in making their escape boarded an electric car for Chicago. The conductor had heard of the robbery and at the end of his route pointed the men to a policeman named Luke Fitzgerald, who teiod to jm? - ; rest them. They opened fire, shooting him seven times, so that he died soon afterwards. One of the burglars was .shot by another policeman, and captured. Believ ing he was dying he confessed the robbery and sajd his name was Charley Hanson and that his com panion was Guy Van Tassel. Both Hanson and Van Tassel are notorious criminals, who have been in the Indiana state prison and Hanson would have been there yet but for the mistaken clemency of the board of pardons, in grant ■ing him a parole. Van Tassel was one of the-convicts who some years ago made-the supposed fake con session -of having been the real murders of Mrs. W. E. Hinshaw. Hansen and Van Tassel -have both been living at Michigan City and it looks to ns not unlikely that they, were the parties who -cracked Tony Btrickfaden’s safe at Monon, about ten days before this Hammond job was put thru.